Page 96 of Santa Baby

“We’re not going home. Not just yet. I have something I want to show you.”

“What is it?”

Ignoring the cold bite in the air, he led me down the snowy sidewalk, through the glittering lights of the city, where total strangers cheered and rained congratulations down on us as we rushed past. He pulled me into the lobby of a high rise overlooking Central Park, where we rode up to the twenty-fourth floor and stepped out into a private lobby.

“What is this?” I asked. Then I noticed the engraved glass-paned doors. My mouth popped open as I turned to him. “You didn’t.”

“I did.” He pushed open one of the doors and led me inside a wide, open, unfinished space. “This is your new studio and planning space.”

I gasped as I looked around. “Mason.”

“I was thinking you could set up your studio here, in this corner. You have half of the floor, so there’s plenty of space. We could put up a few walls so you could do different themes, and then this—” He jogged to the far side, motioning with his hands. “Your office, with a view of the park.”

Tears of shock and joy stung my eyes.

“And over here, some other small offices, or an open floor plan with some desks. A conference room. What do you think?”

“You did this for me?” I asked, barely able to speak through the emotions welling up inside me.

“You have no space in your office at home. Your photography business needs this. You needed a real studio and you were so busy with all the events you were managing right before our wedding.” He took my hands, rambling. “You can hire a few assistants to help with event planning now and focus on photography if you want to. Your options are open. I just—I wanted to give you something that was yours, your own space.”

“The twenty-fourth floor?”

“For Christmas, of course.”

I’d never felt so loved and seen in my life.

I’d started my little business a few months ago. Sure, I’d continued taking pictures. I shot several weddings this summer, refusing Mason’s financial help until I had a firm business plan. When the seasons changed, I was ready. I had a few clients already who wanted my help with their holiday parties and galas. But I did everything out of one of the bedrooms in our brownstone, which ended up cluttered and bursting by the seams by the time our wedding rolled around.

We’d walked by this very building earlier this year and I’d mentioned how incredible it would be to have an office overlooking the park. I hadn’t thought Mason was listening at the time. I didn’t even think I’d said the dream out loud, but here it was.

Mason walked away and returned with a bottle of champagne and two flutes. We sat on the floor and watched the New York City skyline twinkle all around us, sipping champagne, talking about our dreams for the future.

A future together, forever, and ever, and ever…

“I love you,” I told him, knitting his fingers in mine.

He brushed a kiss over my knuckles, over the wedding band now taking up real estate below my engagement ring. “I love you.”

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“Do you want to go home?”

I nodded, and together we walked back out onto the street, hailing a taxi. Mason had to stuff my dress inside, which would no doubt make the ladies at Vivaldi’s squirm if they found out. But soon, we were walking into our house, which was decorated with fresh flowers and cards of not only congratulations but Christmas wishes.

He helped me out of the dress, taking a moment to run his fingers over my skin as I slipped out of it, and before I knew it, we were curled up in bed together, breathing heavy, my fingers interlaced with his as I pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Merry Christmas,” I whispered as he fell asleep with his arms around me.

I woke to fresh snow the next morning, while Mason made coffee. I hurried to gather the gifts we’d be bringing to his family and mine, and caught sight of him in the kitchen looking relaxed and unruffled.

Home. This was home. Not this house or this city. But him.

“What are you doing?” He chuckled over the rim of his favorite coffee mug—his Christmas present from me last year.

I raised the camera to my face and took a few pictures of him, smiling behind the lens.

He walked toward me, setting his coffee down as he gently took the camera from me and turned it to face me instead.