Page 85 of Merry Fake Bride

Her eyes close and her hand slips into mine, then we walk slowly down the street.

It’s magical.

Snow crunches underfoot.

The hum of conversation behind us at the fair grows faint.

A comfortable silence drapes over us, broken by our own footsteps, and as we walk, snow starts to fall.

It drifts down between the sparkling lights and the air turns a bite colder, but this place is far too magical for the cold to be an issue.

Slowly, we stop and Devon opens her eyes.

Every star above sparkles in her eyes like they’ve drifted down to kiss her.

Her lower lip shines, her gloss reflecting the lights sparkling all around us, and she looks utterly at peace.

Those dazzling eyes turn to mine and her smile widens.

“What do you think?”

“Beautiful.” Before I can stop myself, my other hand reaches for her jaw and I very lightly curl my finger and place it underneath her chin.

Her head tilts at my very brief encouragement, then I duck and I kiss her.

A snowflake gets caught between our kiss so there’s a nip of cold when our lips meet.

It’s a sudden, reckless decision, but something in me can’t pass up how utterly beautiful she is.

Every part of me craves her beyond my control.

Her soft, plus lips melt against mine and her hand tightens around my fingers.

Devon’s sweet vanilla scent washes over me, invading my every sense as the tart taste of hot chocolate mingles between us.

But just as realization and sense catch up to me, just as I realize how terrible giving in to this urge might be, Devon does something magical.

She steps closer, pressing into my warmth, and she kisses me back with as much care and as much tenderness as I offer her.

22

DEVON

His touch underneath my chin is feather-light, enough that I know it’s there but not too much that it ignites that fear buried deep within my mind.

The first press of his lips, while slightly alarming, was extremely welcomed, and every slowly passing second since has been bliss.

The last thing I saw before my eyes closed were the thousands of beautiful, twinkling lights above me gleaming against the falling snow like every star in the sky was coming down for a glimpse of this tender man and the gentle way he kisses.

Standing a full head above me, I’m encouraged to tip my head back to make the kiss more comfortable, and this deepens when I curl my good hand into the thick, wiry fibers of his wool coat and step closer.

The sharp bite of cold caught between our lips melts away in an instant and seemingly makes Kairo’s lips sear hotter against my own.

My eyes close, and I sink into the kiss like it’s the only thing in the world that matters.

For me, it is.

Kairo’s spicy, woody cologne washes over me like a comforting blanket.