He laughs, pushing off the doorframe and pulling me into his arms. “We’ll just have to make some new memories in here.”
“Sounds good to me.” I lean into him, savoring the solid warmth of his body. I shiver as his hands slide under the hem of my shirt, his fingers skimming over my skin as he lifts it over my head.
I reach for him, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders. We undress each other slowly, taking our time, exploring the familiar planes and curves of each other’s bodies. When we’re both naked, he takes my hand and leads me to the tub. As we step in and sink into the steaming water, I’m grateful for the oversized tub.
I lean back against Greg’s chest, relishing the feel of his skin against mine. His arms come around me and I close my eyes, letting the warmth of the water and the comfort of his embrace envelop me. I sigh, my head falling back against his shoulder. “This feels amazing.”
He hums in response, his hands stroking gently along my arms in a way that’s meditative and soothing. We stay like that for a long while, the candles burning low, the soft music washing over us. Eventually he stirs, gesturing for me to scoot around. The water swishes as I move to the other end of the bath and lie back. After a moment, his hands are on my feet, his thumbs pressing into the arches, massaging away the tension. It feels heavenly.
“God, I love this. I could stay in here all night,” I say with another blissful sigh.
“On the topic of baths,” Greg says, his fingers working their magic on my feet, “I was thinking of another trip for our bucket list. Perhaps to Japan to visit a bathhouse. We could make it happen one day.”
I smile, the idea taking root in my mind. “I’d love that. If we went in winter, we could see the snow monkeys bathing in the hot springs… it would be incredible.”
“We could take a whole month. Really make a proper vacation of it.”
“A month sounds perfect,” I agree. “Something to look forward to, to plan for together.”
We’re madly saving all our spare pennies for our future family, but it’s nice to have other dreams, even if it takes forever for them to come true. His smile is soft as he holds my gaze and my heart swells with love, for both this man and for the life we’ve built together. I’m so lucky to have someone who just gets me.
“I’m so grateful for you,” I say as I sit up, water splashing and bubbles taking flight. “For this, for us… for everything.”
He cups my cheek, his thumb brushing across my skin. “Me too. Every day, I’m grateful. For the big things and the little things… for all of it.”
I lean into his touch. We’ve both built profitable businesses, and our house is amazing, but it’s not the trappings of success that make me content. It’s Greg. It’s us as a couple. We’ve triumphed over accident and illness, and things that could have derailed our relationship, but we’re strong, and even stronger together.
Later, as he dries off, I steal glances at him, marveling at the play of candlelight over his bare skin, the way it glints off the droplets clinging to his shoulders. Even after all these years, the sight of him still takes my breath away and his scars only make him more beautiful. I’m disappointed when he puts on a robe.
I slip my own robe over my shoulders, the fabric warm from the heated towel rack—a decadent touch. As I tie the belt around my waist, I look up to find Greg watching me, his expression soft with affection. My heart flips in my chest.
“What?” I ask, a smile tugging at my lips.
“Nothing,” he says, shaking his head. “Just… I love you.”
The words, so simple yet so profound.
I step closer, drawing him to me. “I love you too. Thank you for the most awesome Christmas present ever.”And thank you for being you.
Chapter Eighteen
Greg
I carefully untie thegold ribbon and lift the lid off the long, slim box. Nestled inside on a bed of tissue paper is a leather bracelet, the strands intertwined in an intricate pattern. A silver compass clasp gleams in the center, catching the light from the Christmas tree as I angle the box.
“Oh, Cam, it’s beautiful.” The leather is buttery soft against my fingers as I lift it from the box.
Cam reaches over and takes the bracelet. “May I?”
I nod and hold out my hand. Cam unclasps the bracelet and fastens it around my wrist, his fingers brushing my skin as the compass settles, the silver cool and solid.
“I love it,” I say softly, twisting my arm and admiring how the leather wraps around my wrist. The different shades of brown remind me of Cam’s eyes, earthy and warm.
He traces a finger over the compass. “I’m glad, babe. I saw it and immediately thought of you.”
I lean in and kiss him. “Thank you. I’ll wear it always.”
His fingers brush over the leather strands. “See how the different strands of leather weave together? It’s like us, babe. We’re stronger together, our lives intertwined. And the compass, it’s a reminder that no matter what challenges we face, we’ll always find our way as long as we have each other.”
