Page 69 of Willowbrooke
“We could just stay out here,” I murmured, placing soft kisses along his jaw. I didn’t want to move. I wanted him right where he was.
“Santa won’t come if we sleep in the living room.” Leo managed to unwind my arm from around him, and took my wineglass from me.
I narrowed my eyes at Leo. We’d discussed this weeks ago. “Santa better not be coming, because we agreed no presents,” I threatened.
Leo chuckled. “I feel like I should make some kind of innuendo about our precise use of words.”
“Leo…” I warned.
He sighed, removing himself from beneath me as he stood. “Come to bed.”
“You promised,” I pouted. I hadn’t gotten him anything. And I knew whatever he had done would be over the top and expensive, and something I had no chance of reciprocating, even if I had bought him a gift.
“It’s not what you think.” He extended his hand and helped me from the couch, then led me down the hall to the bedroom.
My brow furrowed as I tried to parse his words.
“Don’t be upset all night,” he whispered before kissing me again, then tugging my shirt over my head. “Give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“Leo…” But the indignance in my voice turned into a moan when his fingers slipped below the elastic of my panties.
He was distracting me.
I wasn’t strong enough to argue when I wanted to give in so badly.
Skin against skin, any lingering anger or annoyance with Leo for definitely going back on our deal left me as his body rocked against me. The building climax between us was enough to make anyone forget themselves.
I fell asleep to whispered vows of love and adoration, tucked into Leo’s side, cozy under the covers.
Waking up the next morning, I sighed, feeling the emptiness of Leo’s side of the bed. I had hoped for a slow, sleepy lovemaking session before breakfast. But the smell of strong coffee permeating the closed bedroom door dashed that plan.
I threw on Leo’s discarded sweatshirt from the day before, hoping that I might still be able to persuade him to come back to bed with my bare legs, a trick that usually worked.
Hearing Leo rummaging around in the storage room behind the kitchen, I glanced at the tree, letting out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was still empty. But I had been too quick to jump to conclusions, because as I turned back to the kitchen, there was a blue velvet box sitting on the counter.
My heart skipped a beat. My thoughts ran a mile aminute.
It was too soon.
Wasn’t it?
Did I want a ring?
A proposal?
What would Mina think?
What would my family say?
But as I approached, I realized the box was too big—or at least larger than a typical ring box, but perhaps too small for a necklace. Shit—a bracelet.
More thoughts raced through my mind.
How much had he spent?
Would I even be able to wear something so expensive?
I didn’t question his taste, but would I like it?
