“Jess?”
“Mmm?”
“Why did you kiss me back? A year ago.”
“Oh.” Her lashes fluttered closed. “Because you asked. You didn’t just take.”
Nine, eight…
“Nik?”
“Yeah?”
She let out a trembling breath. “I want you to stay.”
Those five words were the best thing he’d ever heard. Inside him, the final missing piece clicked into place.
Three, two…
“Begin as you mean to go on,” he whispered against her lips.
One! Happy new year!
Amid the sound of cheers and noisemakers from the backyard, Nik kissed her long and deep, with all the love in his heart. Jess clung to him tightly, her mouth soft and lush under his, pulling him closer until their hearts beat against each other.
“Does this mean you’ll stay?” she asked when their lips broke apart, hope and her heart shining in her eyes.
“Jeshka, Iboughtahouse.”
“But what about your tour?”
“I already turned it down.”
She gasped, eyes widening. “What? When?”
“While we were at the cabin.”
“Nik.” She shook her head at him, but couldn’t hide her smile. “You could’ve told me that and saved us both a lot of heartache.”
“And you could have just told me you wanted me to stay.” He framed her face with his hands, stroking her soft skin with gentle movements. “Besides, I needed you to trust that I meant it, otherwise you’d keep worrying I was going to leave.”
“Okay, true. But you were going to stay anyway!”
“Yeah, just in case you needed more than three dates.”
She snuggled in against his chest. “Well, it turns out I do.”
“How many more?” He wrapped her in his arms.
“Infinity dates.”
“You got it, milochka.”
She gave him another kiss, then tugged on his hand. “Now come on. I’ve been waiting to dance with you all night.”
Epilogue
January 6th
