A Snowflake Wish

He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a perfect kiss. Not just because the snow softly fell around them and the idyllic red barn with string lights casting them both in a dim light, but She and Deckard had unparalleled chemistry.

A cough sounded from close by and January found herself jumping back, almost falling into the bank of snow had Deckard’s strong arms not reached out and gripped her waist.

“Sorry. Mr. Spruce, I have everything ready for you,” the young worker said as he bashfully brushed his hands against dirt-covered pants.

“Thank you, Thomas. Is your fath

er ready for us?”

“He sure is, sir.”

January watched as the teen scampered away toward the barn, but Deckard brought her attention back to him. “You ready?” His growing excitement was palpable.

They started walking again in the direction of the barn as she added, “You still haven’t told me what we’re doing yet.”

January waited for him to spill the secret, but as they approached the top of the hill, she didn’t need to wait any longer. A beautiful white stallion stood proudly with a large wooden sleigh trailing behind him. A bundled-up man sat along the front seat with the horse's reins in his hands.

Her feet glued themselves to the ground as she took it all in. Deckard had planned a romantic sleigh ride with her. And she almost ruined it.

As if her guilt wasn’t weighing her down already.

“Stop. I can see the wheels turning. I wanted to do something special for you. It may not be Christmassy, but this is one of my grandparents’ favorite things to do during the winter solstice. I wanted to share that with you.”

“Am I dreaming right now?” she asked, her eyes never leaving the vision before her. “Deckard, this is. . .” she trailed off, unsure of the exact words she could use to describe this moment.

Deckard offered for her. “Beautiful. Perfect. Something the best boyfriend in the world would do?”

Finally, her eyes pulled away from the sleigh and she looked at Deckard in all of his smug glory. Rising on her tiptoes, January placed a kiss on his scruff-covered cheek.

“It’s all of those things. Thank you, Deckard.”

“You’re welcome, beautiful.”

He helped her step into the sleigh then followed behind, covering them both with the blanket provided by the driver. January marveled at how much the trip through the snowy field calmed her. It could be the noise of the horse clopping along the path or the whoosh of the sleigh being pulled. January thought that it had more to do with the sound of Deckard’s steady heartbeat as it pounded beneath her ear where she rested her head against his chest, or it could be the up and down movement of his chest with each breath that he took. Whichever reason, January was lulled into a sense of serenity she had never felt before.

Tilting her head to look up at Deckard, she marveled at how this man who had been a stranger only a few days ago had come to feel like such a part of her. She would miss him when he was gone, but she was forever changed because of him, and that meant that a piece of Deckard would always be with her. She realized that it was going to have to be enough.

“Thank you,” she expressed, loving the way he looked down at her and smiled before pulling her tighter against him.

This was heaven, and she didn’t want it to end. But just like Christmas, they were on a deadline.

The sleigh ride lasted an hour and then they were headed back toward her house. The drive seemed shorter than before, but January wondered if that was due to anticipation. She wasn’t going to keep Deckard at an arm’s length when they reached her home. She was planning on giving in to the cravings that she had been fighting against.

She was a strong independent woman and if she wanted to have sex with a man she’s known for less than a week, then she could. January felt that she had a stronger connection with Deckard than she had with any of her previous boyfriends or lovers, and that meant more to her than time.

Just like he had at the barn, Deckard stopped the truck and put it in park, except this time he didn’t cut the engine. Instead, he turned to look at her. She wanted to squirm in her seat, she was nervous and the way he looked at her made her body heat all over. The combination churned her stomach.

“Do you want to come inside?” she whispered. She sent a silent prayer to the heavens that Deckard could understand her because she could barely understand her own voice.

The blue eyes across from her glistened from the light beaming from the dashboard and January tried to search them for an answer, but came up empty.

“Are you asking because you think that’s what I want, or is it what you want?”

Great question, she thought.

But she knew her answer and didn’t have to ponder for longer than a couple of seconds. “I would really like for you to join me tonight, Deckard. All night.” She hoped that he understood her message, and if he didn’t, then she really needed to work on her flirting skills.

She watched in rapt awareness as his hand lifted away from the steering wheel and slipped under her chin, caressing her jawline. Deckard’s thumb brushed against her bottom lip, and it took every ounce of strength that she possessed to keep from licking at the appendage. Her stomach clenched as she thought of all the amazing things he could do with that thumb and his hands.