Chapter 16
NASH
Flames pop and crackle in front of us, filling the cabin with a woodsy smell. Combine the fire’s ambiance with the lit Christmas tree in the corner, and you have the perfect romantic setting for Christmas Eve.
Sadie sits between my legs, gladly letting me massage her shoulders and back after a long day of skiing in Park City, Utah.
“Do you wish you were spending Christmas with your family instead of skiing with me?”
“No.” She gently shakes her limp head, probably trying to avoid interfering with her massage. “This is exactly where I want to be and who I want to be with.”
I lean forward, kissing the top of her spine, then let my lips travel down her neck. Her contented sighs encourage me to keep going. I tug on the sleeve of her sweater, giving me more space to trail my kisses down her shoulder until I run into unmovable fabric I can’t get around.
“But”—I straighten, continuing her shoulder rub—“have you called your parents yet to wish them a merry Christmas?”
I feel her body tense under my fingers.
“I texted them.”
“Why not a call?”
“Because if I call them, I’ll have to hear how Stetson is so brokenhearted. And how you manipulated me and brainwashed me into staying in Chicago with you, how my dad can’t retire now because there’s no one to take over his company, how I’m making Tate’s death worse because now they’ve lost two children. Basically, a phone call would be about how my life choices have ruined everything, and I prefer not to have that fight on Christmas Eve.”
“Understandable.” I lean in again, dropping a quick kiss on her cheek. “I just want to make sure you’re trying to mend things with your parents.”
“Why?” She turns her head to the side, peeking back at me. “They were awful to me when I told them I was in love with you.”
“My reasoning for you to mend things has nothing to do with you. I can’t stand that your parents hate me so much,” I joke in an effort to keep the mood light. “Nobody hates me. I’m the type of guy that’s welcome at every party.”
“Trust me,” she chuckles, “the Bradley family party is one place you might never be welcomed at.”
“What if I were your husband?” My hands slow. “Would they welcome me then?”
“Hah! They’d be furious at first.”
“Why?” I can’t help my frown.
“Because we’ve only dated one month.”
“But we’ve known each other for six months.”
“That wouldn’t matter to them. They’d think it was more of the same—you manipulating me.”
“But if I were your husband, they’d eventually have to get over their deep hatred of the big bad boss from Chicago who stole their daughter from them. Wouldn’t they?”
She shrugs indifferently. “Maybe eventually.”
“Then let’s get married.”
“Just so my parents will like you?” She glances back with an amused smile. “I was kind of hoping the man I marry is in it for me…just a little bit.”
“I could sweeten the deal. Fly you to Moorea, Tahiti.”
“Hmmm,” she says with a sigh. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“We could have a ceremony on the beach. Next month. Just the two of us.”
“Next month!” she exclaims. “If you’re marrying me to get my parents to like you, a fast elopement isn’t the way to their hearts.”
“What’s the way to your heart?”
She softly laughs. “Nash Carter, we both know you already have my heart in a chokehold.”
“Then what if getting married had nothing to do with your parents and everything to do with how I feel about you? How we are together.”
She twists her body to see me better but doesn’t say anything.
Under the glow of firelight, she looks incredible. At this moment, I couldn’t love Sadie more.
“What if I’ve known since the first moment I saw you that you were the person I wanted to spend my life with?” I brush a stray lock of hair away from her face. “What if I want to spend my days having an unpredictable adventure with you for as long as we both shall live and beyond?”
Glossiness coats her eyes, reflecting the dancing flames.
I slowly reach into my sock, where a ring hides, and pull it out—no velvety box, just a simple diamond that acts as a token of my love for her.
Sadie gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.
My brows lift in what I hope is a charming way. “Marry me? Because you want to. Not because it’s expected of you. Or because that’s been the plan for as long as you can remember.” I tilt my body to hers, brushing her lips with a quick kiss. “Marry me because you love me and want to be with me forever.”
Her hand drops, revealing the happiest smile she’s ever given me. She moves to me, crawling into my lap, curling her body into mine.
The answer comes out in a short breath. “Yes!”
Her mouth covers my smile before I can say anything back.
Her kiss is raw and genuine—the kind of deep connection that can’t be forced or faked.
Behind every glide of her lips, there’s a promise of a lifetime together.
No matter what happens in the future.