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But he didn’t want to rush her.

Breaking the kiss, he looked down at her. “I should probably be driving you home right now.”

She surprised him by shaking her head. “Do you want to drive me home?”

“No.”

“Then ask me to stay,” she whispered.

Reece hesitated for the briefest moment, searching her face. “Stay.”

“Okay.”

The couch would have worked, but she deserved better than that.

With a grin, Reece stood and scooped her up into his arms. Her squeak of surprise made them both laugh, but once they crossed the threshold into his bedroom, the laughter faded.

Reece set her down slowly, suddenly very aware of where they were and what this meant. In the span of a single week, he’d imagined this moment more than once.

But knowing she wanted to be there made it even better.

five

She waved excitedly as Santa Claus passed by on his festive float. It was freezing out, but Reece stood behind her with his arms wrapped snugly around her, keeping her warm. The parade itself was short and sweet, but the whole morning buzzed with excitement and holiday cheer.

And not just from the festivities.

Spending the night with Reece had been something beyond her wildest dreams. Waking up tangled together in his bed felt so natural, so right, that even now it made her sigh happily. Just thinking about his handsome face and sleepy voice beside her that morning made her heart flutter.

It had been over coffee in bed that she’d brought up the idea of staying at the resort.

“So, um…I got an email from the resort yesterday,” she had said, trying to sound casual. “They’re offering a room at a discounted price since we bought tickets to the holiday show.”

Reece had given her that soft smile she was quickly growing addicted to. “That could be nice.”

“That’s what I thought.” She’d tried not to sound too eager. “We could check in after the parade activities and have time to explore the resort in the daylight, then have dinner before the show.”

Her smile had been a little shy. Even though they’d just spent the night together, she was basically asking him to do it again.

“So…should I book it?”

To her surprise, he shook his head. “No.”

Her eyes had widened instantly. “No? But…”

He leaned over and silenced her with a kiss. When he pulled back, he smiled. “I’ll book it.”

“But…?”

“Alesha, please. I don’t want you paying for our getaway. And I can probably get us an upgrade.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Yup. I’ve done so much work up there I practically have a lifetime supply of resort perks.”

She’d watched in amazement as he grabbed his phone and called the front desk. Within minutes he had reserved a suite that included dinner and breakfast.

When he hung up, he grinned. “Done.”