Page 205 of Between Regrets and Promises

Over two hours later, we arrive at Tahoe City, and the look on Sophie’s face is worth every moment of planning it took. “Oh my God. It’s beautiful here!”

I booked three nights at a lodge resort where we’ll be able to do some hiking, eat at a romantic restaurant overlooking the water and mountains, and enjoy the cozy fireplace inside our suite. I have a couple’s massage schedule for tomorrow, and then we’ll go on an afternoon boat ride.

“Have you been here before?” I ask, taking our locked hands and kissing her knuckles.

“No,” she answers with a smile.

“Good. I wanted to take you somewhere super special for our first date.” I wink, then cup her face and slant my mouth over hers.

“I have a feeling it’s gonna be the best first date I’ve ever had.”

“Well, I hope it’s your last first date.” I smirk and waggle my brows at her.

Sophie blushes, then grins. “Maybe, if you play your cards right.”

Chuckling, I bring her lips back to mine. “That sweet mouth is sassy.”

Once I grab our luggage and we check in, we’re led to a large suite. As soon as we enter, Sophie gasps. “It’s beautiful! Oh my God, it’s perfect!” I look around and see the large bouquet of roses I requested, then drop our suitcases. “You did good, Mason Holt.”

She launches herself into my arms. I catch her and hold her to my chest, inhaling the sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo. “I want everything to be perfect for you,” I tell her. “You deserve it, baby.”

“It’s been one hell of a year, hasn’t it?” she asks earnestly.

“Simultaneously the worst and best,” I tell her honestly. “The worst was thinking I’d lost you. But the best was how it brought us together, and even after the challenges that tried to push us apart, we only grew stronger together.”

Sophie looks up with tears in her eyes. “I couldn’t agree more.”

I cup her beautiful face and press a soft kiss to her mouth before sliding my tongue between her lips and taking more of her. She melts into my chest, and soon, we’re a tangled mess of limbs falling on the bed.

“Just so you know, I don’t usually have sex on the first date,” I tell her when I lay between her legs, kissing down her jaw.

“I think you lost your right to say that when you pulled me into a bar bathroom,” she retorts, and I chuckle against her neck.

“Aren’t you the one who said it’d take more than one drink to seduce you?” I taunt. “Pretty sure you were flirting with me.”

“You bought my drink without asking!” she fires back. “Just assumed I’d want you to buy me a drink.”

I lift up and look into her gorgeous brown eyes. “I didn’t hear any complaining.” I smirk, arching a brow because I know I have her there. “In fact, I remember a lot of moaning…”

“Okay, smart-ass,” she says, laughing. “We’ll call that our prequel date.”

The corner of my lips tilts up. “Prequel to what?”

“To a wild, exciting, sometimes scary ride. I don’t regret a thing, though. Not when it brought us here, to this very moment.”

“I like to think we would’ve eventually found our way to one another. Maybe.”

Sophie’s brows shoot up, clearly not agreeing with me. “Oh really? If I recall, you were hell-bent on pretending I didn’t exist. Took three years to get that fire burning under your ass.”

My head falls as I laugh in defeat. “Hey, I had my reasons.”

“I know, babe. We weren’t ready back then, but nothing could tear us apart now. I think we’ve proven that time and time again this year.”

Brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, I smile at the woman I love more than my own life. She’s talented, sweet, and so damn caring. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, and my world starts and ends with her.

“I love you, Sophie.” Cupping her face, I kiss her. “I never thought I’d be ready to say that again after Emma, but with you, saying it to you for the first time was effortless. So many crazy circumstances may have brought us together, but my life is a million times better with you in it.”

“Thank you.” Sophie brings our mouths together for a searing hot kiss, wrapping her legs around my waist and arching her hips to create friction against my erection.

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