Becausethis man smiling at her from a dozen feet away was so very perfect.
Aloud crack sounded off in the distance.Thelights all over the resort shut off at once, plunging everywhere into darkness, andKelliscreamed.Shehadn’t even noticed there was a new moon until she didn’t have even its light.Andwith the clouds from the snowstorm covering the sky, even the light from the stars was hidden.Thesilence was everywhere.
Shewasn’t afraid of the dark.
Butthis wasn’t the dark.Thiswas the absence of everything, including sounds.Itmade her feel as though there wasn’t anything around her.Likeeverything had fallen away, leaving her drifting and alone with nothing to hold on to, nothing to ground her. “Parker?” she called out, her heart racing as she shuffled forward, hands out, desperate to grasp hold of anything.Shewished she had brought her cell phone so she would have her own source of light.
“I’mhere.I’mcoming.”
Hearinghis voice helped her to slow her panicked breathing.Shehoped that her heart would take the hint and calm down, too, but it didn’t.
Parkermust’ve pushed a button to light up his watch because she could suddenly see a faint light heading toward her.Thelight was enough to give her something to fix her eyes on, making it feel like she wasn’t alone in a void.Shestopped moving her arms in front of her, frantic to find something to grasp, and just kept her eyes on the light as it bobbed its way toward her.
AndthenParkerwas there and she grabbed hold of him tight, pulling herself into that strong chest of his, and a peace washed over her.Hewrapped his arms around her, rubbing the middle of her back in calming strokes.Shefelt safe in his arms, and this time, both her breathing and her heart started to calm.
“It’sunnerving.Iknow.ButI’msure they’ll have backup generators going soon.Therewill be enough light to find our way back before long.”
Shenodded and laid her head on his chest as the snow fell all around them in the complete darkness, wishing she could hear the comforting sound of his heart through his coat.Butshe could hear his breathing, and that was enough.Shewas so grateful that he was so quick to help, so good at comforting her, and so sweet and thoughtful.Hewas a source of light all on his own.
Forso long, she hadn’t let herself notice all of the good things about him.Atfirst, it had been out of fear that things would be even more awkward at work than they’d been after their first disastrous date.Thenit had been because they had both started dating other people.They’dboth been single for a while now, but she’d still held back out of fear that her heart couldn’t handle being open to the risks again.
Hemoved one of his arms that had been on her back to her side and said, “Willyou tap my watch?”
Shereached a gloved finger up and gave his watch a tap, lighting up the screen and illuminating his beautiful face as a smile spread across his lips.
“MerryChristmas,KelliEllis.”
“It’safter midnight?”Henodded, and she smiled so big that she felt it breathe excitement into her whole body. “MerryChristmas,ParkerBrockbank.”
Shehad gotten to know and admire him here so much more deeply than she ever had at work.Shehad seen the goodness in him.Ashe held her in the darkness, the two of them seeming to be the only things that existed, she realized that when they got back to the office, thingscouldn’tbe the same.Theyhad already both been changed too much to ever go back to the way they were.
Somaybe there wasn’t harm in moving forward.Sheknew her heart needed protecting, butParkerhad shown that he was pretty good at protecting her when she was most vulnerable—maybe she could trust him with her heart, too.
Ahum sounded in the distance, followed closely by the buzz of the streetlights above.Onlyevery third light turned on, and only at a fraction of its usual brightness, but it was enough to show that things other than the two of them existed.Enoughto show the faint outline ofParker’sface.
Andenough to show a sparkle of light in his eyes as he looked at her.Ather back, his arms shifted as he pulled one glove off.Thenhe brought his bare hand to her face, wiping a few melted snowflakes from her forehead and temple with his fingertips.Hishands were so warm and soft and gentle, and as his fingers got to her cheeks, she leaned into them, soaking in his touch.
Thenshe took off one of her gloves and reached her warm hand up to his face.Shebrushed her palm against his neck, her thumb resting just in front of his ear, her fingertips finding their way under his hat and into his hair.
Linkingpinkies with him at dinner had felt bold and risky.Asher eyes went back and forth between his eyes and the faint outline of his lips in the darkness, the thought of kissing him felt so far beyond bold and risky that she was afraid she would back out.
Exceptit also felt so right.
Andfrom the way he was looking at her, she could tell that it felt right to him, too.
Soshe rose on her toes slightly and pulled him toward her with both the hand on his neck and the hand clutching onto the coat at his chest.Heresponded by wrapping his warm hand around the back of her neck and pulling her closer at the waist.
Shepressed her lips against his, soft and careful.Asthey kissed, their cold noses brushed each other’s cheeks, but their lips warmed quickly.Helet out a whisper of a groan, and she melted into him, loving that their kiss was having as strong of an effect on him as it was on her.
Everythingin the world seemed to fade around them, but instead of it being terrifying like when the power had first gone out, this time it made her feel like she had everything she needed right there in her little bubble.
Hedeepened the kiss, and she knew she was a goner.Shewas handing him her entire heart, and he was putting his strong hands around it, keeping it safe.
Fourteen
Parker
Parkerwoketo the sound ofGrahamandMeritstrolling down the hallways, singing a very loud and very off-key rendition ofWeWishYouaMerryChristmasas they knocked on everyone’s doors.Parkerrolled over to look at the alarm clock on his bedside table, but apparently, the power was still out.Hepicked up his phone—which he’d plugged in, but was now down to ten percent power—and saw that it was barely seven a.m.Fivea.m.Denvertime.
