“No, I just want some time to focus on you. We could get out of bed to make cookies together. Isn’t that a holiday thing you’re supposed to do?”
My eyes widened. “You want to make cookies?”
Joe toyed with the white pompom on the end of the Santa hat and gave me a seductive smile. “I want to make cookies with you.”
Warmth spread through me, and I snuggled against him. “I love you.”
“I love you too, and I want to make you happy. Don’t you know that by now? I would be just as happy if we were on an island in the Caribbean or in a hut in the desert. I just want to be with you.”
“I’m right here and all yours.”
21
Epilogue
We spent the next two days at the cabin, only getting dressed to go sledding and play in the snow. We stayed in bed or on the couch by the fire most of the time, and it was glorious. We ordered pizza, made cookies that were actually pretty damn good, and demolished most of the food Devil had had delivered. We needed plenty of fuel because, even for us, I think we set a record for orgasms in a forty-eight-hour period.
The rest of our days in Vermont were spent doing all the Christmassy things Devil had planned like ice skating, participating in a gingerbread house contest, and attending the Christmas festival in the park, which included a photo booth where we took pics in Santa hats that I worried Devil would have framed.
When it was time for us to head back to Boston, Devil said he had one more surprise for me—my wedding slash Christmas present.
“Christmas isn’t for another week.”
“It can’t wait that long.”
I couldn’t argue with his enthusiasm. I was sure whatever he’d done was way too much, but that was how life with him was going to be. Devil had woken me up early and thoroughly worn me out, so I ended up dozing for a lot of the drive. I woke to Devil gently shaking my shoulder and realized we were already in Boston, but it was clear we weren’t headed to the Marchesis’ North End house.
“Where are we going?”
“So you know how I kidnapped you and made you come on this trip?”
I huffed. “Of course I do.”
“And you know how you told me I needed to stop being so fucking high-handed.”
“Oh God. What have you done?”
“I did this before we left on the trip, so technically it was before you said that.”
“Did you think I actually believed you were going to stop?”
His eyes widened. “Wait… you didn’t mean it?”
“I meant every word, but since when do you listen to me or anyone else?”
“I listen when it counts.”
My chest tightened as I thought about how serious he got when he needed to protect me or mistakenly thought he had to prove how much he loved me. “You do.”
“So I told you I had a wedding present for you.”
“You really don’t have to give me anything else. Being with you, being part of your family, that’s all I need, and I didn’t get you anything.”
Devil waved his hand as if that didn’t matter.
“You know I don’t care about that, right? I love spoiling you, giving you things, making your life exactly what you want it to be.”
“And you know none of that is necessary, but I love it anyway.”
“I’ll have you expecting to be pampered one of these days.”
“You still haven’t told me what you’ve done.”
“I’d rather show you.”
“Do you know how nervous you’re making me?”
Devil grinned.
“You’re going to love it.”
“Then why did you need to preface it with—”
Devil turned into a driveway. In front of us was my dream house, one I would have picked if money wasn’t an issue, the kind of house I never thought I’d have. No cop could have a house like it unless he was on the take. “What are we doing here?”
Devil smiled, looking very pleased with himself. “Can’t you guess?”
I looked from the house to him and back again. “You didn’t.”
“Welcome home.”