Page 31 of Big Mistletoe

She swallows, and I pull her toward me. “I don’t want my life to go back to the way it was before you.”

Her eyes fill. “Nick.”

I stop her. “No. Let me finish.”

She goes quiet.

“I don’t want you sleeping somewhere else. I don’t want you working somewhere else because you think you’re in my way. I don’t want to come home and not find your stuff all over my house.”

A tear rolls down her cheek, and I use my thumb to wipe it away. “I want you there.”

She shakes her head. “This is too fast. I shouldn’t have moved in.”

Because I can’t hold back another minute, I blurt out, “I love you, Joy.”

She goes completely still and stares at me in disbelief. “No, you can’t. It doesn’t work like that. We just met."

I lean down and look into her eyes. “Tell me you don’t love me.”

Her lips part, but she doesn’t say anything.

I wait. “Tell me.”

She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out.

I kiss her forehead because I can’t hold back. “Tell me you don’t love me and I’ll stop.”

She closes her eyes. When she opens them, she stares into mine. “I can’t tell you I don’t love you because I do.”

I pull her into my arms and hold her against me. For the first time since I read that damn text, I can breathe again. I whisper against her ear, “This is what we’re going to do.”

When she doesn’t stop me, I continue. “We’re going to finish up here, and then we’re going to go to that apartment and grab your things. Then you’re coming to my house and staying there.”

She pulls back to look at me. “For how long?”

I cup her face in my hands. “Forever is what I’m hoping for.”

Her hands go to my chest and slide around to my back. She’s holding on to me, and I’m holding her just as tightly. She whispers, “I love you, Nicholas Winters.”

I’m holding her too tightly, so I force myself to loosen my hold. “I love you too, Joy Holly.” I look at the tree she’s working on. “Can I help you with that?”

She pulls back to look up at me. “You want to help decorate another tree?”

I smile down at her. “Don’t get too excited. I just know the more I help, the sooner I can get you home and in my bed.”

For the next hour, I hang ornaments, carry boxes, string garland, and do whatever Joy tells me to do. Maverick comes through once, looks between us, and wisely keeps walking.

By the time we finish, the room looks completely different. Joy steps back beside me and glances around. “It looks good, right?”

Standing behind her, I wrap my arms around her and kiss her neck. “Beautiful,” I whisper.

She tilts her head and looks at me. “You’re not looking at the tree.”

I nod. “I’m looking at you.”

She smiles, and I take her hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”