NINETEEN GRAYSON

N INETEEN

G RAYSON

Grayson trailed his fingers down Reid's left arm until he reached her left hand. He lifted it up and admired the ring he had placed on her third finger almost two months ago. Sunlight shone through the partially opened blinds in Reid's room. Her ring sparkled and created a kaleidoscope of lights on her wall. Every time he caught her admiring the ring, he felt proud.

Everything felt right between them. And he was grateful for this second chance at life. It allowed him to do the one thing he had put off forever ago—fall in love—and he was so in love with Reid. He regretted not telling her years ago.

She smiled but kept her eyes closed. Grayson kissed her ring, and then her. "Merry Christmas." Technically, they had one more day, but this would be the only time they were alone. They'd travel to his parents' house tonight, open presents in the morning, and then head to Luther's. It was important to them that they spend as much time as possible with their families. Next year they'd flip-flop and spend Christmas Eve and morning with Luther, and then head to his folks' place. After everything that had happened with Grayson, he and Reid planned to live in the moment. They'd take nothing for granted, and that included the holidays, visiting their parents regularly, and spending time with each other.

"The weatherman said it might snow," he said, groaning.

Reid's eyes opened. Her brown orbs gleamed with excitement. "Seriously?"

He gave a one-shoulder shrug. "It won't stay, fortunately." This was the drawback of living in a cold climate but not one cold enough to snow during the winter like the states north of them. In years past, they'd spent some long weekends skiing in New England, where they were guaranteed to find fresh powder almost daily. If it wasn't natural, the resorts made it. Now the thought of going felt like a chore.

"Since when do you not like the snow?"

Grayson thought about her question for a moment and shrugged again. "I don't know. This sense of dread filled me when I said it might snow. Before ..." He paused and thought about the heart beating in his chest, wondering if it had something to do with his current dislike for the white stuff. "I guess I don't like it anymore."

Reid sat up on her elbow to look at him. "What else is different?"

"Not my love for you, if that's what you're wondering." He kissed the tip of her nose.

"Good to know," she said as she dangled her ring finger at him.

"I don't know. I think most things are subtle, but some definitely catch me off guard. The other day, at the grocery store, I walked down the aisle and absentmindedly put a can of sauerkraut in the cart. I hate sauerkraut, or I did."

"That's strange. Maybe you should bring it up with your therapist at your next appointment. Make a list as they happen so you don't forget."

"Yeah," he said as he pulled her to him. "We should go to Vermont next month and go skiing. Do you think Pearce would want to come with us?"

"But you just said—"

"You still love it, and I'll relearn to love it," he told her.

Reid kissed Grayson. "Are you only inviting Pearce because he has a car?"

Reid blushed and Grayson kissed her.

"Yeah, that's why I'd invite him too," he said, laughing. "I'll ask. Do you want to make a reservation? Even if he doesn't go, we can borrow my mom's car or rent one for the weekend."

"I'll book something."

Their relationship was easy. Almost too easy at times. They'd fallen into a quick routine, one Grayson didn't even question. After they'd been engaged for a week, Reid had asked him to move in. He accepted and was able to sublet his apartment until his lease expired. The only real issue they had was the size of the apartments. Neither place was overly big, and both were far too small for two people. He'd donated or put into storage the majority of his things, and Reid had boxed up seasonal clothing—items she wouldn't need until spring or summer. They were determined to make the living arrangement work until after the wedding, and then they'd look for a house.

The "making it work" part lasted all of a month before they put their names on the list for a two-bedroom apartment with more space in the same complex. Neither of them wanted to leave the building where they lived. It was close to the train station and easily walkable to downtown, where they could do some shopping. Having full access to a gym was a bonus, as was the washer and dryer. The internet was free, and the complex had controlled access, something that was hard to come by with other buildings.

After the first of the year, they would meet with a wedding planner. Luther had told Reid to plan her dream wedding and to not worry about the cost. When she jokingly said they would elope, Luther was hurt. Grayson promised his future father-in-law they would in fact have a wedding in DC or the surrounding area, and Luther would walk his daughter down the aisle.

Reid wanted a springtime wedding, someplace where the cherry blossoms would naturally cover the aisle. Neither of them had any friends with children, so having a flower girl or even a ring bearer would be out of the question, and neither of them wanted to wait years to get married. A year from next March or April, they'd become husband and wife. They'd yet to settle on a date but knew it would be after the holidays.

"Merry Christmas," she said in shock. "I can't believe I didn't say it back."

Grayson couldn't help but roll his eyes. Reid insisted on returning sentiments each time he said one to her. It was one of the many things he loved about her. He moved on top of her and settled between her legs, keeping most of his weight on his elbows.

"This is the best Christmas of my life," he told her as he pressed his lips to hers.

"We haven't even had it yet. What if you hate my gifts?"

"You're the best gift of my life," he told her and then paused. "Minus my heart, but because of it I can love you freely and without reservation." Grayson pressed his lips to hers again and then deepened the kiss.

Reid's fingers trailed up and down Grayson's back. His muscles flexed underneath her touch. They settled on the waistband of his boxers. She played with the elastic before pushing her hands beneath the fabric and digging her fingers into his flesh to bring him closer to her. Their tongues danced together wildly, exploring each other's mouths with a fiery, intense passion that grew exponentially every day. Grayson's hand slipped under the hem of the shirt she wore to bed. It was his but looked far better on Reid. He traced circles on her stomach before moving upward to cup her breast.

Reid moaned into his mouth, arching her back as she pressed herself into his hand. Grayson broke the kiss for a moment to admire her flushed face before leaning down to kiss along the curve of her neck. He nipped at her skin gently, making her gasp in pleasure.

He sat back on his knees and pulled her upright with him. In one quick motion he had her night shirt off, and he pushed his boxers off before hovering over her again. Her hand caressed his cheek and then her fingers curved around his jaw, trailing the length until she came to his lips, tracing them.

They never stopped looking into each other's eyes.

"I can't wait to be your wife," she said to him.

Grayson pressed his forehead against hers for a moment, savoring the closeness before kissing her fiercely again. His hand slipped between them, finding the wetness between her legs. This had been the easy part of their relationship. They had a connection, one he'd denied for far too long. Once he let his guard down and opened himself up to loving her, all bets were off. He couldn't get enough of her. He didn't want to. Day and night, his desire for her was like something he'd never experienced before.

He captured her lips again. Reid whimpered softly as he rubbed circles around her clit. Each moan or quiver brought him gratification. Grayson wanted to make her happy, to please her, and he'd do anything he had to in order to make her smile.

When he slipped inside her, he paused and gave himself a moment. Each time for him was like the first time all over again. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, a sure sign it still worked, and as he began to slowly move within her, the moment confounded him. Here he was, making love to the woman he loved more than life itself, on Christmas Eve morning, while she wore nothing but the ring he'd given her as a promise leading up to their future. As far as he was concerned, he was the luckiest man in the world because Reid loved him beyond reason.

Sated and spent, they spent the rest of the morning in bed, dozing in and out of consciousness, making love, and planning for the future. Grayson wanted to look at homes, especially in up-and-coming neighborhoods, or find a condo near a park. A neighborhood to raise their family, but still be close to the things they liked to do. Before he'd asked her to marry him, they'd talked about children. He had always brushed the idea aside because of his health issues. Reid wanted kids, and a dog. She didn't care about the white picket fence, but she definitely wanted a sexy mom car. Grayson would give her everything. He'd give her the moon if he could.

They finally got out of bed, showered, packed for the two days they'd be away, and almost forgot the gifts they'd purchased for their parents. By the time they left their apartment, they looked like two people leaving for a three-month European vacation and were very thankful their building had an elevator.

When they got outside, they were surprised to find Luther coming up the pathway.

"Your dad is here," Grayson said so only Reid could hear him. She looked up, and Luther beamed.

"Hey," she said when he came closer. "Merry Christmas. What's going on? Everything okay?"

"No complaints," he said as he wished them Merry Christmas in return. "I thought I'd give you kids a ride to the Haneys'."

"Thanks," Grayson said. "We appreciate you."

"My pleasure. Besides, I'm heading over there anyway." Luther took the bags from Reid and turned toward the street where his truck was double parked. People honked, among other things, but no one really cared. It wasn't like the truck was going to stay there for long.

"Why are you heading toward Sydney's?" Reid asked. Grayson set the other bags in the back of the truck and opened the door for Reid, holding her hand as she climbed in.

"Well," Luther said when he got behind the steering wheel, "Sydney invited me to spend the night. At first, I told her no because I thought it would be awkward, but she persuaded me and said after everything we've been through as a family this year, she didn't want to see me left alone when they had the extra room. I still balked, but then she said things would be different when you two have children and neither one of us wants to miss out on important moments. So, I gave in."

"Thank you," Reid said as she kissed him on his cheek. Luther smiled but quickly turned so Reid couldn't gush more. She then looked at Grayson. "Your mom is amazing."

"I know. She raised me." He winked and thought about kissing her, but with her dad right there, he kept his lips to himself. And then he began to wonder about the sleeping situation. Even though he and Reid lived together, that didn't mean all the parents were on board with them sleeping in the same room. He glanced at Luther, who kept his eyes focused on the road. Reid eyed Grayson suspiciously, and he shook his head. With her dad sitting next to them, he couldn't exactly tell her he wanted to have sex with her in his childhood bedroom. Grayson would brood about it later. No point in thinking the worst until they got to his mom's house. The rest of the drive, he held on tightly to Reid's hand, almost as if he wouldn't be able to touch her again until they returned to their apartment. If that was the case, they were definitely sneaking out later.