Meet Me Under the Mistletoe (Holiday Romance Collection #3)

Epilogue

Noelle

One Year Later

Theo drags me by the hand down the semi darkened hallway of my mom’s house, away from the rest of our family where they’re congregated in the kitchen for our Compton’s/Collins Christmas Chaos, going absolutely gaga over the ultrasound pictures that Val and Beau had surprised Mom, Marnie, and Drew with. I’ve already seen them, having gone with her to the appointment several weeks ago. Beau hadn’t even known until after the OB appointment, as Val hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up if it was false. The man had gone absolutely bananas over the little kidney bean shaped baby that was just barely a blip at the time of the ultrasound.

Theo stops, turning toward me with a devilish grin on his lips. I have a half a second to admire how just ridiculously handsome my boyfriend is before he’s pushing me up against the wall at the end of the hallway, in the shadows. Our hands are frantic and all over each other. It’s been a year, and I still can’t get enough of him.

We did the whole ‘one day at a time’ thing for all of about two weeks before I couldn’t not say those three little words back to him. And the rest had been history. Who couldn’t fall head over heels for Theo? The man is… good god he’s just incredible. Sweet and kind and funny and so fucking good in bed it’s honestly not fair.

Our families had been over the moon when we’d finally let them all in on the secret. Mom and Marnie had looked at each other and said something like ‘Called it’ and Beau had clapped Theo on the back, telling him he was so proud that his balls had finally dropped enough to make a move on me.

Now, he brackets my face with his hands, those long, talented fingers spanning wide so that he can tip my face up toward his. Leaning into me, he grinds his hips against my middle and I moan, rocking my own body into the hardness there. That stupid fucking Santa hat is on his head again, though I secretly love it.

“Our parents are going to come searching for us,” I whisper between kisses, and he shakes his head.

“Not likely,” he grunts back, sinking his tongue into my mouth to kiss me fiercely, hungrily. He’s unhinged and I love it. “They’ll be swooning over that ultrasound for at least the next half an hour.”

“Theo—” I groan breathily as he shoves his hand up my shirt, palming my breast through my bra. “Oh god. Do you think we could—”

He chuckles darkly, nipping my lower lip sharply, making me gasp. “You insatiable hussy. I’m not fucking you in an open hallway during family Christmas.”

I whine, pouting. “Cock tease.”

Theo grips my chin between his finger and thumb, forcing my head up so I have to meet his eyes. “Don’t brat right now, Angel. Or you won’t get your present.”

“If my present isn’t your cock shoved down my throat or in my pussy, I’m not interested,” I grumble around another groan, the fingers of his other hand pinching my nipple hard. He laughs out loud, dropping his forehead to mine.

“You’re impossible,” he laughs, shaking his head. Raising his hand, he forces my chin up higher, until I’m forced to look straight up. My mouth drops open. Is that…?

“I plan to meet you under the mistletoe every year for the rest of my life,” he whispers, lowering my chin so that I can look at him again.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull his mouth down to mine. We kiss and kiss until we’re both breathless, and when he finally pulls away, I’m panting, trying to catch my breath, when he shocks me even further by sinking down onto one knee.

He pulls a small box out of his pocket and flips it open, turning it so I can see the dark stone that glistens like a million stars are captured inside it. It’s stunning, surrounded by tiny white diamonds.

“Take this life one day at time with me, Noelle. For forever. Waiting for you was one of the hardest things I ever had to do… but I’d have waited forever for you, Noelle. I love you and I always have. There will never be a day where you don’t consume every part of me,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. I can’t help it, I sink down to the floor in front of him, kneeling before him and taking his face in my hands. This amazing, handsome, perfect man that loves me. “Please, Noelle. Marry me.”

“That wasn’t a question,” I laugh brokenly, tears choking me as they slide down my cheeks.

“It’s not a question,” he answers, turning to press his lips to one of my palms. “You’re too much of a brat to get the option to say no.”

“Well, if I don’t have any other option…” I whisper, pursing my lips as if thinking about it. Like my answer isn’t an irrefutable yes. “You just had to copy Beau, huh?”

“ Noelle …” he warns, that deep, low growl rumbling out of his chest making me shiver. Oh, I’ll be in so much trouble later for this. I grin widely, spanning my fingers over his jaw on either side. I rub my thumb over his bottom lip and he nips it sharply, those blue eyes laser focused on mine.

“Oh, for the love of— Would you just say yes already? ” my sister’s shrill voice echoes down the hall and we both laugh, turning to look where just her head is popped out from around the wall by the living room. I blush furiously. How long has my sister been eavesdropping, and how much of that did she hear? Are they all listening to this? Theo’s awkward laugh tells me he’s wondering the same thing.

“Yes!” I shout down the hall, making our families whoop and cheer from where they were clearly all listening in. Then, turning to the amazing man in front of me, I whisper for only him to hear, “Yes, my love. I will marry you and take this life one day at a time with you. I love you, Theo Collins.”

I don’t even get the words all the way out before he’s hauling me into his arms, crushing me to his chest, his mouth crashing down onto mine. The ring box clatters to the floor, but neither of us care. Because it’s not about the ring. This is about us.

I grin against his mouth. This is quite possibly the best Christmas ever.