“I had a wonderful family for a short while. Then I lost it. Now I have a piece of that family back. I don’t want to lose it. I want to embrace it and cherish it.”
I hear him sigh as he moves behind me to wrap his arms around me. He settles his head on my shoulder as we both stare out the window.
“It makes me uncomfortable to have them here on a day when all I want to do is let my guard down and be with you. I can’t be off when they are here.”
I nod, understanding what he is saying. Even though we are allies, you never know when that could change. You never want them to see your soft spots.
I look at him in the reflection.
“You’ll try? For me?” I ask.
I feel his breath against the skin of my neck as he speaks, “Of course I will. I’d do anything for you, you know that.”
“I would never ask you to do something that you didn’t want to do if it wasn’t important to me, Kai. I know you don’t like this, but it will be good for us. It will strengthen that bond,” I plead for him to understand.
He kisses my neck once. “It will. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I didn’t want to do this. I do. I promise.”
I give him a small smile. “You know…it is Christmas…we could exchange our gifts now instead of waiting until everyone leaves tonight.”
Kai hums. “Let me go grab your gift from my office.”
He pulls away. As soon as he’s out of the room, I walk over to the tree. Kneeling, I reach for the gift box in the very back and set it on my lap.
“Why are you on the floor?” he asks when he walks back into the room with a gift bag and a large box.
“Because I can.” I shrug. “Come sit.” I pat the floor next to me.
Kai does as I ask and slides the gift bag and box over to me.
“Open it,” he demands.
Somehow I manage to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
Men.
He’s always so growly and demanding. I might act like I hate it, but I really do love it.
Slowly, I remove the tissue paper from the top of the gift bag before reaching in. I feel several different sized boxes on the inside.
One by one, I pull them out and see they are all individually wrapped. I start with the smallest box first. Inside is a pair of gorgeous black diamond studs. Something I would never buy myself.
“I love these,” I say as I lightly touch them.
“I’m glad you approve.”
Setting the earrings down, I unwrap the other gifts. He got me the latest upgrade to my phone, an Irish family crest to hang, and the new kitchen mixer I’d been eyeing but hadn’t brought myself to buy. It’s industrial sized and heavier than I can lift, but it’s perfect for the goodies I enjoy baking for the guys.
Pushing the mixer aside, I get onto my knees and lean forward. Kai grabs me by the back of the neck and kisses me.
“Thank you. I love all of them,” I tell him when he pulls away.
“You’re welcome.”
I move back and hand him his present. “Open it.”
Kai raises a brow. “You seem eager.”
“I am.”
