Winter Kisses (A 3:AM Kisses Novella Book 2) (14 page)

“The Big N.P.?”

“Precisely.” A pale flicker catches my attention out the window. “Look at that.”

“It’s snowing.” She latches onto my arm and gives a squeeze. “It looks like we get a white Christmas after all. You know what they say, if it snows on Christmas, a miracle can happen.” Laney gives a sad smile as she looks into my eyes. “I really love you, Ryder Capwell. Thank you for loving me back. I hope you never regret our relationship. I’m sorry what it’s costing you.”

“The only thing I regret is the year I spent without you. I’m in this forever.”

A smile inches up her cheek. “Forever hardly sounds like enough time to be with you.”

“You always were the smart one.” I give her ribs a little tickle. “Hey why don’t you look under the tree? I bet Santa left something there for you a little early.”

She inspects the floor surrounding the twirling evergreen and shakes her head. “Looks like Santa forgot. There’s nothing under there.”

“Why don’t you try near the top branch? I bet he tossed it up there. He’s always in such a damn hurry.”

Laney springs up and hikes to the balls of her feet. “Nope.”

I slip the red velvet box out of my pocket and get on bended knee.

“That’s because it’s down here.” I smile up at her sheepishly and crack the box open.

“Ryder!” She cups her hands over her mouth.

“I hope you don’t mind.” I swallow hard. Laney looks like a princess with the pink and green lights sparkling around her. “I’m actually one year late in giving this to you.” I had it worked out for last Christmas, but things didn’t exactly go as planned. Having her find me falling into another girl’s bed wasn’t on the shortlist of how I wanted to propose. “You don’t have to answer me, Laney. I know it’s only been a few days, and we’ve just straightened the ship, but I can’t help the way I feel. I need you in my life. I’d be more than humbled and honored if you would consider becoming my wife.”

Laney falls to her knees with tears running down her face, an ear-to-ear smile that’s just for me.

“Ryder.” She lands a mouthwatering kiss over my lips that lets me know exactly how she feels. “I do want to answer you.” She crashes into me with another quick kiss. “
Yes!
I want to be your wife. I’ve wanted to marry you for as long as I can remember. I’m not doing this life thing without you.”

“Thank you.” I touch my palms to her cheeks and kiss her with a tenderness that feels far too restrained for the moment, but I want to savor it, memorize it. “You’re the family I choose. This is it—me and you forever.”

I take the ring and slip it over her finger. A simple diamond encircled with a series of smaller stones.

“It’s beautiful.” She holds it out toward the tree and it sparkles like an explosion of miniature shooting stars.

“You’re beautiful.”

She crushes her lips over mine and lands us to the floor. We indulge in long, lingering kisses that expand beyond the confines of time, right into eternity.

Laney pulls back and gazes at me, content and happy. “We’re finally together.”

“Looks like we got our Christmas miracle.” I wrap my arms around her tight.

“Looks like we did.” She gives an impish grin. “You think the Big N.P. can come out to play now?”

“Are you kidding? He’s been dying to get out all night. You know what his favorite game is?”

“Seven minutes in Heaven?”

“Yeah, but he cheats. He likes to stay as long as he can.”

She pulls me to my feet and leads us to the bedroom. “It’s time to get to paradise.”

I give a gentle tug to her hand and reel her in.

“Paradise is right here with you.”

Our lips find one another as we begin the slow meandering dance to the bedroom. We’ve got all night, all year—a lifetime.

Paradise was with Laney all along.

And there are no truer words.

Thank you for reading,
Winter Kisses
(3:AM Kisses Book 2).
If you enjoyed this novella, please consider leaving a review at your point of purchase.

Look for
Sugar Kisses
(3:AM Kisses Book 3) Roxy and Cole’s story coming early 2014.
Whiskey Kisses
(3:AM Kisses Book 4) Holt’s story coming 2014. Books 3 and 4 are full-length novels.

Winter Kisses
is a proud part of the
12 NA’s of Christmas.

12 Christmas novellas by 12 Bestselling authors.

For more information please visit their website:
http://www.newadult12.com

To my readers, thank you for your amazing support. I enjoy all of the friendships we’ve made, and I love to respond to you through email, facebook, twitter, or my blog. This ride wouldn’t be half as fun if it weren’t for you.

To all of the bloggers, the betas, the people who I may or may not have cornered to run my ideas by, thank you for all your time and attention. It is much appreciated!

A special thank you to Sarra Cannon for including me in your special project, the 12 NA’s of Christmas. I have never had so much fun in a group before. You are a natural born leader, and I commend you for putting the entire effort together.

To the awesome Christina Kendler you are a word ninja of the highest order. I salute you! To Rachel Tsoumbakos, who always looks twice, and saves me from many an error, thank you! And finally to the amazing Sarah Freese, how can I ever repay you for your awesomeness? Ready for another book?

Thank you to my kids for doing the dishes. I’m also thankful that each of you has discovered you can do your own laundry and on occasion toss in a few things of mine. I owe you a really nice dinner, your choice. To my husband who still kisses me after all these crazy years. Thank you for that.

To Him who sits on the throne—each day I smile with peace in my heart because I am forgiven. I owe you everything.

Addison Moore is a
New York Times
,
USA Today
, and
Wall Street Journal
bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Her work has been featured in
Cosmopolitan
Magazine. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children, and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.

Feel free to visit her blog at:
http://addisonmoorewrites.blogspot.com

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/Addison-Moore/140192649382294

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https://twitter.com/AddisonMoore