“You don’t have
to miss me anymore. I’m here.”
“You want to move here to be with me?”
“With all of you, yes. But especially you.” I stroked her cheek. “I’ve missed you too,” I added. “So much.”
“You really love me?”
“I do.”
“And my children?”
I gathered her close. “I love them now, and I will love them like my own for the rest of my life. And I want to make a bunch more Noelles with you. Maybe a Seth or two thrown in so we boys have some company.”
“Yes,” she whispered, smiling, pressing her mouth to my neck. “Yes.”
My whole body froze. “Yes to marrying me, or yes to more babies?”
She tilted up her head, meeting my gaze. Love blazed from the depths of her eyes. Her all-encompassing love that warmed my soul and eased my entire being. “Yes to both.”
I took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. It was as perfect as I knew it would be.
“Say it, Alex. I need to hear you say it.”
She cupped my cheek, the ring glinting in the lights of the tree, as shiny and brilliant as the moment. “I love you, Dylan.”
With a groan, I kissed her passionately. My memory of how she felt in my arms was nothing compared to the real thing. I was desperate to feel her against me, and I tugged her closer, trailing wet kisses down her neck. She gasped when I bit down on her skin, soothing it with my tongue. “I love you,” I declared against her skin. “I don’t ever want to be without you.”
She whimpered as I slipped my hand under the loose shirt and my fingers traced over her nipples, teasing the tight peaks.
“God, I want you.”
“You have too many clothes on, Dylan.”
I groaned into her neck. “I can change that.”
“We have to be fast.”
“That’s not going to be a problem, baby. I missed you . . . a lot.”
Her fingers tugged at my waistband. “Good.”
We curled up on the couch, her back to my chest, the fireplace crackling, the tree casting its glow over the room. I had changed into my new sleep pants, since someone’s anxious fingers had actually ripped my other ones. I had pulled on another sweatshirt, and when I sat down beside her again, I had to laugh. We both had on gray sweatshirts and plaid pants.
“We match.” I grinned.
“I like it.”
I kissed her nose affectionately. “Me too.”
We didn’t talk much, except the occasional murmur and “I love you” breaking the still of the room. We’d have lots of time to talk, clear the air, and make plans. Tomorrow, there’d be plenty of time for discussion. Right now, all we wanted, all we needed, was to be close. I pulled her snug to my body, dropping another kiss on her head. Contentment I never knew existed filled my heart, banishing the loneliness I’d known my entire life.
“I should make coffee,” she said. “They’ll be up soon, and Noelle is going to go crazy when she sees you.” She looked up, beaming. “It’s going to be quite the Christmas Day.”
I chuckled. “I can’t wait to see her and Seth. I would love some coffee. I haven’t had a decent cup since I left here. Amy is incapable of it, apparently. How do you make it taste so perfect? I tried adding a little bit of sugar the way I saw you do it. It still wasn’t right.”
“I use natural sugar—it tastes better.” She grinned impishly. “I noticed you seemed happier when you ate or drank something sweet, so I slipped it in.”