“I think I’d better check on the bath,” Kit mumbled, eyes glued to my mouth. “Do you think, umm. Perhaps. The wine? Open? Could… umm…”
“I’ll open it,” I said. “But if your mom ever asks, I’m saying you did it.”
“Mmhm,” Kit agreed, nodding. “Yes, umm. Bath?”
I let his hand go, laughing as he disappeared back up the stairs.
It took me a minute to figure out the corkscrew and find glasses, but once I had, I grabbed everything and took it upstairs with me, into the ridiculous bathroom I’d only glanced at this morning when we’d dumped our bags.
Everything was dark marble and slate, with a big white claw-foot tub set in front of a window that looked out onto the park outside. During the day, it would’ve been full of light, but now the wall lighting and dozen candles Kit had dug out gave off a soft, romantic glow.
Kit knelt by the tub, one sleeve rolled up as he swirled dried rose petals into the water.
The scent of something warm and sweet floated on the steam from the bath, filling the whole room.
I couldn’t stop staring.
He’d done all this. For me.
I’d always known he was a sweetheart, I’d always suspected that dating him would mean being treated like something precious, but it hit me all over again that this wasfor me.
I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve any of this.
“Kit,” I said softly, putting the wine and glasses down on the sink. “This is…”
“Do you like it?” he asked, glancing toward me but not quite meeting my eyes, as though he was afraid I might say no.
“You’resogetting laid tonight,” I said, which was possibly not the most romantic response to what was easily the most romantic gesture of my entire life.
Even in the low lighting, I could see Kit’s cheeks flushing scarlet all over again.
A swell of feeling filled my entire chest as he shut the water off, the rushing of the faucet giving way to the rushing of blood in my ears.
This was… it was…
Don’t freak out.Don’t freak out.
I was just… falling in love with my best friend.
No big deal.
“You’ve put up with so much for me,” Kit said, drying his hands and then crossing to the sink, reaching out to fiddle with the wine bottle, long fingers stroking up and down the neck. “Just wanted to do something nice for you in return.”
“You’rereallysexy when you’re being thoughtful,” I said. “For the record.”
“Sexy?” Kit asked, shy all over again.
“The maximum amount of sexy,” I confirmed, reaching out to play with the hem of his sweater. “Let’s get naked and drink wine in the tub.”
* * *
“What didyou say this wine was meant to taste like?” I asked, swirling it around in the glass as though I had any idea what I was looking for.
The water was warm, Kit’s body under me was warmer, the rose petals and scented candles filled the air, and the snow still falling muffled the sounds of the city outside going to bed and the Christmas music playing next door.
I could’ve stayed in this bath forever.
Kit peered at the bottle in the low light, turning it around, wrinkling his nose, and then sniffing his own glass. “… berries? I think?”
