“I was serious when I asked you to be my Valentine.”
Her heart did a little flip. Really? He was serious? Nate wanted her to be his Valentine!
“Okay,” she said, forcing that one word out as her throat tightened.
He brushed his thumb over her cheek, the feather light caress causing a storm inside her. “I wanted to give you everything you wanted, to make this night really special for you.”
“Okay,” she said again, her mind racing wondering what he was talking about.
“I hope you like it,” he said, giving her a little nudge.
She stared at him, confused. “Like what?”
Instead of answering, he walked her to the corner. She rounded it, and when she saw a huge ice sculpture in the shape of the Eiffel tower and lights all strung up around the rink, her heart squeezed inside her chest.
“Nate…” she whispered as he stepped up beside her. “Oh. My. God.”
“Someday, we’ll make it to Paris, Gracie,” he said softly. “Since it couldn’t be this week, I thought I’d bring Paris to you.”
“It’s beautiful,” she choked out.
“You’re beautiful.”
She swallowed and turned to him. When she caught the intense way he was staring at her, her knees just about gave out. “When… How?”
“This week…and with a little help from my friends.”
“Friends?” She wondered if one of those friends just happened to be Jared—everyone’s go-to man when they needed something—and that’s why he’d been looking for him the other night at the Cave. Maybe his late night visit to the local hangout had nothing at all to do with picking up girls. “What friends?” she asked.
“I know a guy who knows a guy, and then there’s Mason,” he said, nodding toward the gorgeous ice sculpture.
Her eyes widened. “Mason did that?”
“Yeah.” His nostrils flared, and he moved closer until his body was pressed against hers in a totally possessive way. “But I don’t want to talk about him.”
She looked back at the sculpture and the significance of what he’d done—for her—washed over her like an avalanche. “It’s…it’s incredible. I can’t believe you did this.” She shook her head, incredulous. “You went all out.”
He shrugged like it was nothing, but Gracie knew it was far from nothing. It was something. Something big.
“Hey, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing. Moderation is for pussies.” He gave her a sexy grin and nudged her again. “Come on. We only have the rink to ourselves for one hour, then it opens to the public.”
They pulled on their skates, and she followed him onto the ice. Small flakes started to fall, creating a cozy, romantic atmosphere. Their breath formed clouds in front of their faces as they skated circles around the rink, and as she looked at him, taking in his handsome features and the warm smile that spread across his face every time his gaze met hers, she could hardly believe he went through so much trouble for her.
“This is perfect,” she said as her hat fell into her eyes.
Nate laughed, stopped in front of her, and pulled her hat up. “You’re perfect, Gracie.”
This time, he didn’t ask if he could kiss her. Instead, his mouth dropped to hers, their cold lips warming as they opened for one other. His hand slid around her back, holding her tight against him. He kissed her mouth, her jaw, her neck, and every feeling she had for her neighbor, friend, co-worker came rushing to the surface, taking her breath with it.
Oh God, was this what love felt like? She’d always lusted after Nate. At least, she thought it was lust, but as he kissed her and held her in their make-believe Paris, she was beginning to believe what she’d felt for him all along had been so much more.
“Nate,” she whispered. Everything about tonight, Nate, confused her and convinced her this was about more than her comic strip.
“Yeah.”
Her heart missed a
Her heart did a little flip. Really? He was serious? Nate wanted her to be his Valentine!
“Okay,” she said, forcing that one word out as her throat tightened.
He brushed his thumb over her cheek, the feather light caress causing a storm inside her. “I wanted to give you everything you wanted, to make this night really special for you.”
“Okay,” she said again, her mind racing wondering what he was talking about.
“I hope you like it,” he said, giving her a little nudge.
She stared at him, confused. “Like what?”
Instead of answering, he walked her to the corner. She rounded it, and when she saw a huge ice sculpture in the shape of the Eiffel tower and lights all strung up around the rink, her heart squeezed inside her chest.
“Nate…” she whispered as he stepped up beside her. “Oh. My. God.”
“Someday, we’ll make it to Paris, Gracie,” he said softly. “Since it couldn’t be this week, I thought I’d bring Paris to you.”
“It’s beautiful,” she choked out.
“You’re beautiful.”
She swallowed and turned to him. When she caught the intense way he was staring at her, her knees just about gave out. “When… How?”
“This week…and with a little help from my friends.”
“Friends?” She wondered if one of those friends just happened to be Jared—everyone’s go-to man when they needed something—and that’s why he’d been looking for him the other night at the Cave. Maybe his late night visit to the local hangout had nothing at all to do with picking up girls. “What friends?” she asked.
“I know a guy who knows a guy, and then there’s Mason,” he said, nodding toward the gorgeous ice sculpture.
Her eyes widened. “Mason did that?”
“Yeah.” His nostrils flared, and he moved closer until his body was pressed against hers in a totally possessive way. “But I don’t want to talk about him.”
She looked back at the sculpture and the significance of what he’d done—for her—washed over her like an avalanche. “It’s…it’s incredible. I can’t believe you did this.” She shook her head, incredulous. “You went all out.”
He shrugged like it was nothing, but Gracie knew it was far from nothing. It was something. Something big.
“Hey, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing. Moderation is for pussies.” He gave her a sexy grin and nudged her again. “Come on. We only have the rink to ourselves for one hour, then it opens to the public.”
They pulled on their skates, and she followed him onto the ice. Small flakes started to fall, creating a cozy, romantic atmosphere. Their breath formed clouds in front of their faces as they skated circles around the rink, and as she looked at him, taking in his handsome features and the warm smile that spread across his face every time his gaze met hers, she could hardly believe he went through so much trouble for her.
“This is perfect,” she said as her hat fell into her eyes.
Nate laughed, stopped in front of her, and pulled her hat up. “You’re perfect, Gracie.”
This time, he didn’t ask if he could kiss her. Instead, his mouth dropped to hers, their cold lips warming as they opened for one other. His hand slid around her back, holding her tight against him. He kissed her mouth, her jaw, her neck, and every feeling she had for her neighbor, friend, co-worker came rushing to the surface, taking her breath with it.
Oh God, was this what love felt like? She’d always lusted after Nate. At least, she thought it was lust, but as he kissed her and held her in their make-believe Paris, she was beginning to believe what she’d felt for him all along had been so much more.
“Nate,” she whispered. Everything about tonight, Nate, confused her and convinced her this was about more than her comic strip.
“Yeah.”
Her heart missed a
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