One Silent Night (Romeo Family Romance #9) - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,51

darkly. “I’m lucky that you’re even speaking to me right now. I betrayed you.” His throat thickened, causing his words to come out raspy. “I’m sorry.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “So am I.”

He looked at the beautiful, accomplished woman sitting beside him. She was more than the love of his life. She’d been his closest friend—the one who knew him best. The tenderness in her mesmerizing eyes nearly caused his heart to melt. His hand went to her face as he traced the curve of her cheek, his thumb stroking her smooth, milky skin. “For years, I’ve prayed, asking God to help me find what you and I had together.” She blinked in surprise as he continued. “All I could do was hope that God would show me mercy, that He would give me a second chance. Pastor Charles says that if we’ll rend the veil of our unbelief and trust in God with all our hearts and go to Him with our problems, that we’ll be amazed at what He’ll be willing to do for us.” A low chuckle rose in his throat. “I didn’t dare to even dream that God would lead me back to the one thing I want most, more than all the world. You.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she laughed. “You sure know how to make a girl gush. You really are a silver-tongued devil.”

“I’m only speaking the truth,” he said firmly, peering into the depths of her compelling eyes. “I love you, Noe. I never stopped loving you. Even during those dark times, you were always there.”

A shaky laugh left her lips. “I thought we were gonna take things slow.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. Tenderly, he wiped them away.

“Could it ever be any other way with us, than what it is?” They’d crossed that divide long ago. The two of them were inseparably connected.

“No, I guess not.” She let out a sigh. “Thank you for telling me all of this.” A ghost of a smile passed over her lips. “While we’re laying everything out, I must confess that I’ve thought about you over the years. Losing you was my biggest regret.” A furrow dented her brows. “I was worried about coming home.” She nibbled on her lower lip, something she often did when she was nervous. He wondered how a woman could be so dang cute and so incredibly gorgeous at the same time. “I was worried about the old feelings resurfacing.” She laughed softly, her cheeks taking on a rosy hue. “A part of me even feared that maybe the feelings wouldn’t be there for either of us anymore—that you would have moved on.”

“Never,” he said vehemently. “It has always been you.”

Her eyes met his. “And it has always been you.”

A bubble of pleasure glowed over him. “You have no idea what it means to hear you say that.” He quoted one of his favorite Bible verses from Lamentations. “‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.’”

“Amen,” she uttered quietly.

The air sizzled with a new energy as their gazes locked. The need for her throbbed through his veins as he cupped her face with his hands. Her lips parted as his mouth took hers. Her lips were velvety soft, yet urgent, setting his entire body aflame. Her hands slipped around his neck, her fingers trailing up through his hair. He loved the feel of her touch. He loved her smell. He loved the softness of her hair as it brushed against him. Most of all, he loved the feeling of having her here with him.

When their lips pulled apart, they were both breathing hard. A cheeky grin played over his lips. “You know what I call that?”

“What?” she asked, her eyes kindling with a faint amusement.

“A touchdown!”

Delicate laughter pealed from her lips. “Always the coach.”

He fingered a tendril of her hair. She stroked his arm. Her touch was light and sensuous. “Hey, I almost forgot. There’s something I want to show you.”

A smile tipped her lips. “Okay, I’m game … I think.”

“You’ll love this.” He got up from the couch and reached for her hand to help her up. Linking his fingers through hers, he pulled her over to the Christmas tree. Many of the ornaments were handmade that had been kept over the years.

“Look,” Noelle cooed as she released Holden’s hand and caught hold of a candy cane made from a pipe cleaner and red and white beads. “I remember when