Page 63 of Easton’s Claim

“Did I mention that your big present is there waiting to be unwrapped?”

She sat up immediately. “It is? Why didn’t you say so?”

They said goodnight to the others and headed outside into the cold night air. Easton slid an arm around her waist, his hold possessive as they made the short walk over to the cabin. It was dark inside, the air smelling of the fir tree they’d bought yesterday to decorate.

“Stay here for a bit and close your eyes,” he told her when he shut the front door behind them, locking out the cold and the rest of the world.

Piper smiled to herself and did as she was told. This had already been the most magical Christmas she’d ever had. She couldn’t imagine anything topping it.

“Okay, come in,” he called a few minutes later.

She stepped through the living room doorway and a delighted smile broke over her face. He’d turned on the lights on the decorated tree in the corner, and lit a fire in the grate. Flames crackled and popped, throwing a warm orange-yellow glow throughout the room.

When she moved closer, she saw the rest of what he’d done and her heart turned over. A thick quilt was laid out on the old, wide floorboards in front of the hearth, and topped with fluffy pillows for them to lounge on. He’d put a bottle of white wine in a bucket of ice to chill, and there was a plate of little bite-sized chocolate treats next to it.

“Brownies?” she asked.

“Your recipe. I made them myself last night in the house after you went to bed, so I could surprise you.”

He was so sweet. “And you saved this many? Now I’m even more impressed.”

“Ha ha. Stop mocking me and come down here,” he said, holding out a hand.

She curled her fingers around his and let him draw her down to sit beside him on the quilt. With a little grin of anticipation on his lips he picked up a bite of brownie and brought it to her mouth. She took it from his fingers, the rich, decadent flavor bursting on her tongue.Mmmmm.“I don’t even know how I have room for that, but oh my God, so good,” she said.

He hummed in agreement and helped himself to one, then hooked an arm around her waist from behind and dragged her into his lap. She could feel his erection pressing against her bottom, and the thought of making love with him here in front of the fire had her blood heating.

To her, the setting was unbelievably romantic, and that he’d gone to such trouble touched her. She’d never known love could feel this way—all-consuming and yet painful at the same time. Easton owned every bit of her heart. If anything happened to him, she didn’t know if she’d survive it.

The thought made her chest constrict. She curled into him, turned to wrap both arms around his shoulders and hold on tight, burying her face in his neck so she could breathe him in.

“Hey,” he said, running a hand up and down her back, his strong arms surrounding her. “What’s wrong?”

“I love you so much it hurts.”

He pulled her away from him and shifted to roll her onto her back, coming down on top of her a moment later. His grin was sexy yet devilish as he stared down at her. “Love you the same way, sweetness.”

She melted under him as he kissed her long and slow, relishing the feel of his hard, heavy body atop hers. Just as her insides began to hum with need, he stopped and rolled off her.

“You can’t offer me my present like that and then just take it away,” she protested.

A low chuckle rumbled from the depths of his chest. “That was part two of your present. Part one is waiting over here,” he said, grasping her hands and pulling her into a sitting position before pointing at the tree.

It was then she noticed the end of a red satin ribbon lying on the floor. He picked it up and handed it to her, and she realized it was woven through the branches. “Time to unwrap your first present,” he said, leaning in to kiss her once more. “You can unwrap me afterward.”

Her lips quirked and she began unwinding the length of ribbon through the branches. He’d really gone to town with it, twining it around every single branch in a complex tangle that quickly began to annoy her until she saw something sparkling deep within the branches next to the trunk.

Her breath caught and she stuck her head into the tree to get a better look, heart pounding. “Oh my God, Easton…” Her throat closed up as she reached out a trembling hand for the diamond ring tied there. She tugged on the little bow to untie it, then pulled out of the tree to face him.

He was on one knee in front of her, a tender smile on his lips. He took the ring from her and gathered her left hand in his, his velvet-brown eyes gazing up at her with complete love and devotion. “Will you marry me, Piper?”

A strangled sound came out of her, half laugh, half sob. She went to her knees in front of him, threw her arms around his neck and squeezed tight. “Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you. I wouldloveto marry you.”

He chuckled deep in his chest, hugging her in return, then eased her back to slide the ring on her finger. Her cheeks were wet but she didn’t know when she’d started crying. He wiped the tears away, gave her an adoring smile. “Know what this means?”

She looked up from the sparkling diamond and into his eyes. “That I’m finally going to be an actual Colebrook, officially?”

“Well yeah, that too.” His eyes heated, the possessive light there making her heart flutter. “More importantly, it means you’re going to be mine forever. And that I’m going to love you for the rest of my life.”

“You have no idea how much that works for me.” She reached for the top button of his shirt. “Time to unwrap my best present now,” she whispered, and leaned in to kiss that sexy, smiling mouth.

—The End—