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"It was breathtaking," the other throws in

"Thank you," is all she says, and I notice her hands are trerab one and then the other as I stand behind her She doesn’t flinch or pull away until the doors open When they do, the four older people in front of us vacate the space quickly, calling good-bye over their shoulders I follow right behind the oing?" she asks

"I want to show you soht you wanted to talk"

"I do," I say

Pulling S’belle to rab ht back"

"But, sir, you can’t do that," the valet calls

S’belle turns "He locked his keys in his car"

I laugh and bend to whisper in her ear, "They’re in s "I know that, but he’s still trying to figure it out"

"Silver tongue," I joke God, I le escapes her and when I stop at the car I have to take a irl has occupied soand I had no idea why But I do now It’s because she’s perfect for me--we are perfect for each other I just hope she feels the sae red box that I loaded before I left my house "This is a little late, but Merry Christmas"

Her expression falls "I can’t take this"

"Please, S’belle, just open it It will help e of the hatch "Ben, I think we need to talk"

"And ill as soon as you open this" I push it toward her

Her hands hang at her sides

I lift her chin and stare at her with an intensity that I hope conveys just a little bit of how much I care about her "Please"

She looks down at the box and then back up to nation she pulls the box toward her and lifts the lid

I breathe deep as she stares inside the box and pulls out its contents one after the other--red, black, white, green, gold Cloth napkins from every restaurant I’ve eaten at since I saw her stash in the parking lot of the Biltlances up at me with a puzzled look on her face

I pull her closer to me "You said you wanted s, but I had this gift ready for you weeks ago I want you to see that I never only thought of you in terms of just the next day To me there was always more I just didn’t kno to tell you S’belle, I think about you all the ti I do Fuck, I even steal napkins because they remind me of you Look, I know I can be an assle, but I can promise you more than just tomorrow if you let me"

She crushes her lips to mine

I close ainst mine--soft, warm, and tender Then I wrap my arms around her and pull her as close as I can so I can feel all of her--every single inch When we’re both breathless I lean back "There’s more in the box"

She reaches for it and re out the shiny key from the bottom She looks up at me "A key?"

I nod "To my house I want you toto Kale about that day you overheard us How to ask you"

Her mouth drops open in shock "I can’t do that"

"Why?"

"I--I--I’ve never lived with a guy," she sta adorable she is I open her hand and place the key in her palers one by one "Lucky for you I’uy I love you and I want you to live with me Say yes?"

My breath stops as I look down at theher face

Her hand slides up listen in her eyes and she closes thehtly

"S’belle, open your eyes Did you hear me? I know I’m really shitty at this relationship stuff I’m nowhere near perfect and I never will be I’uy I don’t even kno to be onebut I’ I have

"I can’t bear to be away from you I want you nearacross froo to thewith you I want to be the one who makes you smile for no reason I want to be the one you can’t stop thinking about I want to be the one who rocks your world"

She opens her eyes A shiver passes through her before she finally speaks "Ben Covington, you’ve rocked my world from the first time I laid eyes on you I love you too," she says, her words hoarse and soft

Bending down closer to her mouth, I whisper, "Is that a yes? You’ll move in with me?"

"Yes" She throws her arms around rin at her My hands ainst ht"

"Misty?"

"A fortune-teller Never les

I kiss the corner of her lip, taste it, tug on it "You’re crazy Just the kind of crazy I need in hs

Then her expression turns serious "I’ht that at all I don’t really knoas going on with er over her , but first I want to kiss you"