Page 202 of Forever

We just stood there, staring at each other.

“Here’s to forever,” I said and leaned down, stopping a fraction of an inch from her lips.

She stood on her tiptoes, closing the distance, and kissed me.

I pulled her hips, pressing her against me.

“Here’s to never growing up,” she said with a smile. “I think snowball fights on our anniversary should be a new tradition.”

“Then I promise to take you somewhere it’s snowing every year on our anniversary. But there’s something else that needs to be a tradition too.”

“And what is that?”

“Ravishing your body.”

She squealed as I lifted her into my arms. “What are you doing?!”

“Carrying you through the threshold.” I walked up the steps to the hotel.

The doorman opened the door and we ducked inside. The heat was on full blast and I could almost feel my nose again.

“I think that’s forourdoor, not the hotel door,” Brooklyn said.

“Eh, I wasn’t sure. Just wanted to be on the safe side.”

“You can put me down.” She looked up at me.

“Not a chance.”

She laughed the whole way to the check-in counter. And as I managed to balance her in my arms and grab the keycard.

I carried her to the elevator. The instrumental music seemed endless as the elevator climbed to the top floor. Brooklyn looked amazing in her dress. But I’d been waiting all day to get her out of it. The doors finally dinged and parted. I carried her to our door and swiped the keycard against the lock.

The suite was exactly what Nigel promised. The fireplace even had a roaring fire already going. I carried Brooklyn over to it and put her down on her feet. I leaned down to kiss her, but she’d already spun around.

“Oh my God.” She looked out the window at the snow falling slowly over Central Park. She turned back to me with a smile. “So this is how the other half lives, huh?”

“Baby,you’rethe other half now. Better get used to it.”

She laughed and turned back to look out at the snow.

I pulled off my mittens and jacket and tossed them on the couch.

“You can see the twinkle lights on the bridge, even from all the way up here.” She pointed to our bridge in the distance.

I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her.

“Oh my God, I think I can see our friends too! Look! They’re still having a snowball fight.” She laughed.

I didn’t need to see our friends throwing snowballs right now. All I wanted was her. I slowly unzipped her jacket.

Her laughter died in her throat as I pushed her jacket off her shoulders.

I kissed the side of her neck. Her skin pebbled under my lips, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of me or the cold. “Let’s get you warmed up,” I said and pulled her in front of the fire. I peeled off her wet mittens and tossed them onto the ground.

The shadows from the fire danced across her face.

And for some reason, I felt like a teenager again. Staring at her for the first time. Desperate to make her mine. Sixteen years ago, I’d stolen her first kiss. I didn’t want to steal anything from her ever again. I wanted her to give me everything willingly. I wanted her to beg me for it.

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