He looked down at her. “I have an extra bedroom. She’s welcome to stay there, too.”

Her heart soared with so much love she didn’t know what to do with it all. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m not sure I deserve you. I’m kind of bitchy and mean.”

He shook his head. “You’re a beautiful dancer with a kind soul. You’re sexy and you’ve filled my world with laughter and love. I want you in my life, Stella.”

She lifted up on her toes and grasped his face between her hands. “I love you, Trick.”

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, a deep, powerful kiss that cemented the bond they’d made together. “I love you, too, Stella.”

As they left her apartment, she shut off the lights and stared at that tiny little Christmas tree. She couldn’t help but feel like she was leaving the past behind and creating a new beginning.

This was going to be the best holiday ever.

Epilogue

Stella was so grateful to have the Christmas break. And she’d needed every day of it so far. After giving notice to her apartment complex, she and Greta had packed up the place, put furniture into storage that Greta wanted to keep for her apartment, and moved the boxes and clothes into Trick’s place.

For a guy, Trick was unreasonably easy about her taking over his apartment. Greta wasn’t staying on a permanent basis, but Stella was.

It was a good thing his bedroom had large closets, because she had a lot of clothes.

And on top of trying to settle into living together, Stella had made a stupid suggestion to host a Christmas Eve party at the apartment. And even more foolishly, Trick had thought it was a great idea.

So now she was dressed in some slinky silver dress, her makeup done, high heels on, and she and Greta had already gone over the to-do list seemingly a hundred times. Since she sucked as a cook, they’d ordered food to be brought in, and they had ample alcohol, all of it set up in the kitchen.

The house was already perfectly decorated and the scent of cinnamon filled the air.

She dashed into the bedroom to take one last look at her hair, and she stopped to take in the sight of the man she loved finishing getting dressed.

He wore black slacks, his dark hair spilling over the collar of his white button-down shirt.

“I can’t get these damn cuffs buttoned. You have to have little kid fingers to button these things.”

She laughed and walked over. “Let me do it.” Within a few seconds, she had the cuffs buttoned, then took a step back to admire him.

“You look incredible.”

He slid an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her lips, the long, lingering kind that left her breathless. “No, you look incredible. I’m going to enjoy taking that dress off you later.”

She laid her palm on his chest. “Now there’s something for me to think about all night.”

His fingers drifted down her back, teasing her bare skin. “Or, we could get a head start . . .”

The doorbell rang, and she slid him a look of regret. “Our guests are arriving, so you hold that thought.”

Within the next hour the apartment was filled with their friends. Drew and Carolina came by, as well as several of the Travelers players who hadn’t yet left town for the holidays. A few people from her dance company were there as well, including her friend Lisa and Lisa’s husband, Louis. She was shocked as hell when her choreographer, Lawrence, and his boyfriend, Jonathan showed up. She’d invited everyone who wasn’t leaving town, including Lawrence, but never in her wildest imaginings did she expect Lawrence would show up. He never mingled with his cast.

Yet there he was, he and Jonathan deep in conversation with Drew and Trick about hockey, of all things. He was even laughing.

“We should take a picture of that,” Lisa said.

Stella put her arm around Lisa. “I know. He almost looks human.”

Lisa laughed.

The house was filled with the smell of Christmas, evergreen and eggnog and delicious food, and the warmth and laughter of new and old friends. For the first time in a very long time, Stella was relaxed.

And happy.

“I don’t know when I’ve seen you smile so much,” Carolina said later in the evening. The two of them sat on one of the corner sofas, staring out the window as snow flurries fell lightly from the sky.

Stella dragged her gaze away from the window to look at her friend. “I don’t know when I’ve been so happy. My sister is here with me, and all my friends. I have this amazing new home, a career I adore, and most importantly, I’ve fallen in love with the man of my dreams. I don’t know, Carolina. It almost seems . . .”