Gift Wrapped (17 page)

His smile further melted her resolve. “Open it and see.”

Sighing, she traced the perimeter of the shiny red box. “This is very fancy.”

“Presentation, babe.”

Of course. Even when he served up scrambled eggs or a simple sandwich, he did it with style. Ketchup in a little bowl on the side, rather than simply putting the bottle on the table. Pickles pared to resemble palm trees the day she’d wished out loud for them to be on a tropical island instead of watching snow pile up mercilessly.

She wiggled the top upward until it popped free of its rigid base. “Fortune cookies?”

“Yeah. One for each day you’re still here.” He poked at the novelties, turning them over in place. “There’s number one. Open it.”

“Okay…” She picked up the cookie marked with a red
1
and broke it open. Crumbs floated down, into the box. She grasped the end of the enclosed strip and pulled gently.

Spend the next ten days with me.

“How did you do this?”

“Right-handed. Wanted you to be able to read it.”

“Smartass,” she said, nudging him with her arm.

He caught her elbow, relieved her of the box and broken cookie, then pulled her closer. Her other arm stuck up from between their chests, the handwritten message pinched tightly between her thumb and index finger.

“I made the cookies. And the fortunes.”

That covered the
how
. “Why?”

“I thought you’d like them. At your parents’ on Christmas Day, you got so much enjoyment out of the party crackers. The way you jumped when they snapped, even though you knew it would happen. How excited you were to read the fortunes inside, your genuine attempts to make them relevant to real life. Babe, I could’ve watched you pop those crackers open all day.”

To hear him say things like that…gah. Did he have any idea how sweet he was?

“And the night at your apartment when you insisted we order Chinese instead of going out to buy groceries for your barren refrigerator. You couldn’t wait to bust into those fortune cookies. You blushed so hard when you read yours, but you didn’t want to tell me what it said.”

“It was embarrassing.”
You will marry your lover
, it had read.

“Only because you believe there’s truth in the things.”

“And you knew that,” she whispered. “That’s why I didn’t want you to see it.”

“Do you still believe the fortunes come true?”

The correct answer here was
no
. “I think fate might have a hand in them. It’s not impossible.”

“So fucking sweet.” His sexy grin ruined her for all other potential smiling suitors. “Then give fate the credit for the one you’re holding, Brinn. You’re here for ten more days. Spend them with me. No more stupid misunderstandings or premature goodbyes. What do you say?”

If she said yes, he’d break her heart. Wide open, with jagged pieces spinning out in all directions. Not intentionally or maliciously, but he’d do it, nonetheless. There’d be so many chinks when she tried piecing it back together, it would never be the same. Stay firm with the goodbye she’d said earlier, that’s what she needed to do.

“Yes. I say yes.”

* * * * *

“Can I open today’s cookie now?” Brinn smiled at him with glistening, deep-pink lips. “Pretty please?”

“I see how it is. Take advantage of me first thing in the morning, then hit me up for whatever you want, knowing I’ll be powerless to resist you.”

“Powerless to resist me? In that case, I’m rethinking my request. I’m sure I can ask for something bigger than a fortune cookie.”

“Ask away, babe.” He wrapped his arms around her after she crawled up and snuggled in at his side. “If it’s within my means, the answer is yes.”

“Wow. That must have been the best blowjob ever.”

“Going with a yes on that.” He’d woken to the sensation of Brinn’s weight on his chest, then her tight pussy sinking onto his morning wood.

Either she’d just had one hell of an erotic dream, or she’d played with herself before she climbed on top, because it took her all of about sixty seconds to come—and come hard. Then she’d slid down his body and finished him off with her mouth. Between sucks and licks, she’d told him she could taste herself on his cock, and how much it turned her on. So fucking hot.

Luckily, they’d both had recent checkups, and no sexual partners since. He always wore condoms. Always. Even when a woman said she was on the Pill. Until Brinn. He’d been totally on board when she suggested foregoing the latex for the duration of their time together. Yet another of his personal rules broken where she was concerned. And he didn’t regret a single one.

“Did you think of something bigger than the fortune cookie?” he asked, pressing his lips to the top of her head. He’d learned to control the visibility of his emotions a long time ago. Right now, it took every ounce of that control to keep his heart rate at a normal pace. He’d basically given her carte blanche.

She propped up on her elbow and looked down at his face. “Aren’t you afraid of what I might ask for?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“All right. I want…” She worried her bottom lip between her teeth before letting it slide free, along with the rest of her request. “To know more about you.”

“What do you want to know?” If he thought about her practically every waking minute? If he loved her?

“It’s a big question. You might not want to answer.”

“Only one way to find out.” This is what he wanted—for Brinn to put the pressure on, give him an excuse to admit the depth of his feelings.

“Okay…” She traced his collarbone with a light touch, focusing on her fingers and his skin beneath them as she spoke. “Are you where you want to be? In life, I mean.”

“Not the question I was expecting.”

Her gaze lifted. She remained silent, but emotion filled her eyes. Ah. She
had
asked the question he’d expected—just indirectly.

So he’d answer it. “I like where my life’s at right now.” He caught the wavy section of dirty-blonde hair that’d fallen over her shoulder and tucked it behind her ear. “If things stayed the way they are today, this very minute, I’d be pretty damn content.”

“I don’t think spending the rest of your life naked in bed is a realistic option.”

“Naked and in bed
with you
,” he said, cupping the back of her neck and gently tugging her on top of him.

“Even less realistic. Unless we win the lottery in that fantasy world of yours.”

“How about getting an inheritance? My grandfather’s in his eighties. I could get that call any day.”

She pushed up from his chest, staring at with wide-open eyes. “Seriously? That could happen?”

“Yeah. I don’t know exactly how much it’ll be, but he built one of the most successful law firms in the country from scratch, so I’m sure it’ll be a lot. Enough for us to stay naked in bed for several years, at least.”

She nudged him—and not in an affectionate or amused way—then shifted back to her position along his side. “I wasn’t asking about the money, Davis. I was referring to your grandfather being on death’s door. Was he sick the last time you saw him?”

He should’ve known she’d home in on the family connection, not the impending windfall. “No, he wasn’t sick. Gramps was in better health than most men half his age. I’m sure I would’ve heard if that had changed.”

“How long has it been since you saw your family?”

“Six thorn-in-my-side-free years.”

“You don’t really feel that way,” she said in a voice as soft as her silky skin.

“You can’t understand it because you could never feel that way about your family. Like I told you before, my family’s nothing like yours.”

“I’m not arguing that point. And I know the unhappiness you experienced for so many years is very real. But I don’t believe you’ve hardened your heart where your family is concerned. Not entirely, anyway.”

Oh man, the way she was looking at him, as if she were seeing right through him. Yeah, he’d kind of wanted an excuse to spill his guts. About his feelings for
her
, not about this. Yet he was the one who’d mentioned his family in the first place. Now he was trapped between a beautiful blonde and a box of old ghosts. Shit.

She leaned in and kissed him. Not a sexy kiss, but an intimate one. Tender. Deep. The kind that lingered, even after she’d pulled away. Her perfect touch graced his head, further diffusing his fight-or-flight impulse. “If you didn’t care at all, you would’ve stuck with ‘my grandfather’ or maybe even something less personal. But you referred to him as Gramps.”

“Old habit.”

“Ever think about calling him? Maybe start a new habit?”

Yeah, he thought about it from time to time. Self-preservation always kicked in before he made the mistake of completing the call. “I know you think it’s a good idea. One that’ll have a movie-of-the-week ending where I reunite with my family and everybody lives in harmony. That’s not going to happen, Brinn. Don’t look for a happily ever after where there’ll never be one.”

“Okay,” she whispered, withdrawing her hands from his skin.

“Fuck, I didn’t mean to raise my voice. Not to you. Not ever to you.” He scooped her closer, then rolled their bodies so he was on top, pinning her beneath him. “I wish every real-life story got a happy ending. Especially mine, now that you’re in it.”

“Some wishes come true, you know.”

He had to laugh, even though it spoiled the moment. He kissed the crease that’d formed between her eyebrows and freed her from the cage of his body. “Go get today’s fortune cookie.”

Still giving him the side-eye at his ill-timed burst of laughter, she shuffled to the edge of the bed. Sexy ass swaying, she crossed the room to his dresser, where she’d left the remaining fortune cookies in a tidy row.

He patted the empty space where her body should be. “Bring it over here and open it.”

His good girl obeyed, sliding into place beside him and cracking the cookie in two.

“I’ll take care of this mess,” he said, using his tongue to clean the crumbs that’d fluttered down to her breasts. As much as he wanted to linger, he resisted. He needed to see her face when she read the fortune he’d written seven days ago.

“
Some wishes come true.
Oh my god, Davis…I can’t believe this.”

“Pretty coincidental.”

“See, I’m turning you into a believer.” She smiled, and it could’ve lit up the city, it was so damn beautiful and bright. “Coincidence is just a hop, skip and jump from fate.”

Chapter Ten

Davis checked the dish in the oven. Baked ziti with chorizo and spinach—looking as good as it smelled. Salad and fresh bread were ready to go. The layered panna cotta he’d made for dessert was waiting in the fridge. The kitchen was clean and the wine was breathing. Everything would be ready when Brinn got home from her last day of work.

When Brinn got home.
The thought came so automatically. Not surprisingly, though. He’d spent almost every night with her over the past month, sometimes at her apartment, but mostly here, in his home. She fit here. In his house, in his life. But tonight might be the last of their time together. He’d know soon enough.

He set two places on the corner of the breakfast bar. More intimate than sitting across from each another. This way, their knees touched, their arms brushed, and he had a close-up view of her enjoyment of the meal.

Seeing people appreciate his food had always given him a kick. With Brinn, it’d become an addiction. He craved her reactions. The way her big eyes would widen when she tasted whatever it was he’d prepared. The sight of her sexy lips moving as she chewed. And the sounds she made—fuck. Sometimes he thought she might be on the verge of coming.

Cooking for her had reignited his passion in the kitchen. The fact that he routinely had
her
as his personal appetizer and dessert in this room didn’t hurt either. If she left tomorrow, as planned, his kitchen would never be the same.

He placed the tenth and final fortune cookie on her plate. She’d loved his messages so far. Her face lit up each time she’d read one. Sometimes she’d giggled. Sometimes she’d gotten quiet and the tip of her nose had gone pink.

The tenth fortune required an answer. They’d grown to know each other pretty well, yet he honestly didn’t know what she’d say when she read tonight’s message.

A
tap tap
on the front door preceded a gust of cold air that accompanied her inside. No point in chastising her for the soft knock. At least she’d walked in, instead of waiting outside. Even that had taken some convincing on his part.

“Hey, babe.” In a couple strides he was behind her, helping her out of her jacket. “How was today?”

“Good. Slow for business, but busy with getting everything in order for whoever they bring in to manage that store. My assistant is good, but she’s not ready to run the show.”

“Nobody’s going to be as good as you.” He hugged her from behind, nuzzling her soft hair before tucking it aside for access to her neck. Subtle fragrance filled his nose, and head. “You’re wearing the perfume I bought you. I thought that was against your rules at work.”

“It is.” She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was a bad girl and broke the rules.” She pressed her sweet curves against his body and whispered in his ear, “Good thing I didn’t get caught.”

Blood diverted from the brain in his head to the one in his pants. “Incorrect. You did get caught—by me.”

“And are you going to write me up, or let me off with an oral reprimand?”

“Oh, there’s going to be oral. But it’s going to
get
you off, not let you off.”

She gasped as he swept her off the floor, into his arms. She snuggled against his chest for the short trip to the bedroom, another soft gasp escaping when he set her on top of his bed. “It’s so beautiful in here…”

“It is now,” he said, crouching before her as she took in the dozens of burning candles and vases with single red roses he’d placed around the room. He reached for the remote on the nightstand and hit the
play
button.