Page 23

CHAPTER 23

LARK

There’s nothing like Christmas in Vermont.

As we make the drive back home from Enzo’s house, a swathe of stars lights up the night sky, reflecting softly off the snow-capped mountains and trees coated in a crystalline white. The road is quiet, with only our headlights cutting through the dark. Inside the truck, “White Christmas” is playing, as Knox hums along with the melody.

When I lived in Montpelier, the stars weren’t as bright. And during my years at Columbia, I couldn’t see them at all. There was never this absolute silence, when the only sounds were the ones you made yourself. I didn’t feel the same sort of peace as I do here, in the Green Mountains, driving through the woods I’ve come to call home.

This is, by far, the best Christmas I’ve ever had.

Waking up on Christmas morning with Knox, opening presents and having a breakfast picnic on the floor in front of the fireplace. Enjoying some sexy Christmas time—no sex yet, thanks to my dumb concussion, but we found plenty of other, safe things to do. Like cuddling naked and kissing each other all over and then that magical thing Knox does with his tongue that makes my limbs turn to jelly.

Then my dad’s house, where he and Knox refused to let me do anything other than sit on the couch while they took care of everything. Which wasn’t necessary; I’m really feeling much better, but Knox and my dad seemed like they were bonding over the whole thing, so I went with it.

We opened presents and stuffed ourselves with roast beef and potatoes and my dad asked Knox approximately a hundred questions about home repairs and improvements. Which is funny, because my dad is not a handy guy, and he usually ends up hiring someone to do any kind of work around the house. But he was so excited to have something to talk to Knox about, and by the time we left, my dad had an entire plan outlined to build custom shelves for his office by himself.

Somehow, I don’t think they’re going to turn out as intended. But it’s cute that my dad wants to try.

“I’m not sure how well it’ll go,” I say, glancing over at Knox. “With my dad’s plans for the bookshelves. We might have to offer some help.” Pausing, I amend, “Well. Not me. I wouldn’t be very helpful. But you.”

In profile, Knox’s face is mostly in shadow, the light from the sky catching the angles of his cheekbones and nose. As he glances over at me, his lips curve into a smile, and his eyes crinkle up at the corners. “You don’t think your dad will be able to build them? He seemed pretty confident about it.”

“No. He wouldn’t admit it, but he’s not very good at building things.” Laughing, I add, “He tried to make a doghouse for my stuffed dogs when I was eight. It looked like it would fall over if you breathed on it. But he tried.”

Knox squeezes my hand. “It’s nice that he made the effort even though he knew he wasn’t good at it.”

“Yeah.” Warmth fills my chest. “He was always good like that. He could have just bought me one. But I think he wanted me to know he cared enough to make it himself.”

There’s a pause before he responds, and for a second, I worry that I made him sad. That I reminded Knox of what he didn’t have as a kid. But then he says, “I’m glad. Your dad is a great guy. And he loves you a lot.”

“He really likes you, too. He told me.”

“Oh?” Signaling to turn, Knox makes a right onto our road. “What did he say?”

I thread my fingers between his. “That he was happy for me. That he couldn’t have picked a better man for me to be with. And that he could see you?—”

Hmm. Maybe I should leave out that part.

“See me what?”

“Well. I don’t want to make things weird.”

“Lark.” Knox glances over again. “I told you. This thing between us. It’s serious. Like, when the time is right, marriage serious. So you can tell me anything. Don’t worry about freaking me out.”

“Fine. He said he could see you being part of the family. And he…” My throat goes tight. “He said he’d like to have a son one day.”

In the shadows, his jaw sets. He swallows hard. After several moments, he says, “Lark.”

“Is that too much? Is it weird?”

“No. It’s not too much. Or weird. It’s… it means a lot. But… how do you feel about it?”

“I told you.” I move our entwined hands to his thigh, feeling the warmth of his leg and the hard strength of his muscles. “It’s serious for me, too. I’m more than okay with him saying that.”

“Songbird.” It’s rough. Thick with emotion. “I love you.”

Leaning over, I kiss his cheek. “I love you.”

At the base of the driveway, we stop in front of the newly-installed gate while Knox punches in the access code. Cold air rushes through the driver’s side window, making me shiver. He glances at me and says, “I know it’s not as convenient as driving right up to the house. But…”

It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since Mrs. Vinnetti showed up at the cabin when Alec and his team arrived to install a gate for the driveway. “I know I didn’t ask first,” Knox explained as I watched Alec’s company van pull up in front of the house, “but I would really feel better having this here. And in the spring, I’d like to put in a perimeter fence. If you’re okay with it?”

As if I was going to argue. I learned the hard way that no matter how safe you think you are, there’s never a guarantee. And the added security will make me feel better, too.

“I know. It’s fine.” As the gate opens and Knox drives through, I continue, “And anyway, we’ll be home in a minute. Then we can turn on the fireplace, and sit by the tree to warm up.”

“Are you sure you’re not too tired? It’s been a long day, and with your concussion…”

“I’m sure. I’ve been waiting for this part of Christmas.”

We come to a stop in front of the house, and he turns toward me, confusion pulling his brows into a V. “But the day is almost over.”

“Not yet.” I gesture at the clock on the dashboard. “It’s only nine. We have three hours of Christmas left. It’s a rule, never go to bed until Christmas is officially over.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize that was a rule.” His lips twitch. “But if it is…”

“It is,” I reply firmly. “We’re going to watch a movie, and cuddle, and drink eggnog, and look at our presents.”

“That sounds pretty good to me.” Knox turns off the ignition and jumps out of the truck. “Don’t get out. I’ll be right there.”

But instead of just helping me out, he scoops me into his arms. Not expecting it, I let out a yip of surprise and clutch his neck. “Why are you carrying me?”

“Because you’ve had a long day. And if you want to stay up, I’m going to make it easier for you.”

Aww.

Knox carries me inside the house, easily supporting me with one arm as he unlocks the door and disarms the alarm. Then he deposits me on the couch, takes my coat off, and kisses me on the forehead. “I’ll get the presents from the car. You just relax.”

“Okay.”

But the instant the door shuts behind him, I jump up and race into the office, grabbing the large gift bag I’ve had tucked all the way in the back of the closet. Then I jog back into the living room and set the bag on the coffee table before settling back down on the couch.

Less than a minute later, Knox comes back inside, his arms loaded with presents. He heads to the tree and sets them down, saying, “I still can’t believe how much your dad got for us. He didn’t need to buy that much.”

“He wanted to. It made him happy.”

“And the team,” he continues. “I thought we were just doing small gifts. But I guess my idea of small isn’t the same?”

“Well, I think it was mostly Winter.” I grin as I recall the lengthy gift exchange at Enzo’s house, each of us with a growing pile of presents in front of us. “She wanted to make sure everyone got something special.”

“Well, I love the gift she and Enzo gave us.” Knox picks up the box with an instant camera inside. “It’ll be great for all our trips.”

“I know. I can’t wait.” Pausing, I add, “And didn’t Enzo and Winter look so happy? I’m so thrilled for them. He proposed in the gazebo, and there—” I stop. “Well, obviously you knew, since you helped him build it.”

“Do you want me to build you a gazebo?” Knox gets up from the floor, his expression earnest as he continues, “It wouldn’t be a problem. Once the ground thaws, I can get started. ”

“I’m okay. I think the hidden library is plenty of work.”

He sits beside me and loops his arm around my shoulder, tugging me into his side. “Do you like the library idea? Really? Because if you don’t want it, I won’t be upset. I can build something else. Or if you’d rather have jewelry or an expensive bag?—”

“Knox. I love your plans for the library. It’s perfect. And the way you drew up all the plans, and all the samples… it’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”

Sapphire eyes meet mine, emotion working behind them. “I would give you anything, Lark. All that matters is making you happy. Making you smile.” He traces his finger down the line of my jaw. “Do you know what I thought about your smile when I first met you?”

“Um. That I must have had braces?”

“No.” He sobers. “I thought you had a smile that men would slay dragons to see. I thought I would do anything to see that gorgeous smile. I looked forward to it every time I saw you.”

My heart squeezes. Expands. My body feels so full of love, I’m not sure how there’s room for all of it.

“You always make me smile. Every day. Just being with you makes me happy.”

“Lark.” He cups my cheek. His lips brush across mine. “You make me happier than I even knew possible. Being with you… it’s the most amazing gift.”

“That’s how I feel about you.” I kiss him again, this time lingering for a second, tasting the hint of sugar and chocolate on his lips. “But. Speaking of presents. I still have one more for you. ”

“What?” Confusion wrinkles his forehead. “But I thought we did the whole present thing.”

“We did.” Reaching over to the coffee table, I grab the bag and set it in Knox’s lap. “I thought about giving it to you this morning. But then I thought… well. Maybe it’s silly.”

His gaze moves from the bag to me. “I’m sure it’s not.”

“It’s just… I know you didn’t have a lot of nice Christmases. And I want this one to be special for you. This present… it’s special, too. At least, I hope you think it is. So I thought this might be a good way to end the day. With one more present.”

“Okay… but I didn’t save a gift for you.”

“Knox. That’s not important. And Christmas with you is the best gift. So just… open it.”

Slowly, he reaches into the bag, glancing at me as he feels what’s inside. “This doesn’t feel like any present I can recognize.”

“Well, it’s not a sweater.” I try to smile, but my stomach chooses this moment to start jittering. After being so certain about this gift for weeks, I’m suddenly nervous about it.

As he lifts it out of the bag, I hold my breath.

“Lark. What…”

I take the gift bag and set it aside. “It’s a tree. Carved all in one piece from wood found in the Green Mountains.”

He stares at it, turning the carved tree in different directions. The wood is rough-edged but smooth, the wood grain gleaming from careful sanding. It’s about two feet tall, not a large decoration, but one that could be put anywhere—in the bedroom, the living room, or even at Knox’s company headquarters.

“It’s made by a local artisan,” I explain, filling the silence. “This is what I was picking up the night of the Winter Walk. I know it’s not a traditional tree, but I know you loving working with wood, and the Green Mountains, and?—”

Knox traces his finger along one of the carved branches. “Is this writing?”

“Yes. I asked the guy who made it… well, I wanted it to be personalized for you. But maybe it was a bad idea.”

Leaning closer, he reads the first name etched into the wood. “Tom?”

“All the people who are important to you. But if I missed someone…”

He continues searching along the branches. “You have all my teammates on here. And everyone in the Guardians.”

“Well, I thought they were important.”

“They are.” Glancing back at it, he reads the next name and smiles, “Lark. Of course you’re here.”

“Well.” I give him a sheepish grin. “Maybe it was presumptuous. But I hope I’m important to you.”

“Songbird. You’re the most important.”

As he moves to put it down, I touch his arm. “Wait. There’s one more. At the top. On the star.”

Knox stops. Looks at it. His features go still.

Please let me not have just ruined Christmas for him.

After an interminable silence, he turns to me. “You put Fitz on here.”

“I did. I thought… it seemed right.”

“Songbird.” He puts the tree on the coffee table and pulls me into his arms. His lips press against my hair. “Thank you. It’s perfect. And that you put Fitz on there…” A smile touches his lips. “He would have loved you, you know.”

“Do you think so?”

“Absolutely. Not as much as I love you, of course. But yes. And if he met you, he’d tell me never to let you go. That I’m damn lucky to have met you.”

Snuggling closer to Knox, I nuzzle his neck, breathing in his familiar scent. My lips feather across his soft skin, a tender spot I always love to kiss. “I’m never going to let you go, Knox. You’re stuck with me.”

Lifting me onto his lap, he frames my face with his hands. His gaze meets mine, his love a visible thing. “Good. Because you’re stuck with me, too.”

Oh.

This feeling. It’s beyond words. It’s everything .

As we look at each other, I press my lips to his. First nipping his bottom lip, then stroking my tongue across it, soothing the small sting. Then teasing his mouth open and dipping inside. As the kiss deepens, I feel him hardening beneath me, sending a rush of heat straight to my core.

When we finally break apart, both of us breathing hard, Knox runs his thumb across my lips. “I’ll never get tired of kissing you.”

I grin at him. “Same. And just so you know, I’m counting the days until we can make love again.”

His smile matches mine. “So am I.” A beat, and then in that growly voice, “And once we can, I plan to make up for lost time.”

My breath catches. As I imagine us naked in front of the fireplace, Knox kissing me everywhere, my cheeks warm. “I can’t wait.”

“Songbird.”

“Yes?”

Knox’s gaze softens. “Merry Christmas. This has been the best Christmas I ever had.”

My heart.

“Oh, Knox. Me too.”