Chapter Sixteen
Reid
The night air is cold and crisp, but I barely feel it. Not with Sadie’s hand wrapped in mine.
We step out of the town hall, the muffled sounds of music and laughter still echoing behind us. Snowflakes drift lazily from the sky, landing in her dark hair and catching in her lashes. She looks up at me with those big brown eyes, her cheeks flushed from dancing, from kissing me, from choosing me.
I still can’t believe she’s here, that she’s mine. I tug her closer, my breath coming out in a cloud between us. “You cold?”
She shakes her head, smiling softly. “No.”
I squeeze her hand and glance up at the dark sky. “You ever seen so many stars?”
She hums, tilting her head back. “Maybe once or twice.” Then she nudges me playfully. “You trying to be romantic, Calloway?”
I smirk. “Is it working?”
She laughs, but it fades quickly as she watches me. Her expression turns soft, a little unsure. “Are we really doing this?” Her voice is quiet, hesitant. And I get it.
I almost lost her because I was too much of a coward to tell her the truth. Not anymore. I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Sadie, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She nods, waiting, always so damn patient with me.
I glance down at our joined hands, at the contrast of her delicate fingers against my rougher ones, and then back at her.
“My mom left when I was a kid.” The words come out steadier than I expect, but my chest still tightens. “She told me she loved me and that she’d be back. But she never came.”
Sadie’s fingers tighten around mine. She doesn’t say anything, she just waits.
I clear my throat, pushing forward. “After that, my grandmother was all I had. She took care of me, raised me, saved me.” A trembling breath escapes me. “And when she died, I told myself I didn’t need anyone. That it was better to keep things simple, to never let anyone get too close.” I shake my head. “I thought if I didn’t care, it wouldn’t hurt when people left.”
Sadie swallows, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “And now?”
I exhale roughly. “Now I know I was a damn idiot.”
She lets out a soft laugh, but there’s emotion thick in her voice.
“I love you, Sadie.” My voice is hoarse, raw. “More than I ever thought I could love someone. And the thought of you leaving? It wrecked me.” I lift our joined hands, pressing hers against my chest so she can feel the way my heart pounds. “You are my home, my heart, my everything.”
Her breath catches, her lips parting, but I don’t let her speak because I’m not done.
I release her hand and reach into my pocket, pulling out the small velvet box that’s been burning a hole there all night.
Then, before I can second-guess myself, I drop to one knee in the snow.
Sadie gasps, her hands flying to her mouth. “Reid—”
“I know we’re already married.” My lips twitch, and a shaky laugh escapes her. “But I didn’t do it right the first time,” I continue. “I didn’t ask you. And I sure as hell didn’t give you a ring.” I pop the box open, revealing my grandmother’s engagement ring—the one she left to me, the one I never thought I’d give to anyone.
Until Sadie.
Her eyes fill with tears.
“Sadie Calloway,” I murmur, looking up at the only woman who has ever made me want more, want everything. “Will you stay? Will you be my wife for real?”
She lets out a watery laugh, shaking her head. “You are so damn stubborn.”
I grin. “That a yes?”
She bites her lip, trying to hold back a smile. “I don’t know,” she teases. “I mean, I feel like we should really take our time—”
“Sadie,” I growl.
Her grin breaks free, and then she’s nodding. “Yes, you idiot. Of course, yes.”
I don’t even wait to slide the ring on her finger before I’m standing, hauling her against me, my mouth crashing down onto hers.
She kisses me back just as hard, just as desperate. Like she knows this is it. That we belong here together. When I finally pull back, she’s breathless, her fingers curling in my jacket.
I lift her left hand between us, watching as the diamond catches the moonlight. “Looks good on you.”
She tilts her head, smirking. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I brush my lips over hers, slow this time, savoring it. Savoring her.
Because she’s mine.
Sadie’s lips are still swollen from my kiss, her breath uneven as she stares up at me. Snowflakes cling to her hair, melting against the warmth of her flushed cheeks.
I cup her face, brushing my thumb over her jaw. “Let’s go home.”
She nods as I take her hand, leading her through the snow-covered streets. The town is still alive with music and laughter from the Valentine’s Day dance, but we don’t look back.
By the time we reach the truck, I don’t bother brushing the snow off before opening the door for her. She hesitates for a second, then grabs me by the front of my coat, pulling me into another kiss. It’s slow and soft at first, but when I nip at her bottom lip, she makes a little moan that nearly brings me to my knees.
I force myself to pull away, my breathing rough. “If you keep doing that, we’re not going to make it back to the cabin.”
She grins and watches me with heat in her eyes. “Then drive faster.”
I make the drive from town to the cabin in the shortest amount of time possible.
The second we step into the cabin, I kick the door shut behind us. The fire is still burning low, throwing flickering golden light across the room, but all I see is her.
Sadie shivers slightly, her dress still dusted with snow. I slide my hands up her arms, rubbing warmth into her skin. But it’s not enough. I need her closer.
She watches me, searching, like she’s waiting for me to change my mind, to retreat back into myself.
Not this time.
I slide my fingers into the silky strands of her hair, tilting her head back. “Tell me you’re staying.”
Her lips part. “I’m staying.”
I don’t give her time to say anything else before I claim her mouth again. This kiss is different—deeper, more certain. Like I’m branding myself into her, proving to both of us that she’s mine. That I won’t ever let her go.
Sadie presses against me, her fingers fisting in my coat, and I reach between us, undoing the buttons so I can feel her, all of her. The coat falls to the floor, then her borrowed dress, leaving her in nothing but a slip of lace and smooth, warm skin.
I groan against her mouth, my hands tracing her curves, memorizing the dip of her waist and the soft flare of her hips.
She tugs at my shirt, her touch desperate. I help her, pulling it over my head. Her hands skate over my chest and my stomach.
She whispers, “I love you, Reid.”
I inhale sharply, my throat tightening. I never thought I’d hear those words again. Never thought I’d deserve them. I cup her face, brushing my lips against hers. “I love you too.”
Her breath hitches, and then she pulls me toward the bedroom. The fire crackles softly in the next room, casting flickering light through the doorway. But here, it’s just us.
I lower Sadie onto the bed, taking my time worshiping every inch of her. She arches beneath me, her skin burning against mine. I want to make her feel good and start to kiss down her body.
Sadie stops me, “Reid, I just want you inside me. I need to feel you.”
I’m not going to tell her no. I lean over her on the bed, my eyes locked with hers as I slowly sink into her. It feels so good. I swear I’ve never felt anything like this.
She gasps my name, her hands gripping my shoulders, and I bury my face in her neck, pressing kisses there, murmuring how beautiful she is, how right this is.
We move together, slow and deep, because we have all the time in the world.
Because she’s mine, and I’m hers. And for the first time in my life, I know what it means to truly belong.