Snow is Falling, Cocoa is Calling! (The Coffee Loft Series: Fall Collection)

22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

CAITEY

A minute later, when she moved toward him, Marcus was grinning like a teenager. “I think we’re letting all that snow go to waste.”

Caitey laughed. “How does snow go to waste?”

“There are mountains of it, and nobody wants to go out and play. How about you and me? We’ll make a snowman. Snow angels. Walk under the moonlight.”

“Wow, Mr. Navy SEAL Man, you appear to have some romantic bones underneath that dinner jacket. But alas, I didn’t bring any snow clothing. I was wearing a short-sleeved dress two days ago.”

Mrs. Hearst passed by, overhearing the conversation, and gave them both a knowing smile. “I have snow and ski clothing and we’re about the same height. I’ll fetch them and bring them to your room. ”

Shaking her head, Caitey added, “It must be going on eight o’clock and already dark outside.”

A mischievous grin spread across the man’s lips. “That means we’ll have all the snow to ourselves.”

Caitey shook her head, stifling a giggle. “You are too funny, Mr. Stirling. But okay, I’m game for an adventure.”

Actually, the idea of going out into the dark, under the night sky, alone with him after a house full of people, sent shivers of anticipation down her neck.

Minutes later, she was bundled up and tromping outside in snow boots, a scarf around her neck, and gloves on her hands. “Wow, look at those stars!”

“Pretty great, huh? Up here on the mountain, there are no city lights to dim the sky, although if you squint your eyes enough, you can see a faint haze where the mountain village lies that connects to the highway into Santa Barbara.”

“The village where the Coffee Loft is, right?”

“I have memories of that place,” Marcus said softly.

“Hm. I do too. . . certain secrets were about to be revealed.”

“No secrets anymore. It’s all a bad dream from so long ago, and I never think about it anymore. And especially when I’m with a beautiful woman,” he added meaningfully.

“Will any beautiful woman do for your purposes?”

He let out a laugh. “That was tart.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

“I can tell,” Marcus said, turning to gaze at her while they paused for a moment to plow their boots through a snow drift. “I must admit that ever since I met you, I haven’t thought about anybody else.”

Caitey’s breath caught. Was he serious or just flirting?

He soberly added, as if reading her thoughts, “I’m not just complimenting you to flirt. I’m serious. I never expected these last few days with you.”

Marcus paused to take her hands in his, gazing at her full in the face. “I love your eyes, tentative smiles, gorgeous thick hair, and funny personality.”

Caitey was so caught off guard by his compliments that she didn’t know what to say. Instead, she lifted her chin to the inky black sky filled with so many stars it was like a tube of glitter had spilled to create the Milky Way. “It’s a full moon, too. So beautiful. As if I could reach out and touch it,” she added in awe.

“Shall I lasso the moon for you?” Marcus asked.

Caitey gazed up into his face while the soft sound of snow shushed beneath her boots. “ It’s a Wonderful Life, right? When George lassos the moon for Mary.”

Marcus stopped in his tracks. “I have never known any girl to get that little joke of mine.”

Caitey stuck a hand on one hip. “How often have you used it on other women, sir?”

“Um, actually, none,” he admitted. “I’ve spent most of my adult life overseas in hot climates, hunting bad guys.”

She pressed a hand on his arm, knowing all at once the difficult things he’d experienced over the past decade serving in the armed forces overseas. Including the heartache and embarrassment of being taken for everything. Not just his savings but his heart. “Does it haunt you very much?” she asked quietly.

“No, not much. At first, it does, but you learn to categorize the elements of war: the terrible fear, the death, the suffering of innocents. We were taught to place it in a mental lockbox with our dirty socks and worn-out boots. We had to survive. To make it back to the real world without going insane.”

Before Caitey could move her hand away, Marcus reached out to take her gloved hand in his while they trudged through the snow until they came to an empty clearing in the woods a little higher than the Estate house. Soft, glowing candlelight created splashes of gold in every window.

“It’s simply beautiful,” Caitey sighed. “What a magical day. And to think this place terrified me when I first arrived.”

Marcus gave her a sideways grin. “You were sure I was a madman or a stalker.”

“No, I didn’t . . . oh, look, it’s starting to snow again!”

“Are you changing the subject?”

“Who me? Never.”

Tiny snowflakes fell softly around them, then larger, fluffy ones that sparkled under the dimming light of dusk. The sky blended deep purples and soft blues, and the world fell quiet as the snowfall muffled every sound.

“Shall we make snow angels?” Caitey asked, her heart pounding against her ribs at his closeness and the talk of personal matters.

Marcus chuckled. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Seconds later, they were both lying on mounds of soft, new snow and waving their arms and legs to create wings.

“I haven’t done this since I was a kid,” she confessed, laughing at the overhead view of the sky filled with a million sparkling gems while her cheeks grew colder by the minute.

Marcus’s dark hair was dusted with snow, and his rich, brown eyes gleamed with mischief. But now, looking at her, something else flickered in his gaze—something more profound that looked like he’d been fighting for a long time.

Caitey’s cheeks flushed, and her lips parted when she caught her breath. Her arms slowed their angel wing movements, and her hair tumbled from beneath her hat.

Marcus rolled over in the snow, watching her, close and personal.

Despite the cold, the heat between them was undeniable. Their emotions and attraction were palpable, as if the air buzzed with so many unspoken words.

He reached out, his gloved hand brushing snow from her shoulder. Caitey felt a shiver—not from the cold but from his closeness. His nearness thudded at her heart, beating so hard she feared it would fly out of her chest.

She met his eyes, wide and dark, her breath visible in the chilly air. Her lips trembled with emotion, and attraction swelled inside her. Fighting against the close, personal moment of the magical night .

Marcus appeared to hesitate as if fighting against the same feelings and holding on to that last shred of control before slowly, inevitably, leaning in close.

The world shrank around them, the snow, dusk, and cold fading away when he traced a finger down her cheek, gazing into her eyes. His breath was warm, his lips hovering just a whisper away.

Caitey’s pulse quickened, a thrill racing up her spine as the distance between them disappeared.

When Marcus closed the last few inches between them, his warm, soft lips met hers, soft at first, tentative, as though both were testing the waters, feeling the weight of what they’d been avoiding. But then the kiss deepened, the restraint between them snapping as Caitey fully met his kiss, her arms going around his neck.

His hand cupped her jaw, his thumb brushing her cheek, sending heat coursing through her despite the freezing air around them.

It was intoxicating—the way his lips moved against hers, both gentle and urgent, as if he’d been starving for this, for her. Every sensation was heightened—the way his breath hitched, the snow falling around them like a silent witness. Her heart pounded, but all she could focus on was the feel of him, the taste of him.

After several long moments, Caitey tried not to swoon from the sheer power of his mouth tasting her, kissing her over and over again.

“You are enchanting,” he said in a low, husky voice. “It’s like I’m living a dream.”

“No more nightmares,” she whispered while they lay there breathless.

The world around them slowly came back into focus, the snow, the cold, the twilight—but everything had changed.

“I feel like I’ve just been given a second chance at life,” he told her softly, his fingers lifting the curls of her hair around his finger.

“Not all weddings are a horrible disaster,” she said quietly.

He gathered her closer, his warm cheek against her icy cold one. “I’ve been getting a strong premonition,” he murmured into her ear, “that this wedding is going to lead to a very big change in my life.”

Caitey gave him a soft smile as her hands brushed against the rugged, faint bristle of a day-old beard. “I suggest we celebrate with—”

“Another kiss,” he interjected, leaning down to press his lips against her neck.

“Well, that, of course,” Caitey admitted with a little laugh, her throat tingling with the delicious feel of his lips on her skin.

She wanted to laugh and then cry with delight at this incredibly romantic and handsome man. He was offering himself to her. To her, of all the women in the world this devastatingly fascinating man could choose from. “And, since I can’t feel my legs or feet any longer, I propose—”

His eyes lit up. “Yes? ”

“Hot chocolate—pronto! I’m a master at making hot cocoa. I have many memories of sitting up late at night with my mother, talking and drinking hot cocoa. After Jenna bought her Coffee Loft franchise, she taught me more about how the Coffee Loft creates their unique, divine taste.”

“Shall we shake on it?”

“Nope, I can’t feel my fingers or toes any longer, but you can carry me back to the house,” she said with a wicked grin.

“Thought you’d never ask,” he chuckled.

Marcus helped her to her feet, then effortlessly picked her up and trudged through the snow back to the estate’s lights.

“You do this amazing well, Mr. Stirling,” she whispered, holding her frozen cheek against his while he walked.

“I did a tour during the winter season in Afghanistan. This snow is baby-level powder, nothing like those rugged mountains with multiple layers of ice underneath five feet of snow to trip a guy up. I had to carry about a hundred pounds of gear and weapons, so you feel as light as a feather.”

“That’s very romantic,” she quipped. “But hopefully, I’m a little lighter than gear and guns.”

“Absolutely, Caitey girl,” he said with a chuckle.

It was fun to make him laugh, and moments later, they entered the house through the back doors leading to the kitchen. The clock on the wall read just before midnight.

The place was empty, quiet, and clean. Not a speck of after-dinner dishes or pots and pans. Gus was thorough and spotless.

Nobody was in sight, even as Caitey held on to the back of Marcus’s coat while he peeked into the dark dining room and then the dusky drawing room. The wedding flowers still scented the air, but they were the only people still up at this hour.

Only a few dim night lights remained burning in the foyer, which would help them find their way to the staircase when they finally turned in for the night.

Back in the kitchen, Caitey found mugs and spoons. Chocolate chunks to crush while she filled a copper kettle with milk and lit the stove.

While waiting for the milk to boil, she raided the pantry for marshmallows and checked the fridge for cream.

“Aha!” she crowed softly. “Whipped cream in a bowl. I think Gus had a hunch. He told me that he keeps the pantry stocked with great hot cocoa fixings.”

When she laid everything on the table, she caught Marcus gazing at her, arms folded onto the table while his eyes followed her around the room.

“You’re making me nervous!” she accused as she held a hot pad over the kettle’s lid to keep it from spilling while pouring the heated milk into their mugs. Almost instantly, the chocolate chunks melted into the hot milk. “Stir,” she commanded.

Sinking into her seat next to him, they stared at each other while mixing the milk and dark chocolate.

“Now the marshmallows,” Caity said, dropping a mix of miniature and large fluffy white pieces onto the hot creamy milk. “And last but not least, the whipped cream!” she said dramatically, picking up a spoon to take a big scoop from the bowl and drop it on top of the steaming cocoa.

Immediately, the extra ingredients began to overflow.

“That’s our cue to drink fast !” she said, slurping at the edge of the mug and proceeding to burn the top of her lip. “Oh—ouch!” Hurriedly, she set down her mug while Marcus silently laughed at her antics.

“Let me blow on yours to cool it. I think my whipped cream already cooled mine,” he told her.

Caitey gazed into his face while he cooled her drink—careful not to cause any whipped cream to go flying—then took a simultaneous sip while gazing at one another.

They set down the super-sized mugs without speaking and leaned in for a kiss.

The chocolate taste on Marcus’s lips, combined with sweet cream, was sexy and intoxicating.

“Right now, I think I have everything I’ve always wanted,” Marcus said in a deep voice. He placed his hand against the back of Caitey’s head and tugged her closer while she slowly slid out of her seat to cuddle in his lap.

“I’m living inside a dream,” she murmured against his mouth. “This is so unreal and yet so magical. I never want to go back to real life.”

“The truth about magic is creating it one step at a time.”

“So, which step are we in?”

“Hmm,” he mused, giving her a sly smile. “Was it the first moment we saw each other, or was it the fantastic kisses in the snow, or is it drinking hot cocoa with whipped cream mustaches?”

“Are you saying I have a mustache?!” Caitey blurted out with a little cry of horror.

“Just a tiny one right there.” He leaned in and kissed it off her upper lip. “There are endless steps to the magic of love and life. And we create it every single day. Will you be my magic?”

“Oh, yes,” Caity whispered. “But first, you must promise to help me un-decorate this house and load up my car. Then I’ll know you really mean it.”

A burst of laughter came from Marcus’s throat. “I never know what you’ll say next, but I can do that. I can do anything. As long as you never accuse me of being a stalker ever again.”

“From now on, I’ll wave into the hidden cameras and pretend you’re my Prince Charming when you suddenly appear out of thin air watching me with your binoculars.”

“I think we can arrange that, sweetheart. Besides, those binoculars are magic ones. I see lots of beautiful things through them, especially one certain woman.”

Caitey shivered when he spoke the endearment. “I never thought our first encounter at the Coffee Loft in the village would end like this. It’s a little surreal.”

“It is, but you captivated me from the moment I first saw you driving in crazy circles around the house, trying to find a live person at home.”

“I was not driving in circles! And I’m never crazy. ”

“Everyone is a little crazy. But you are a ridiculously cute crazy. I think I’ll keep you.”

“And I think I’ll keep you, stalker dude. On one condition,” she said in a flirtatious tone.

He leaned in closer to grin at her. “Name it. Anything for you.”

“As long as I’m the only woman you see in your secret, hidden cameras. For the rest of our lives.”