Chapter Twenty-Seven

Holly

I t’s Christmas morning.

I’ve been waiting for this day since January 1 st , and yet, here I am, not making any effort to move as the light spills in through the sheer curtain while I watch the rise and fall of Mark’s chest as he sleeps, low rumbly snores coming from him.

I can’t help but feel disbelief that this is actually happening, that he’s real, that he’s actually lying on this bed naked. My heart races a little as I reach out slowly, poking him in his cheek, making sure he’s not just a figment of my imagination.

He stirs, a low, growly noise leaving his throat as his eyes flutter open with a drowsy frown before a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“Are you poking me?” he asks, his voice rough and gravelly, making my body shiver at the sound.

“I wanted to see if you were real,” I reply, unable to resist the urge to poke him again.

“What else would I be?” He arches an eyebrow .

“A dream,” I sigh. My heart clenches slightly at the thought that this could all be too good to be true, that he disappear if I close my eyes.

He chuckles softly, the sound deep and warm. “No one would dream of me.”

“I would,” I tell him as our eyes meet.

He pauses, his lips tugging into a small smile. “Yeah. I dreamed of you a lot, too,” he admits quietly.

“You did?” I ask, my heart beating faster with each second his eyes are on mine.

“You still doubt that after last night?” he teases, raising an eyebrow as a playful grin spreads across his face.

A warm flush spread across my cheeks at the reminder of last night. “I just thought you wanted me for my hot bod,” I joke with a grin.

He scoffs, shaking his head as laughter bubbles up from deep within him. “Jesus, I can’t believe I just slept with you.”

“Was it great?” I ask, waggling my eyebrows at him.

He laughs again.

“Better than anything you ever imagined?” I tease, running my hand up his chest, the soft hair beneath my palms as I feel the steady beat of his heart.

“Bambi—”

“Heaven on earth?” I continue, a teasing grin spreading across my face.

He lets out a sigh, but his lips are curved, unable to stop smiling. “I should have known you’d be like this,” he says with a low chuckle .

“You told me never to change,” I point out, my eyes never leaving his as I remind him of the words he’s said to me before, the ones that have always made me feel like I could truly be myself around him.

He nods, reaching up to cup my face. “And I mean it,” he says without an ounce of hesitation. “Don’t ever change. I want you just as you are.”

His words hit me, making my chest pound.

“Loud and messy?” I ask, trying to keep my voice playful but wanting to know the truth.

He nods again. “All of the above and much more to come,” he says before he leans in to kiss me, his lips soft and lingering on mine. The kiss is gentle but filled with so much emotion that it takes my breath away.

I pull back slightly, my heart pounding as I look into his eyes. “You’ve made a mistake, Mark,” I tell him.

“Yeah, what’s that?” he asks, his brow furrowing slightly as he searches my face for an answer.

“I’m afraid I’m never letting you go now,” I say as I cling to him, my arms wrapping tightly around his neck, wishing I could keep him close forever.

His face settles, shaking his head slightly. “That’s fine by me,” he whispers, his breath warm against my neck as he presses soft kisses along my jaw and down to my neck, each touch sending shivers through me.

God, is this a dream? Please let it be real. This is everything I’ve wanted. Everything I’ve craved to have for years. And now I finally have it. I don’t want it to get ripped away from me. My eyes snap open when I remember everything we’ve talked about. How different we are. How we want completely different things .

“What about… everything?” I ask, a little breathless from his kisses. There’s so much that I want in my life, and I need to know if he’s on the same page.

“Like what?” Mark asks, pressing his lips to the hollow of my collarbone, making me lightheaded.

“Everything I want,” I say.

He pauses and lifts his head, his expression serious as he shrugs. “I’m willing to give you anything you want,” he replies, making my heart race.

“Anything?” I repeat, hoping he means what I think he means.

He nods in confirmation, leaning down to kiss my lips. “Everything,” he murmurs. “You want a house? Then I’ll sell my loft and buy one tomorrow.”

The way he says that with so much certainty makes my brows raise. “Are you somehow rich and I didn’t know it?” I ask, a small laugh escaping me.

“No,” he says, his lips twitching. “But I do have a good bit of money saved up, which we’ll need, especially if our kids want to go to college.” A smile plays on his lips as he watches my reaction.

“Kids?” My brows shoot up in surprise, my heart skipping a beat at the thought.

“You want kids, don’t you?” he asks, his voice gentle as he studies my face.

“Of course I do, but—”

“Then we’ll have kids,” he says simply, leaning down to kiss me again.

I want to get lost in him, to close my eyes and feel and kiss him until I can’t breathe, but the weight of his words hit me, and I moan into his mouth as I pull back, my brows knitted together and my mind spinning. “Wait a second, you can’t just decide.”

“I didn’t just decide.”

“What?” I ask, my confusion deepening.

Mark lets out a sigh, softly grazing my cheek. “I decided the night you told me you wanted kids that if I ever got the chance to be the guy for you, I’d give you anything you wanted. Marriage, kids, Christmas, dressing up as Santa—”

“You’d dress up as Santa?” I ask, a smile tugging at my lips at the image.

“For our kids? For you?” he asks, his smile genuine and warm, making me feel like the center of his world. “Yeah.”

I secretly pinch myself, unable to believe this is real. This is too good to be true.

Mark’s eyes narrow as I pinch my forearm and he chuckles, shaking his head. “You don’t need to pinch yourself. This isn’t a dream, Bambi,” he says, his voice full of conviction. “I’m in this for the long haul. Growing old with you, spending the rest of my life with you.”

“That’s a long time,” I whisper, my heart hammering against my chest.

“Not long enough when it comes to you,” he says before kissing me again, the kiss filled with so much love that it makes my heart ache.

He rolls on top of me, and I part my legs, making room for him. I get lost in his kiss and scent, smiling against his lips, when a loud bang hits our door, making us jolt apart .

“Get out of my best friend,” Olivia shouts from the other side of the door. “We have presents to open.”

Mark turns to face me, his brows furrowing. “How the hell did she find out?”

I shake my head, a laugh bubbling out of me. “I have no idea.”

“I walked in on you guys,” Olivia replies. “Gross, by the way. There were two empty bedrooms available.”

Mark shakes his head, a grin spreading across his face. “I told you they would walk in on us,” he says. “We’ve traumatized your friends.”

I laugh, rolling my eyes. “Trust me, I’ve been traumatized enough by them. It was time for a little payback.”

Mark chuckles, leaning in to press one more kiss to my lips. “Let’s go,” he says, pulling me close for a moment before sliding out of bed. “Let’s celebrate Christmas.”