Page 41 of Double Shot
“Come here,” he murmured soothingly, and I did. I went to him and he twisted on his stool and wrapped me up tight in his arms. All the cracks I had carefully tried to shore up in my façade widened and my heart came pouring out my eyes.
Damnit.
“Shh, I’ve got you now, eh, love? I’m here.”
“I know, but when I wrote those—”
“Shhh, I know,” he whispered into my hair.
“Everything okay?” Kyle asked carefully, coming back out from the bedroom.
“Aye, we’re good, mate.”
“Good deal,” he said and sounded relieved. “I’m going to head down to the bar and handle some business shit.”
I felt Conan nod.
“Be careful,” I said, sniffing and turning my face so I could see him. “I love you.”
He smiled at that.
“I love you, too,” he said, and he nodded to Conan. “Same to you, bro. Just shoot me a text whenever I’m good to come back. I don’t hear from you by last call or whatever, I’ll get a different room.”
“You haven’t heard from us by last call, mate, just come back here,” Roan said and I nodded emphatically.
“I don’t want you in another room,” I said.
“Agreed,” Roan said.
“You got it,” Kyle shot back with a solemn nod before he dragged open the door to the hall and disappeared through it.
“What’s all this now?” Conan asked, jerking his head in the direction of the shopping bags and their parcels. I smiled.
“Presents for you,” I said simply.
He smiled genuinely and kissing my forehead said, “Go wash your face, Poppet. I’ll wait for you to get back, yeah?”
I nodded, and I went to wash the makeup off my face and to slip into one of the hotel’s satin monogrammed bath robes. When I returned, he had the parcels out of the bags and lined up waiting.
“You didn’t peek now, did you?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he murmured, and I went to stand next to him. His hand automatically went to my hip, his arm around my back.
“Where should I start?” he asked.
“Well, this is from Kyle,” I said, touching the brown paper wrapped shoebox.
“And this?” he asked, touching the counter in front of the slim, flat, navy blue box with silver lettering that held his tie and kerchief.
“Me,” I said.
He slipped that one off the counter and I smiled at him, excited for him to open it. He lifted the lid.
“Oh my,” he said. “Now that’s a sight.” He smiled in appreciation.
“You really like it?” I asked.
“Aye,” he said quietly and looked at me and those eyes of his, something was slightly thawed in them. I smiled, warmed to my toes, and he sighed, picking up Kyle’s package.
