Page 42 of Double Shot
“What was that for?” I asked with a giggle.
“We’ll see,” he said and pulled the string on the top. It fell open, and the paper fell away and he plucked both string and paper from the box and set them aside on the counter.
He chuckled and opened the box and then laughed.
“Only Lach,” he said, “would buy a pair of shoes for a one-legged man. What’s this?” he plucked a card from between the shoes and opened it, snorting and muttering, “Bloody wanker.”
I took the card, grinning at the smile that painted my lover’s lips and asked, “What is it?”
It was a gift card to the spa Kyle had gone into and written in Kyle’s messy handwriting above it? “Half off a spa pedicure, buddy. You’ve earned it.”
I read it out loud and Roan laughed as though my reading it out loud somehow made it even funnier.
I couldn’t help it, I had to laugh too.
“Thank you,” Roan said. “The both of you.”
“I saved the best for last,” I murmured, sweeping the box from the antique store into my hands. I was suddenly nervous, capturing my bottom lip between my teeth and taking a deep breath. I handed it to him.
He looked at me curiously and took the box. Quirking an eyebrow, he lifted the hinged lid.
We’d stopped by an engraver on the way back to the hotel and had a little silver tag engraved and fastened above the watch itself, sort of a key chain for it, only much smaller, riding on the watch chain. Roan read it out loud.
“No more lost time…”
He took in a deep breath and held it, his jaw tightening, eyes misting with emotion. I hadn’t expected it to makethatmuchof an impact.
He stared at the time piece for a long time and I grew nervous.
“Is it… is it okay?” I asked.
He looked at me and nodded slowly, setting it aside.
“It’s wonderful, Poppet.”
“I saw it in an antique store window and it was calling your name,” I murmured. “It’s from World War II.”
“Yes, I know,” he said with a smile that was borderline brittle.
I gave him a tremulous smile back, and he reached for me. I went willingly,eagerlyinto his arms where he held me tight for long minutes, breathing in the scent from my hair, and kissing me soundly on the top of my head a time or two.
“What would you like to do now?” I asked quietly, and he leaned back to look at me and said, “Right now? I would quite like to go back to this morning,” he said, and I smiled.
“I’d like that, too.”
So that’s what we did – we went to the bedroom, and we got into bed. I slipped from the robe and left it behind and we resumed our positions from earlier in the day, me nude and pressed against Conan tightly in his borrowed clothes from Lachlan.
“Personal shoppers didn’t pull through for you huh?” I asked, plucking at the rib knit tank top.
He chuckled and said, “Personal tailoring takes time, Poppet. The clothing will be delivered before we check out.”
“Mm,” I murmured and turned my face up to his.
He didn’t hesitate, his fingertips brushing my chin, his mouth covering mine.
We kissed slowly, sweetly, and I closed my eyes, sighing out.
All too soon, we were back in the position we had found ourselves in that morning and I couldfeelhis hesitation.
