“You think this is funny?”she demanded, not turning to look at him.
“I think it’s marvelous,” he replied.
With a wave of her hand, pieces of precious artwork began to shatter from one side of the room to the other.Crystalia turned to face him, her eyes blazing.
“Still think it’s funny?”she asked sweetly.
“Incredibly, you’re jealous,” he nearly crowed.
“I never said any such thing!”
“You don’t have to.Do you think I don’t know you?That I don’t know how your little mind works?You’re jealous, and the most adorable thing about it is you have no reason to be.There’s never been anyone else but you, my darling,” he said softly.“There never will be.It’s always been you; since the first moment I saw you until my dying breath it will always be you.”
“Oh Jackson, why do you have to go and say something sweet like that when I’ve completely destroyed this room?”she demanded, glaring at him as a tear ran down her cheek.
“Would you feel better if I spanked you?”he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“No!”
“I didn’t think so.Do you think any of this matters?”he asked, glancing around the room.“It doesn’t.It’s only you who are irreplaceable.”Pulling her into his arms he swept her up and sat, keeping her firmly on his lap.“Hush now,” he ordered firmly.“No more tears or as they say I will give you something to cry about.”
Crystalia grimaced.“You really are an obnoxious male,” she replied resting her head on his chest.“I do believe you would love to spank me.”
“Indeed I would,” he cheerfully admitted.
“How did I ever fall in love with you in the first place?You have very few redeeming qualities.”
“In my opinion, you fell in love with me a very long time ago.Your head was simply too full of girlish romantic notions to realize it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, precisely so,” he affirmed.“Now that you’ve come to your senses, I think we should go back upstairs to the bedroom and discuss wedding plans.”
“I thought you were going to marry someone else,” she nearly sneered.
“You truly are a ridiculous creature,” he drawled, “beautiful, but ridiculous.I could never marry another and you’re well aware of that fact or you would not torment me so.”
“Santa will never agree and you know it.We’ll both be banned from Christmas Village and I’ll never get to be part of Wyatt and Patty’s life.We’re doomed,” she cried.
Standing with her in his arms, Jackson strode from the room with a chuckle.
“You’ve always been overly dramatic, my love.Just leave everything to me,” he said as he started up the staircase.
“I told you I have to go home.”
“Not today, in fact not anytime soon,” he replied.
“You can’t keep me here, not against my will,” she insisted, pinching his ear.
“Ouch!Of course I can.I am the Winter King.Nothing happens here without my consent.It would be in your best interest to remember that, my lady.”
Crystalia rolled her eyes when he tossed her on the bed.
“And it would be in your best interest to shut up and kiss me, my king,” she replied.
Grinning, he dropped down on the bed beside her and did just that, and more.
EPILOGUE
