Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 87(@200wpm)___ 70(@250wpm)___ 58(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 87(@200wpm)___ 70(@250wpm)___ 58(@300wpm)
She’s smiling up at me, all insecurities gone. “We should probably put up a tree.”
“I’ll put up a tree after we’re done... probably tomorrow... or the next day.”
She laughs. “But Christmas will be over then.”
I shrug. “Yeah, well then you can just help me put one up next year. I need inside you, Gina.”
She slides her arms around my neck, smiling. “Next year?”
I kiss her cheek and whisper into her ear, “Yeah, baby. And the year after that too.”
She reaches down between us and wraps her hand around my hard shaft. “I like the sound of that.”
I moan. “Me too.”
Epilogue
Levi
One Year Later
I wish I could say that everything was easy and effortless, but I’d be lying. The truth is it took me awhile to convince Gina that we were meant to be together. If I could spend just fifteen minutes with her ex, I’d take it.
It’s only in the last six months that she’s seemed to come out of her shell and feel comfortable in her own skin. And well, I thought I loved her then, but now I’m obsessed. She’s sassy and confident. She walks into a room and claims me instantly without any hesitation. She’s finally free from the shit she went through before.
I lift my head and look at her in my arms. She’s still sleeping, and it’s dark outside. The only light is the soft gold glow from the Christmas tree in the living room that shines down the hall. Last year, when it was time for Gina to check out, she left, and we promised each other that we would work it out to see one another. I lasted all of an hour before I hit the road to Whiskey Run. I knew I couldn’t let her go.
I stayed there for two months before she decided that she’d like to come back to Ski Mountain with me, and we’ve been here ever since.
“Levi,” she says groggily.
I loosen my arm from around here, realizing that I was holding her too tight. “Yeah, honey.”
She lifts her head to look at me. “What were you thinking? Your heart is racing, and you were holding me like you were afraid I was going to sneak out of here or something.”
I push her hair off her forehead and kiss her. “I was thinking about when you left me this time last year.”
She kisses my chest. “I didn’t leave you. I had to go back and get things sorted out.”
My voice is gruff. I hate thinking about that day. Even though I followed her, she still left. “When you left, you said and I quote, ‘You can see other people, Levi. I don’t expect you to wait on me.’”
She leans into me, laying her head on my chest. “At the time, I wasn’t sure about things. I was still wondering if we were moving too fast or if this was real or not.”
I rest my chin on top of her head. “And now? What do you think?”
Her hand is rolling across my chest lazily. Her finger circles my erect nipple. “I think this is about as real as it gets. I love you, Levi. I loved you then even though it was crazy fast, I love you now, and I’ll love you forever.”
“And?”
She raises her head to look at me. “And what?”
My voice is gruff. “And tell me that you’ll never leave me again. You want to go somewhere, we go together.”
She scoots up my body until we’re eye to eye. Her hand cups my cheek. “I’m not leaving you, Levi. I love you.”
I search her eyes and see the sincerity there. I had planned to do this later, but I can’t wait another minute. I roll to the side and open the nightstand and pull the little box out. I get out of bed and then turn, dropping to one knee.
Her mouth falls open, and she sits up on the edge of the bed. “Levi? What is this? What’s happening?”
“Gina, I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I want you to wear my ring, and I want everyone to know that you’re mine. I loved you the minute I first saw you, and I love you even more today. Will you please marry me?”
“Yes! Yes!” she says. I lean up to kiss her as she throws herself at me. I fall backwards, pulling her on top of me. We’re both laughing as I roll on top of her. I grab the box on the floor and take the ring out before putting it on her finger.