Page 105 of Finding Fate
She smirks. “Actually, I was asked a lot, both junior and senior year. I always said no.”
I want a fucking list. I want to kill every one of them. I sigh instead. “Why didn’t you say yes?”
She shrugs. “It’s pretty simple, really. None of them were you.”
She knows how to gut me with one sentence. “Gab . . . I don’t deserve you.”
“Yes, you do. And I deserve you. We sacrificed enough.”
I grab her face and kiss her. Hard. Not giving a damn about her makeup. She pushes her forehead against mine when we break for air. “After we watch our friends get married and have the first dance, will you pretend my dad said yes and we made it to prom? I want to dance with you as if nothing ever went wrong.”
“Yeah, baby, but you knew that was going to be my answer. I’d rope the moon for you if you asked.”
She smiles at me. I hope that’s the last thing I see before I die. Her smile. It’s unforgettable. “Always the romantic one.”
“It’s you.”
“Sayler asked if we’d reconsider Lake Tahoe.”
“No. I’m not leaving Madden his first Christmas with us, but at the same time, I don’t want them to spend their honeymoon with a kid. I know they’re going tonight and spending a few days alone before everyone else arrives, but it’s not the way I’d want to spend my honeymoon.”
“It’s funny you mentioned that. Your mom called on their way here.”
I stare into her dark eyes. “My mom called you?”
She laughs. “Yes.”
“Traitor. Why?”
“She wanted to ask if Madden could stay a few nights with them before he started school. She even offered to fly here to get him. I told her about Lake Tahoe and how we had planned to go with them until we got Madden. She offered to keep him for us to go.”
“But it’s during Christmas.”
“I know.”
“So you’re okay with him being withmyparents on Christmas morning when we’ve never spent a Christmas with him? What am I missing?”
“We aren’t the only ones that missed out on time with him, Maddox. He wasn’t raised to believe in Santa. For him, there is no difference in Christmas Day and a few days later. We made a commitment to our friends, and if us all being together where Riggan and Sayler met is all they’ve asked of us before they have a baby in the mix, then I think we should go. I want Maddox to knowallof his grandparents, and when he starts school it’s going to make things harder. They’ll have to wait for breaks or come see him. I also want to be close to your mom. I let her ask Madden what he wanted to do. He wanted to go. He asked if your brother would be there. He called him after she gave him the number. Micah is going to come home if he does. They’ve been talking about going to see lights and all sorts of things. I think we should let him. I’m thankful enough that we have him back to share.”
I pull her closer, trying to hold in my smile. “Did I even have the option to say no?”
“Always.”
I laugh. “You’re a shitty liar.” I glance down her dress, rubbing my fingertip down the neckline. “But if I agree to this ridiculous idea, what’s the trade off? Do I get a naughty Christmas Eve instead?”
She has a gleam in her eye. “What did you have in mind?”
“Red lingerie. A Santa hat with your hair down. Heels. I may even fuck you to Christmas music.”
She has a Grinchy grin, just like I knew she would. “You have a wild imagination, Burns. And here I thought you were going to say something like a sex swing underneath mistletoe or something of equal value.”
My mouth spreads wide. “Does my mama know what a dirty-minded girl you are? Wonder if she’d call you over me then.”
She grabs the lapels of my tux and jerks me forward, her lips skimming mine. “Your mama most definitely would not agree to let you marry me if she knew how I got you. Some things are best kept secret.”
My hands slide down, wanting so badly to grip her ass. We’re in public. I need to behave. “If my mama knew you’d only slept with me she’d beg you to stay.”
“I guess you should be glad you did it right the first time then. Nobody could love my body like you, baby.”