Page 173 of Secrets and Lies
Even after all these years together, I still get a little thrill every time I see him, and I’m reminded of just how gorgeous he is, even if it’s only been a few hours since the last time we saw each other.
“Babe?” I ask, still hovering in the doorway.
He holds out his hand, and I hurry over to him, almost tripping over my feet in my haste to cross the room.
He’s smiling affectionately when I reach him, and his grip is tight when I take his offered hand.
“You’re late,” he teases before pulling me in for a kiss.
“Sorry,” I start, but I’m quickly silenced when he kisses me again, this one long and deep and so sensual my head is spinning when he finally pulls away.
“Strike two.”
“Two?” I ask, a bit dazed from that kiss. “When was strike one?”
“Three days ago.” He drops another kiss against my lips. “When you were late getting home after work.”
I’m about to argue that I was only late because of traffic, but I manage to stop myself before I can start.
I only got stuck in traffic because I left late, and this doesn’t really seem like the time to argue semantics.
“What’s all this?” I ask instead.
“Your surprise.”
“My surprise?” I blink at him. “But it’syourbirthday.”
“I know.” He grins.
“So wouldn’t that mean that all of the surprises today should be for you?”
“You’d think so.” He gently runs his thumb over the back of my knuckles. “But I guess you could say that this surprise is for both of us.”
I bite my lip so I don’t start peppering him with questions and let him finish.
“I have three questions for you.”
“What are they?” I ask before I can stop myself.
So much for letting him talk.
Ant lifts my hand and presses a kiss against the back of it, and something inside me melts a bit.
Anthony isn’t the most demonstratively romantic person, but that’s never been an issue. He’s not into flowery words or grand gestures, but he shows me how much he loves me in so many little ways that I’ve never wanted more.
He takes care of me, but more than that, he supports me and constantly makes me feel seen and cherished. And right now, I could melt into a puddle at his feet from how out of the ordinary a gesture like this is.
“First question,” he says, his voice soft and a little sultry. “Are you happy?”
“Happier than I’ve ever been,” I say truthfully, my voice a bit thick as I’m hit with a wall of emotion.
“Do I make you happy?” he asks.
“Obviously,” I say with a grin, some of my nervous energy getting the better of me.
He smiles, but I can see the seriousness in his eyes, and I try to rein in my nerves so I don’t ruin the mood or mess things up.
“You make me happier than I’ve ever been,” I repeat so he knows how much I mean it.
