Chapter 33 Magical Things Happen In The Mountains At Christmas Time
MAGICAL THINGS HAPPEN IN THE MOUNTAINS AT CHRISTMAS TIME
DECLAN
I pulled Claire into the elevator of my condo building and typed in the code for the private access to the fifteenth floor.
“Your building is so fancy,” she said as I palmed her hip and pulled her into me. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared at the elevator panel and not at my face.
I used my thumb to pull her bottom lip free and leveled my eyes so I could look directly into hers.
“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” I asked.
“We’re so different, Declan. What if it’s too much?”
I pushed her hair behind her ear and cradled the back of her head, leaning down to kiss her softly. She was so fucking adorable, I couldn’t stand it.
“Everything I have, I earned. Nothing was given to me. Now, I want to share that with the woman I love. It might seem like we’re so different, but that’s only because this is new. And if I ever act like a rich bastard, I have no doubt that you’ll check me back into place.”
A smile tipped up on her lips but I could tell she was fighting it. “I absolutely will.”
The elevator dinged as the doors opened. This was the first time Claire was seeing my condo, and if I was lucky, it was the only time she’d be here as a guest.
Claire turned in a circle, assessing the space before she stopped and faced me.
“You realize that I’m going to reorganize your entire place, right?”
I barked out a laugh, bending down to scoop her into my arms.
“I would be so disappointed if you didn’t.”
She leaned in and kissed me. Her dress dragged across the floor as I made my way to our bedroom. I didn’t plan on coming out for at least a few days. Hopefully Claire was up for it because I planned to worship her body all night long.
The sun streamed in through the floor to ceiling windows as I cracked my eyes open. I reached across my bed to pull Claire into me, but alarm bells went off as my hand hit a cold mattress. I shot up, looking around but Claire wasn’t here.
Getting out of bed, I walked into the main living space of my open concept condo. My nerves finally settled when I spotted a blonde bun on my terrace. I pushed open the terrace door and let myself admire Claire for a beat before alerting her of my presence.
She was leaning on her elbows with a mug of coffee in her hands. Her hair was up in a messy bun and the only thing she was wearing was one of my old Yale Rowing shirts that just barely covered her ass.
She looked so natural here—she just fit.
Something warm filled my chest, like a puzzle piece clicking into place I didn’t know was missing.
I wrapped my arms around her from behind and kissed her shoulder.
“Good morning,” she whispered without looking back at me.
“Why are you freaking out,” I said in lieu of a greeting.
She audibly scoffed. “I am not freaking out.” She said it in a way that told me she was totally freaking out.
“Want to try that again, Bear?”
She was silent as she spun the mug in her hands. Finally, she took a deep breath.
“I don’t know what comes next.”
“Easy. You move in here and then we get married.”
She giggled as I peppered kisses over her jaw.
“I know that part. But what comes next for me?” She turned in my arms and looked directly at me. “I don’t want to be a stay at home wife who never works and lives off of her husband. I worked hard in school and I want to use it.”
My hands found her waist. “Baby, why would you ever think I’d want you to be a stay at home wife?”
She shrugged. “It just seems like the natural thing. Your career is so important and mine is just starting.”
I took the mug out of her hands and placed it on the small table to our right before pulling her into me.
“Did you read the letter?” She nodded. “Then, I’m not sure why you’re freaking out. I gave up the promotion. I’m not going anywhere. You’re going to get a marketing job, if you want it, and you’re going to thrive. I’m here to support you, Claire. Whatever that looks like, I’m here.”
“Really?” A stray tear escaped down her cheek. I used my thumb to wipe it away.
“Yeah, really. It’s you and me now.”
“You and me,” she agreed.
“But, you could also just keep your job so I get to see you all day at work.”
She snorted. “Absolutely not. Rumors are already flying about how I’m fucking the boss.”
“I like the sound of that,” I said, letting my hands fall to the globes of her ass.
“You would.” She rolled her eyes. “Thank you for the letter of recommendation, but I fear I cannot use it now because you have a wildly biased opinion.”
I chuckled. “I think it’s fair to be biased toward your future wife.”
“True,” she said, nudging my nose with hers. “I like the sound of that.”
I did too—too much.
She leaned on her toes and kissed me. I could so easily get lost in Claire. When she was around, things were just better. It was impossible to explain. When your soul finds its match, it’s like you’ve known that person forever. You know that they were meant to be in your life.
When I invited Claire on the trip to Switzerland, it was out of sheer desperation. I panicked and needed a companion. I didn’t expect to fall in love. I didn’t expect to find my person.
Our merry little alpine love affair will forever be my favorite story. It tells the tale of two lost souls who came together in a foreign place and found what they didn’t know they were missing.
Magical things happen in the mountains at Christmas time.