Page 24 of Naughtying Up St. Nick

“Harlow.” I close the distance between us and take his hands in mine. “I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like for you back then, after everything you told me about your parents and Jackie. But that part of your life is over now. And you don’t ever have to change or hide from me. I like you just the way you are, and there’s no one out there who could ever change my mind.”

Disbelief creeps into his eyes, so I hold his gaze, making sure he sees the sincerity in mine. I will never understand how his own family could treat him that way, but I’m not scared of being the one who shows him that he deserves the unconditional kind of love.

“I’m sorry for what I said in the parking lot,” Harlow whispers. He presses his forehead to mine and closes his eyes. “Last night wasn’t meaningless. It was fucking amazing. I just… I wanted to leave you before you had the chance to leave me now that you got what you needed from me.”

I swallow my first instinct, to defend myself. To tell him I’m not that kind of person. Harlow already knows that on a base level; he doesn’t need to hear me say it.

Instead, I pull him close and wrap my arms around him. “I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you,” I tell him. “I love what we do in the bed, but I need you to hear me when I say that isn’t what made me fall in love with you. It was so many other things too, especially the way you are with the kids at the Christmas village.”

Harlow takes a deep breath and pulls back a little to meet my gaze. “I am sorry for what I said in the parking lot.”

“It’s okay.” I lift my hand and curve it against the back of his neck. “I don’t need you to be perfect, Harlow. I just need you to be mine.”

The smile he gives me could light up the whole Christmas village. “Of course I’m yours, Cal.”

My chest warms, and I pull him closer so I can press my mouth to his. When he kisses me back, I feel the longing in him. The desire. Things Jesse had almost made me believe no one could feel for me. But Harlow showed me something different.

I pull away to meet his gaze. “Well, in case you don’t know, I’m yours too.”

He reaches up to cup the side of my face, his thumb brushing my cheek gently. “I’m going to love you forever, Cal.”

My heart nearly bounds out of my chest at his words. “I’m going to love you forever too.”

“Promise?” There’s the smallest hint of insecurity in his voice when he asks, even though he tries to hide it.

So I pull him back to me again, promising him forever with one more kiss.

Epilogue

Harlow

One Year Later

I’ve never been this fucking nervous before. I stare down at the ring in my hand, knowing on a logical sense that Cal is going to say yes. But the other part of me, the part that still sometimes has trouble believing Cal would want to be with me, is doubtful.

I take a breath and remind myself that Cal chose me. He wants me, even when I’m not sure why he would.

The scent of the Christmas trees surrounding me helps calm me. It’s the first time we’ve been back to Idaho since we left a year ago. I haven’t seen or talked to Jackie since. I did hear from Aubrey that the vandalism turned out to be from a couple of guys at the local community college who got drunk and thought it’d be funny to tag the place.

“Harlow?” Cal’s voice calls out to me from the entrance to the Christmas village. “Where are you?”

“Over here,” I call from in front of the massive Christmas tree already decked out in twinkling white lights. The village hasn’t officially opened for the holiday yet, but Aubrey let me in for this in return for helping her set it up for her first time running it.

Cal comes around the corner of the main office, and his face lights up when he sees me. “What are we doing here?”

I reach out when he gets close enough and take his hand, hoping he can’t tell how much mine is shaking. “I need to tell you something.”

“Okay?” His thumb brushes the back of my hand in that comforting way I love. “Is it something bad?”

“No. No, I…” I take another breath to clear my head. “I hope you know by now how much I love you. And how I can’t see my future—my life—without you.”

Cal’s face softens. “I feel the same way about you, Harlow.”

Relief pulses through me, and I hold onto his hand as I get down on one knee in front of him.

Cal gasps, and his fingers tighten around mine instantly. “Yes.”

I laugh. “Let me say it. I have a whole speech prepared.”

---