He slowly shakes his head. “I had started to feel…different toward you. The thought of leaving hadn’t felt right. But I guess your brother caught on and”—he shrugs—“warned me off.”
“He told you to stay away from me?”
“That’s a nice way of putting it, but yeah. And I was fool enough back then to listen.”
“I’m going to kill him,” I mutter, looking away from Luke and searching for my phone. I am going to call him, set up a meeting and bury him in a snowbank.
“Bee, wait, no.” He stops me from climbing off the bed, scooping me up and placing me on his lap, skin to skin. “He was right. At the time he was right. I was working a job that wasn’t what I wanted it to be, scared shitless to shift gears and try something else. I was so afraid I would crash and burn. Then you came out of nowhere, telling me that you loved me. You were so brave. And there I was, scared to even consider a different path.”
Luke’s words are so honest and heartfelt, tears start pooling in my eyes. He frames my face with both his hands, tracing the hollows under my eyes and catching some of the escaped liquid. “So I left. I left because I so badly wanted to prove I was worth your love.”
“You were worth it then.”
Shaking his head, he gives me a gentle kiss. “It’s sweet of you to say that, but I needed to believe it too.”
Swallowing, I gather my courage. “And now?”
“Now, well, now I really hate myself for waiting so long to get you into my arms.”
I laugh into his chest, joy spreading through my body as his arms come around me. “And after being away for so long, my conviction that you were meant to be mine only grew. I thought about you every day.”
“And now you’re back to stay?”
“Yeah, Bee. I’m back to stay.”
“Did you get a new job? How did I not know this? Brendan and Babcia can’t keep secrets, they should have told me.”
Chuckling at how annoyed I sound he squeezes me again. “I didn’t take a new job. Nico, Joy’s husband, wants to expand his business into Toronto now that it’s become such a hub for production companies. More A-listers are going to need protection and bodyguard services while they’re up here. So I’m leading the expansion.”
My mind is blown. Luke as a protection specialist and badass bodyguard. Oh yeah, I can definitely see that.
“I’m so proud of you, Luke.”
“Thanks, baby. The New Year is going to be busy, but I want you by my side. No. I need you by my side.”
This is almost unbelievable. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Luke would come crashing back into my life, needing me, loving me.
“This is one wild Christmas miracle,” I say against his lips. Our kiss is a long, lingering one and when we finally break apart, we’re both panting.
“It’s not a miracle, baby, but you’ve given me the best gift. You.”
Baking Love
Belinda
My eyes shoot open, heart pounding in my chest. Clutching the sheets, I look around, confused why I’ve woken up in a panic. My hand reaches across the bed for Luke but comes up empty, the sheets cold. I don’t have time to wonder where he is as a giant bang from the kitchen has me sitting up in a flash.
Images of my kitchen falling apart around him, my precious stand mixer and stainless-steel beauties damaged, has me jumping from bed. I quickly throw on Luke’s button-down shirt from yesterday and run for it. When I enter the kitchen, Luke is standing by the counter covered in flour.
Laughter overtakes me, and I bend over, clutching my stomach. The look of surprise and horror on his face is too much.
“What,” I ask between huffs of giggles, “are you doing?”
Picking up the bowl from the floor, Luke shrugs. “I was trying to make you breakfast but I’m just making an extreme mess.”
This man makes me so incredibly happy. Pulling a clean cloth out of a drawer, I hand it to him. Giving me a nod of thanks, he begins to wipe the flour off his face. To the side of him I can see a couple eggs lined up, milk and cinnamon. The baker in me puts the pieces together.
“How about you help me make the French toast? That way my kitchen can stay intact, and we can eat before noon.”
He gives me a sheepish look before nodding again. “Yeah, maybe that’s for the best.”
Telling him I’ll be back, I skip to the washroom to go through my morning routine. Eyeing myself in the mirror as I brush my teeth, I can’t help but notice the rosy glow on my cheeks and the new twinkle in my eye. All I needed was a red dress and I could pass for the cheery Mrs. Claus. Though I don’t think Mrs. C ever had a hickey.
When I get back to the kitchen, I see that Luke has cleaned up most of the mess. I hip check him playfully to the side. “Watch how a master does it.”
He doesn’t stay out of my space like I thought. Instead, he steps behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle and resting his chin on my shoulder. His simple show of affection has my belly twisting up in knots. I thought a year ago my feelings for Luke were big. It was unimaginable for me to even consider loving him more than I already did. But this, this feeling of him around me, showing me his love in wordless gestures is once-in-a-lifetime big love. I feel like my heart could explode out of my chest at any minute.
Sitting down at my small table, Luke drags my chair so close to him I’m practically in his lap. We eat entangled in each other, laughing and catching up on the little things that happened to us over the last year. Luke glows with pride as I tell him about getting a promotion at the bakery and all the classes I was put in charge of.
“I’m so proud of you, baby. You always were a genius in the kitchen. God,” he says on a sigh, placing his fork down, “I keep thinking about those, umm, what did you call them? Sprint cookies?”
Swallowing my gulp of coffee, I nod. “Spritz cookies.”
“Damn, those were delicious. Way too easy to pop in your mouth and go.” I bite my lip. This is the second time in a week he’s brought those cookies up. “What’s wrong?” Luke sees the indecision on my face.
“I, ahh, made some yesterday actually and left them at the event. Would you want to bake some with me today? I need to bring something to family dinner tonight.”
“Are you allowed to share the recipe with me?” he asks, but there’s a knowing grin on his face.
“I think we both know that you’re not going to tell anyone or even remember some of the more complicated steps.”
In mock offense, he leans back. “How dare you.” I give him a shrug back, not regretting the truth bomb I just laid on him. “But yes,” he admits, “I would love to spend the day with you and bake those delicious cookies.”
“Do you also want to come to the dinner? You’re practically family. I’m shocked Babcia didn’t tell you to come.”
“She did actually, I just didn’t want to mention it in case my big confession last night fell flat. The last thing I wanted was to make you feel uncomfortable around your family if your feelings had changed.”
I grip his T-shirt, bringing him closer to me. Needing him to hear the words clear as day. We’d said them in the heat of passion, but they also needed to be said in the mundane minutes of the everyday. Making each second more meaningful and beautiful. “Luke, I love you. I selfishly and proudly want you by my side, always.”