Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“Oh, is that so?” she challenges, a playful glint in her eye. “What would it take to end up on the Nice list then?”
I lean in, brushing my lips just beside her ear. “Maybe another year of putting up with me. Think you can handle that?”
Her laugh turns soft, her fingers tightening around mine. “I think I can manage. But you might need a few more Christmas miracles to really win me over.”
“Miracles, huh?” I pull back just enough to look at her, her breath clouding the cold air between us, her lips parted in a smile. “Maybe I’ve got one more up my sleeve.”
Before she can respond, I drop to one knee on the ice, keeping her hand in mine. Her eyes widen, and the laughter fades into something softer, more vulnerable. The sounds of kids cheering and the ringing of bells fade until it’s just her and me under the lights.
“Ivy,” I say, my voice a little rough as I stare up at her, feeling the weight of everything she’s given me, everything she’s brought back into my life. “You’ve changed me. You took a man who thought he didn’t need anyone, who’d closed himself off from everything, and you showed me what it means to really live again. I can’t imagine a single day without you, and I don’t ever want to.”
Her hand trembles in mine, her breath catching as she stares down at me, her eyes shining. I reach into my coat pocket, pulling out a small ring I’d been holding onto since Christmas Eve, waiting for the perfect moment.
“So what do you say, Ivy?” I ask, my voice low, steady. “Will you marry me and make every Christmas, every New Year, a little bit brighter?”
There’s a heartbeat of silence, then she nods, her face breaking into a radiant smile. “Yes,” she breathes, her voice barely a whisper before she’s pulling me up and into her arms. “Yes, Cole, a thousand times yes.”
The crowd around us bursts into cheers, and I slide the ring onto her finger, feeling a sense of rightness settle over me as I hold her close, her laughter mingling with the sounds of celebration. Knox and Perry are clapping from the edge of the rink, and Pope and Ruby give us approving nods, Ruby wiping her eyes with a grin. All around us, the townsfolk who’ve watched me resist this woman’s holiday cheer are now clapping, cheering as she throws her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss that’s sweet and slow, filled with promise.
As we skate off the rink, Ivy’s arm looped through mine, she glances up at me, a mischievous glint in her eye. “So,” she says, tugging me closer, “how about we start planning next year’s Naughty or Nice contest? This time, we do it together.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “You really don’t take a break, do you?”
“Not when there’s work to do.” She grins, leaning into me. “Besides, now that we’re official, I think it’s time Copper Mountain gets a taste of the both of us, fully united. They won’t know what hit them.”
I pull her close, brushing a kiss over her forehead. “As long as I get to keep you by my side, I think we can handle anything this town throws at us.”
And as we walk hand in hand through the snow, Ivy’s laughter filling the night air, I know we’re not just building a life together; we’re building a legacy of holiday cheer, of shared joy and new traditions. And I can’t wait to see what the next year, and every year after that, will bring.
“You should move in with me,” I say an hour later as I carry her into my cabin, setting her on her feet in the hallway and kissing my way along the arch of her neck, “starting tonight.”
“Don’t be crazy,” she giggles.
“I mean it, I don’t want to be without you another minute.”
She shakes her head, but I continue to distract her with my lips, just how she likes it.
“We see each other every day, you don’t want to wait until we’re married?”
“Not good enough.” I don't give her a chance to reply as I guide her to my king bed and cage her in my arms on top of the mounds of down. “I want all of you, all of the time,” I growl, tension and tightly strung control twisting through me as I force every move of my body to be tender with hers. I lick my lips and slip my hands under the red sweater she wears, making contact with her skin. “You smell good enough to eat.” I pull the fabric over her head to reveal a fitted little pink tank top underneath decorated with candy canes, the outline of her perfect pebbled nipples standing out. “I've been starved for the taste of you on my tongue since you said yes.” With eager hands, I slip off her red skirt and take in the sight of what is mine.