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Turning on Henry and I, she directs us to start getting the dinner out while she preps the area where she wants to pose Hannah and Oliver for photos.
Hours fly by with all the celebration throughout the evening and before we know it, we are all crowded around the large clock that hangs above the fireplace.
Together we count down the final seconds of the year. “Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Happy New Year!”
Henry pulls me into his embrace but doesn’t kiss me immediately. He touches my forehead with his and whispers, “Happy New Year, darling,” before closing the distance between us. I stifle a groan as he deepens our kiss, remembering that we are not alone.
I’m so ready for us to be alone.
I quickly devise a plan and put it into action immediately. As we exchange Happy New Year’s with everyone, I yawn twice.
Then we all go to our phones to check the incoming messages from friends and family. I call my mom, even though she still has hours before the new year arrives for her. “Happy New Year, Mom,” I yell into the phone.
She laughs, “Happy almost New Year to you too, sweetie! Are you having a nice night?”
“I am, I’ll send you some photos from the proposal,” I offer.
“Yes, please send them over.”
My phone beeps in my ear, and I pull it away and notice Ellie is calling.
“Mom, I gotta go. Ellie is calling, but call me tomorrow.”
“I will. Goodnight, Lucy.”
“Night, Mom.”
Swiping my finger across the phone, I can hear Ellie yelling before I bring it to my ear. “Happy New Year, Lucy! How’s the future?”
I laugh, “It’s exceptional, Ellie. The only thing missing is you.”
“That sounds about right,” she agrees. “All right, well, I’m in the middle of making our snacks for the family, so I gotta go, butHappy New Year!”
“Thanks, Ellie. Happy New Year to you too!”
And then, with an “Okay,bye,” she hangs up.
As I return to the group, I feign a large yawn, covering my mouth for everyone to see. Henry picks up on it quickly and plays directly into my master plan. “Well, I’m sure you all plan to party for a few more hours, but I think it’s time for us to call it a night.” He squeezes my hand, but little does he know what’s waiting for him once we are alone.
We say our goodnights and head back to our room.
I close the door behind me and stalk up behind him as he strips out of his suit jacket. “Hello, there.”
He turns with a sharp inhale, “I thought you were tired…”
“Well, that’s what I wanted them to think. I just wanted to ring in the new year with you…alone…in the shower.”
His eyes grow wide. “Who knew you were such a skilled actress?” He kneels in front of me and begins to pull down the zippers on my boots, guiding my legs free while his strong hands wrap around my calves. As he rises, he tucks his hands under my dress and pulls it up over my head. It’s my turn to even us out—he is still wearing far too much clothing…for a shower.
Once we have stripped each other bare, he takes my hand and walks me to the shower door. He walks in to start the water but instructs me to wait. The room begins to fill with steam as he tucks me against his body, with his arms behind my back. Following his lead, I nuzzle into him.
His touch creates an electric buzz throughout my body when he looks into my eyes and says, “I want you to know something, Lucy. You have changed me, so very completely, much more than I could have imagined the night we met in that coffee shop. Each moment in your presence, whether I knew it or not, altered who I am. No longer the content man who sought out companionship at arm’s length.” His brows furrow, and he looks away briefly, then smiles at me.
“Now, I want nothing but to be by your side each and every day. To live as those fictional men do from Jane Austen’s stories, breathing only for my one true love.” He grins. “Even before I got the director role, I stopped caring about this movie weeks ago. Suddenly, after years of wanting that film, I knew it meant nothing if I didn’t have you in my life.”
My breath catches as I have to fight back the tears that pool in my eyes at his confession. He holds my chin gentlyin his hand, rubbing his thumb across my cheek, “Lucy, I love you.” The words sound more like a promise than a statement.
If only I could come up with something half as romantic as his declaration, but all that comes out is, “I love you too, Henry,” I answer as my voice cracks.
