AllFreeNovel
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I’m up and out of my chair in a flash, throwing myself into his arms. “Yes. Yes, I can swing that. Oh my gods, Blake!” I kiss his face everywhere as he laughs and squeezes me tightly. “We’re going to Venice!”
He nods. “We are. For two glorious weeks. I’ve booked a lot of tours and surprises for us, but I’ve also left some time for us to wander around and discover things on our own. I want to show you all my favorite places and discover new ones with you.”
“Blake.” I marvel at this ridiculously wonderful man who loves me, and who I love more than I thought possible. “Thank you.” My vision gets blurry as tears fill my eyes. “Thank you, so much.” I kiss him softly, lingering against his mouth, adoring how he makes me feel safe and so incredibly loved.
Reluctantly, I end the kiss and go back to my seat. “Hopefully I haven’t scandalized the entire restaurant.”
Blake shrugs, uncaring. “I’m sure they’ve seen worse.”
“Well…” I withdraw an envelope from my clutch and slide it across the table. “Your gift makes mine a bit anticlimactic. But, Happy Anniversary, darling.”
He takes my hand and squeezes it. “It may be cliche, but it’s true. I will love whatever it is because it’s from you. And this isn’t a competition, Stef. You didn’t need to get me anything.”
I roll my eyes. “Does anyone ever believe that?”
He laughs and opens the envelope, his eyes going wide. “Stef.” The corner of his mouth turns up, then blooms into a full grin. “Honestly, I don’t know why I never thought about doing this before, but I can’t wait. A tour of the Blanton’s distillery!”
“Well, it’s a facility tour, and a bourbon tasting. Then lunch at a local restaurant. And after that, we’re booked into a spa in Lexington for the weekend.” I watch him closely to see if he truly likes the idea or if he’s humoring me. I’m pretty good at telling the difference, but his smile is genuine and I relax.
This time he gets up and comes around to my side of the table, kissing me chastely but sincerely, and my heart soars. “I love it.” He sits back down and takes my hand. “Thank you. This is so incredibly thoughtful.” He glances through the brochure I’d tucked in with the note. “I can’t wait.”
“So, we’ll have a nice long weekend in Kentucky, then one month later we’ll be in Italy.” I laugh. “Gods, I can’t believe we’re going to Italy!”
Blake squeezes my hand and holds my gaze. “I will go anywhere with you, my love. Just say the word. We’re in this together. Partners in crime.”
I laugh and wipe my happy tears from my face, not even caring that my makeup is smudged. “Peas in a pod.” And we are. Blake is it for me. He’s my missing piece. My other half. The person who keeps me grounded. And I help him let go and live more in the moment. We balance each other perfectly. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.
