Bristol turns stunned eyes up to me.

“Are you kidding? You’ve never seen snow? How is that possible?”

“I’ve seen snow on the ground, but never falling.” I shrug. “I’m a Cali guy. We never had snow falling in LA. When my mom sent to me to Chicago that year the violence was off the chain in my neighbor- hood, it was summer, and any time I’ve seen snow, it was after the fact. I just want to catch Mother Nature in the act, see it coming down.”

I glance around the renovated space that oozes charm and intimacy.

“This would be a great place to watch snow fall.”

“Yeah, this is a beautiful space,” Bristol agrees. “The whole apartment is really, and there’s a suite on the other side for Amir.”

I slant her a disbelieving glance and a quick frown.

“What the hell makes you think Amir’s coming with us to New York?”

“Well, I will be away some, and you need protection.”

Irritation rises as it usually does when someone implies that I can’t take care of myself—something I’ve been doing all my life in rougher neighborhoods than Tribeca and SoHo.

“He doesn’t need to,” I say. “If I have an event or something, he can fly in, but I don’t need him around the clock like some shadow.”

“Grip, you’re not just a local guy who made good and can—”

“I don’t want that, Bris,” I cut in, softening my voice when it comes out too harsh. “I said I can take care of myself. You think Amir’s going to walk me to school every day? Sit in class and make sure no one bullies me? What the hell?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Exasperation pinches Bristol’s lips together. “Your profile—”

“Let’s not do this right now. I don’t want to talk about my profile or my security detail.”

I glance at Charm sitting on one of the couches, typing rapidly on her phone.

“And I sure as hell don’t want to talk about a book deal.” I interlace my fingers with Bristol’s, tugging her close until I can see the onyx starburst in her silvery eyes. “Don’t be my manager for a minute. We’re about to live together, move across the country together. This is a big step for us. Let’s enjoy it like any other couple taking a big step.”

She blinks up at me, a small breath shuddering past her lips. I cup her neck, spearing my fingers into her hair, and have to remind myself there are other people in the room.

“Can we just do that?” Emotion makes my voice husky as the truth of my words sinks in. “These last two weeks away from you reminded me how much I hated being apart when I was on tour this summer and you stayed in LA.”

She nods and squeezes my hand.

“You uprooting your life to come with me here to New York, it humbles me, Bris.” I swallow the warm knot in my throat. “Honestly, if you hadn’t agreed to come, I might not have pursued it and would have just let this opportunity go.”

“I know.” Her eyes are clear, completely at peace about her deci- sion, about her sacrifice. “And I would hate being the reason you didn’t come here for this.”

I don’t care that we aren’t alone. I don’t care that they already heard Bris screaming with my head between her legs. Let them damn well think what they like. I brush our lips together, running my tongue into the corners of her mouth, kissing her with all the tender- ness she inspires inside of me, like no one ever has before.

“Don’t stop knowing me better than everyone else does,” I say between kisses.

It’s our greatest intimacy, the way she knows me, accepts me. This is as intimate as when I’m inside her. It’s a closeness that goes beyond bodies.

“I’m trying.” She glances down at the flagstone floor.

“You don’t have to try. You just know me.”

“Well, you’re changing, evolving . . . coming into yourself, into your convictions.” She lays one hand against my jaw. “It’s awesome.”

I don’t get the chance to probe further because Mrs. O’Malley joins us, serving us both warm helpings of her smile.

“You two remind me so much of Patrick and me,” she says. “We should have been oil and water—me, the reserved only child from a good Jewish family, and Patrick, so loud and boisterous from his Roman Catholic clan of brothers and sisters. Neither of our families were thrilled about us being together.”

Tags: Kennedy Ryan Romance
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