Bonus Epilogue
Bonus Epilogue
DAMON AND FAITH THAT CHRISTMAS…
" D on't you think this is a little too much?" I asked.
"No," Damon said easily, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close.
We were both wearing puffy winter coats so being tucked against his side did nothing to stave off the chill. I enjoyed the action anyway, warmed not by his body heat but by the display of affection.
"You practically bullied me into taking time off work," I said, ticking off one gloved finger. "You shoved me into a private jet and made me fly overnight." I ticked off another finger. "You bundled me up into a goose-down jacket and leather gloves, then dragged me out into the streets of an unknown city after dark." Two more fingers went down. "You don't call that a little too much?"
"It's not an unknown city," Damon grinned. "It's Vienna."
"I know that now ," I said, torn between laughing and frowning. "But you could have told me what the plan was."
"Where's the fun in that?" Damon smirked. "Come on, just humor me. Isn't this place great?"
There we both were, in Vienna, Austria, only a few days before the 25th of December, in the middle of a busy Christmas Market at Stephansplatz square.
I'd known Damon was impulsive but really, this was outrageous, wasn't it?
Then again, he was a rich and famous rock star who traveled all over the world for concerts, hopping from city to city every few days to perform for a new audience.
Maybe a 'quick trip' to Vienna to visit a Christmas Market wasn't all that out of character for Damon.
"I have to admit, this place is pretty magical," I said, looping my arm with his.
The stalls were all decorated with fairy lights, selling handmade goods for gifts, or warm food and drink to counteract the cool night air. Some stalls were made of wood and designed to look like traditional rustic cabins.
We passed small groups of choirs singing carols and street musicians playing Christmas songs. There were a few workshops where kids could decorate cookies or tree ornaments. The whole square had an enchanting, festive charm to it.
"You really like clichéd themed dates, don't you?" I asked.
Damon turned to me with a questioning look.
"You took me to that haunted horror theme park for our first date on Halloween," I explained. "And now you've taken me to a Christmas Market in Vienna for the first Christmas we're spending together. What's next? Taking me to Times Square in New York to watch the ball drop for New Year's Eve?"
Damon looked surprised, then chuckled loudly.
"Yes, actually," he said. "We're performing at New Year's Rockin' Eve and I was hoping you'd come with me."
I stared at him, then snorted out a laugh.
"I was joking," I said. "All right, how about Valentine's Day? Taking me to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the most clichéd spot for lovers?"
"I was thinking more of a gondola ride in Venice," he said, tipping his head up to look at the dark, twinkling sky with a soft smile.
The expression on his face warmed me more than any mulled wine or hot chocolate ever could. Damon really was more thoughtful than I gave him credit for.
"You didn't have to go this far," I told Damon, pressing a kiss on his cold cheek. "But thank you. This is lovely."
One of the beautifully decorated stalls caught my eye and I pulled back abruptly.
"Why don't you go get us some mulled wine?" I suggested. "I'll wait here, I want to check out some of the stalls."
As soon as Damon left I headed straight to one specific stall with a grin. I pointed to the item that had sparked my interest and quickly paid for it. I was glad I'd brought a large, oversized bag to use as a purse, because the item fit inside so it was hidden safely by the time Damon got back with the drinks.
"Thanks," I said, taking the mug with what I hoped was an innocent smile. I didn't want to give anything away.
We continued walking, arm in arm as we sipped, taking in all the festive sights. Food vendors were selling apple strudels and sausages, artisans were selling their knitwear and ceramics, and white lights were illuminating the streets. There were even a few snowflakes drifting by here and there, landing on my already cold nose.
By the time we finished our mulled wine my fingers were chilled and my toes were freezing in my boots. I hadn't been warned where we were going, so I hadn't known to wear any kind of warm, winter boots.
"You cold?" Damon said, noticing me shivering. "We can head back. I booked us a nice hotel for the night."
Probably a fancy Presidential suite, no doubt. There were perks to dating a rock star, after all.
"Before we go back," I said, reaching into my bag. "I want to give you something."
Damon's eyes lit up. "An early Christmas gift?" he asked eagerly.
"Sort of," I said with a smirk, handing over the gift I'd bought earlier. "It caught my eye and I knew it was perfect for you," I said with a teasing lilt.
As soon as Damon saw what it was, his eyes went wide, then he threw his head back with a loud laugh.
"You're awful," he said, shaking his head.
In his hand he held a vinyl record, full of cheesy Christmas pop songs. Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You was the first song on the track list.
"I think it'll go great on your wall with the rest of your collection," I said playfully.
"Oh, yeah, it needs to be front and center," he said, still chuckling. Then he let out a rueful sigh and reached into his pocket. "I guess this is the right time to give you this, then. I was going to wrap it, but…" he shrugged and handed it over.
I looked down to see a tree ornament. It was shaped like a piece of sheet music, ends curling at the top and bottom with music notes placed along staffs.
"Damon, this is so cute, thank you?—"
I cut myself off when I noticed a song title hand painted at the top of the music sheet.
O Come, All Ye Faithful.
I stared at it for a minute before bursting out with laughter.
"Oh my God, Damon, you can't be serious," I said.
"Well, I do plan on making a certain Faith- ful person come all night long, so I thought it was appropriate." He gave me a wicked grin.
"And you called me awful," I said. "You're the worst." I tried to give him a stern look, but I couldn't keep a smile from twitching across my lips. "Thank you for this," I told him. "And for tonight. And for everything, really."
Damon's wicked expression softened, and he pulled me close to place a kiss on my lips. I sighed into his mouth, enjoying his warmth.
"I'm so fucking lucky to have you," he whispered into my mouth, squeezing me tight. "I'm so glad you're here with me right now." Damon pulled back the barest of inches to look into my eyes. That rich green shined and sparkled under the fairy lights. "I love you, Faith."
My fingers and toes no longer felt cold. Every part of me was now hot, warmed by his words. Every time he said them, it was like the world fell out from under me all over again.
I pulled Damon down for another kiss, but before our lips touched I let him know one thing.
"I love you, too, Damon. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."