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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

AMELIA

“ W hat even is this place?” I ask incredulously as I glance around the snow-covered field lined with food trucks offering everything from donuts and hot chocolate to tacos and hot dogs.

There’s an ice-skating rink off to the side where families and couples glide around the frozen, sparkling surface, a big open space currently hosting what looks like an epic snowball fight, and a display of the most insanely detailed ice sculptures I’ve ever seen.

Everywhere I look there are people bundled up against the freezing nighttime temperatures, talking, laughing, and lining up to buy all manner of things from the vendors set up at kiosks dotting the field.

Twinkle lights strung up overhead cast the entire area in an ethereal glow, and everything about the scene gives December winter market, even though the calendar is about to flip to March.

“You like it?” he asks, swinging an arm around my shoulders as we take it all in.

“Like it? It’s, like, a winter lover’s paradise—and I freaking love winter! I would have thought the time for this kind of thing would have passed. It’s almost spring.”

Elliot shrugs, grinning down at me, looking like the hero of a Hallmark Christmas movie in his navy-blue puffy coat, beanie pulled over his head, and cheeks red from the cold.

“Not in Maine. Apparently, Rockport, Maine is famous for, among other things, being the home of the very last winter carnival in the country. It’s a title they take very, very seriously.

They have a team of researchers who look into every single winter carnival in every single state, and they make sure that theirs is always last. If there isn’t snow on the ground, they manufacture their own.

If the ice for the rink won’t freeze, they bring in machines to help.

Rockport is a winter town, and they hold onto it until the bitter end. ”

I wind my arm around Elliot’s waist, leaning into him, absolutely loving this night. And him. Fuck, I love him so much. I should probably get around to telling him one of these days. “Now that is my kind of town.”

He kisses the top of my head, and I can feel his smile.

“I thought you might say that. And also, I thought I owed you a date. We spend a lot of time at our houses, or hiding what we are from everyone at school, but all I want is to be out in the world with you. We have one night in Maine, and we’re going to take advantage of every minute of it.

So, what do you want to do first, Ames? The night is yours. ”

This man. Jesus, Mary, and mother fucking swoon.

His words strike a cord in me because all I want is to be out in the world too.

To love him way out loud and absolutely everywhere.

There are very real reasons we have to be a secret in part of our life; Dean Miller finding out could literally cost Elliot his job, and after having lived in my brother’s shadow for most of my life, I want to do this part of it on my own.

But after hearing Clara and Henry’s story, my reasons feel like they matter less and less.

I know who I am. So does my family. So does this very, very good man who brought me to this amazing place and shows me every day that he wants me for me.

That who I am is exactly enough. He gave me his family, who accepted me with no questions asked, and because of him, I now have a group of amazing women I can call friends, and a life that is bigger and more beautiful than I ever could have dreamed of.

And I don’t want to keep a single part of it secret.

It's a hell of an epiphany for a late winter night, and I set it aside for the time being, because there is nowhere I would rather be than right here in this moment, with Elliot and the night he planned.

I stand on my toes and kiss my favorite spot on his jaw, knowing that a part of him is still reeling from everything we learned today.

That right now, what we need is a little fun.

“The night is ours. And even though I don’t need dates, there has never been a more perfect one than this.

There is literally no one I would rather do a winter carnival with than you. ”

Elliot turns to me with an intense glint in his eye.

Without speaking, he dips his head, taking my mouth in a long, slow kiss that has my heart melting, the scent and feel of him filling my senses until I’m practically dizzy with want.

His tongue winds around mine, and he brings his hands up to cup my face, keeping my head angled the way he wants it so he can positively devour me.

And he does.

With tongues and teeth and roving hands, he tells me without words that he feels what I feel. That we’re in this together. We might be in a field full of people, but it feels like this moment is for us and us alone.

Like tonight is magic.

When we break apart, Elliot keeps his face close to mine, kissing both of my cheeks and my forehead, stroking my jaw with his thumbs. “There is literally no one I would rather do anything with than you.”

I laugh a little and kiss his nose. “Just had to one up me, didn’t you?”

He chuckles, kissing me one more time before putting his arm back around me and tucking me into his side. “I could never one up you, Mystery Girl. You are smarter and way more awesome than I am. So, what’ll it be?”

I glance around the field and when I see it, I grin wickedly. “Hey, El?”

“Yeah, Ames?”

“Do you want to build a snowman?”

“It’s all kids.”

The confusion in Elliot’s voice has me laughing as we stand at the area of the field designated for the snowman building competition. “Of course it’s all kids. Who else is building a snowman? Do you have a problem with kids?”

He snakes an arm around my waist, surveying the scene.

“I think we established already, I don’t have a problem with kids and would, in fact, like to have many, many kids with you.

But you don’t think it’s a little unfair for two fully grown adults to get involved in a snowman building competition against a bunch of kids? ”

“I sure don’t. Take no prisoners, El. We’re about to engage in some serious ass kicking.”

Elliot looks down at me, laughter in his eyes. “You’re so hot when you’re competitive. Even if what you’re competitive about is making a better snowman than a bunch of children.”

“El, I’m hot all the damn time.” I slide a hand down his back, squeezing his ass and laughing when he lets out a low growl. “Help me win, and I’ll let you do anything you want to me when we get back to the hotel.”

He spins me so my back is to his front and wraps his arms around my waist, pressing against me so I feel his growing erection against my ass, even through our winter coats.

“Anything?” he all but rasps, his breath ghosting over my ear and making me shiver, arousal pooling between my legs.

I grind back against him, and I grin when he hisses out a breath. “Literally anything.”

“Well then, game on, Mystery Girl. We’ve got it in the bag.”

We do not, in fact, have it in the bag.

“How are they so fucking good at this?” Elliot asks forty-five minutes later, staring down at the head of our snowman, which has just fallen off for the fourth time, and then around at the extremely professional looking snowmen, women, and creatures that line the field.

“We’re scientists, Ames. We should be better than this. ”

I blow out a breath, standing up with my hands on my hips, surveying the lump of snow in front of us that kind of, sort of, maybe resembles the body of a snowman.

If you tilt your head and squint. And forgot to put on your glasses.

“I think I aimed too high. Maybe we should have gone ice skating instead.”

“No shit,” Elliot grumbles, bending to pack our snowman’s head back together.

Again. He looks adorably disgruntled, and I know he would like to be doing literally anything but this right now, but he’s doing it anyway because I asked him to.

I don’t know what possesses me to do it, but suddenly I’m bending down and grabbing a handful of snow, packing it together into the perfect snowball.

When Elliot’s back is turned, I wind up and let it fly, the snowball hitting him square in the middle of his back.

Elliot freezes, then stands and turns slowly, his face deadly serious as his eyes lock with mine. “Did you just throw a snowball at me?”

I plant my hands on my hips, staring him down. “Who, me?”

“Yes. You.” His voice is low and gravelly, and it sends a shiver of need racing down my spine.

I pop a hip, keeping my eyes on his and my tone light. Teasing almost. “That really doesn’t sound like something I would do.”

“You’re being kind of a brat right now, Amelia. And do you know what happens to bratty girls?”

Fuck . I think this is the sexiest moment of my life, and I wonder briefly if we would get arrested if I jumped him and begged him to fuck me right here in this snowy field. “I don’t, but I bet you’re going to tell me.”

Please, please tell me .

Elliot takes a step towards me. “They.” Another step. “Get.” One more step that brings us almost toe to toe. “Punished.”

He stares down at me, eyes dark and ravenous as his gaze searches my face, waiting for my next move. I give him a sly grin. “You want to punish me, El?”

“You’re damn right I do,” he growls.

“You’ll have to catch me first.”