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While I am currently not talking to my family and setting boundaries, ones which they don’t approve of and I’m not surprised by, Briggs and I decided we do like the tradition of taking a vacation the week between Christmas and New Year’s. I know there will be years we stay home, but then again maybe not.
“I am looking forward to this vacation with you. We’ll stay in our room, we’ll go out to eat, and then head back to our room.” He smirks, wiggling his brows.
Dropping his hand, I turn to face him and wrap my arms over his shoulders. His large hands run down my bare back and settle on my hips.
“I don’t think so. We’re roadtripping the coast, exploring old cathedrals, hiking, and stopping at every roadside stand we see.”
He frowns. “I think your idea of a vacation and mine might be slightly different. Perhaps I shouldn’t have let you plan everything, and we should have talked about this more.”
“It’s going to be great. The tour company said that since there are only twenty-five of us, we’ll be able to do more than some of the other tours. There are these ancient Roman ruins?—”
“Wait, what? You hired a tour company?” he asks, cutting me off. His expression is one of horror and anger, and I can’t even control myself. I start laughing.
“What the hell, Goldie?” He pinches my sides. “I thought you were serious. I mean, I wouldn’t put it past you. This totally sounds like something you would do, but to me, it sounds like a nightmare.”
“It does not sound like something I would do. Loner here, remember?” I point at myself.
“It does sound like something you would do to torture me!”
I grin because he’s so right. Torturing, harassing, and playing pranks on him—all of these are so fun to do to him.
“Well maybe.”
He shakes his head and bends down to kiss the corner of my mouth without messing up my lipstick. I exhale at the sensation of his soft lips and the stubble surrounding them. Briggs is my favorite person in the whole world, and every time he shows me an unexpected moment of love, my heart grows a little larger.
“At this time, we would like to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Warren to the dance floor,” the lead singer of the band announces.
Turning, we watch as Jaxon takes Adele by the hand, and he sweeps her into his arms. Their guests love the dramatic gesture, and Briggs lets out an exhausted sigh as he steps behind me. He’s so warm, and his unique smell of pine and rich man surrounds me.
The room is quiet, except for the band playing, but that doesn’t stop Briggs. He bends down so his mouth is pressed next to my ear and whispers, “I know I told you this earlier, but you look beautiful tonight. I always love you in black.”
“Thank you,” I tell him as chills race down my arms and I flatten my backside to his front.
“Reminds me of a night I’m so fond of, the night we met.”
I silently laugh and softly slap the arm he has wrapped around my middle. I look back up at him and roll my eyes. “You never stop talking about that night.”
“I can’t help it. There I was, minding my own business, when I heard a woman screaming. She was all damsel in distress. I grab my gun, race over to save the day, and lo and behold, standing there in my neighbor’s yard, my only neighbor, is a naked woman. Naked in the sense that she was so incredibly beautiful, my world shifted. Perfect breasts just begging me to stare at them.” I groan at his obnoxiousness and shake my head. “Wild hair, tiny underwear, and all packaged in a short black satin robe. Fantasy come true.”
“You had fantasies that included your neighbor?”
“Apparently. I didn’t know it until I saw you, but after that, most definitely.” He smiles.
Turns out, I might have had a few fantasies about my neighbor too.
Eventually, the dance ends. Adele dances with her father. My heart goes out to Jaxon who doesn’t get to dance with his mother, then they invite all family members to join them. We know eyes will be on us, but that’s okay. We’re both used to it.
The band starts playing another song, and we walk out onto the dance floor. Briggs pulls me into his arms. Arms that feel like home and love. Seems he’s feeling sentimental too, as he bends down and whispers he loves me.
With hearts in my eyes, I can’t help but adoringly look up at him and smile.
“How do you feel about one-upping them tonight?” he asks, that mischief I love so much in him making its presence known.
“What do you mean?” I ask suspiciously.
“What I mean is are you in or are you out?” His hand that is clasped around mine pulls in and lays over his heart, and his other on my lower back slips even lower.
I don’t even hesitate to answer him because he knows as much as I do that when it comes to him and us, it will always be the same.
