Page 65 of Love to Defy You
“They do this instead of fireworks?” I ask.
He nods.
“But it’s not midnight yet.”
“No, not yet.” A smile ghosts across his lips. “Besides, I promised I’d tell you the plan before midnight.”
I tilt my chin to look at him. “Are you going to tell me now?”
“First, I need to give you your Christmas present.”
Oh, right. I forgot that they exchange presents on New Year’s Eve. My presents for the others are still sitting under the tree.
“Let me grab yours.” I break away from him to retrieve his present, pushing my way through the crowd, who are mesmerized by the drone show outside.
When I return, Alek has a bottle of champagne and two glasses in his hand. He nods his chin toward the stairs for me to follow.
He leads me to our bedroom on the second floor. “Wait here.” He disappears into the closet and emerges with a thick coat, which he tosses to me. “Put this on.”
I grimace. “Are we going outside in the freezing cold? Where’s your coat?”
“You’ll see.” He winks and heads back into the hall. We head up another flight of stairs until we reach the top floor, and Alek leads me to an exit door at the end. He pulls it open and gestures for me to walk outside first.
I tighten my coat around myself and step into the frigid night air. But when I take in the sight of the rooftop balcony, my discomfort is forgotten and replaced with stunned surprise.
A glass dome sits in the middle of the open rooftop, and a pathway toward the door is marked with dozens of white flowerarrangements and flickering candles in glass lanterns. White rose petals are scattered along the winding path toward the igloo. Millions of stars hang in the velvet night sky above our heads, and we also have a clear view of the drone show over the valley.
I suck in a breath at the romantic view. “Alek, what is all this?”
“Your present,” he says with a grin. “Come on. I’ll show you the best part.”
Alek leads me down the petal-covered path toward the glass dome and opens the door. “Ladies first.”
When I step inside, the air turns warm from the heater overhead. A round lounger bed sits in the middle, piled high with pillows and blankets, which are also strewn with rose petals. More pillar candles in vases line the perimeter, ensconcing the bed in a ring of flickering light.
“Oh, my God.” I cover my mouth with my hands. “This is so beautiful.”
He tips his chin toward the bed. “Take a seat. I’ll pour us some champagne.”
I slip off my coat and toss it onto the floor before climbing onto the bed. With the pillows behind me, I settle back and pull the blanket over my legs to watch the drone show.
The cork pops, which startles me and makes me yelp, although I immediately burst into laughter afterward at my reaction.
With an amused grin, Alek hands me my glass before crawling in beside me, and he stretches one of his arms around my shoulders. We take in the beauty of this moment in silence, sipping on champagne and relaxing into the pillows.
I curl against him. “Alek, thank you so much. This is amazing.”
“You know I’d do anything for you,malishka.”
“I know, but this is so...” I wave my hand in the air while thinking of the right word. “Romantic.”
He glances down at me and arches his eyebrow. “Am I not romantic?”
I snort. “Not in the traditional sense.”
“I suppose you’re right.” He lets out a sincere laugh that makes my chest grow warm.
“But I love my present,” I add. “Thank you.”
