Page 117 of The Gift
I still had to tell the people I called friends, work mates, colleagues, and the whole goddamn country. Nope. Not freaking out at all.
Lennon told me to take a chill pill, and she promised she’d be with me every step of the way, even though she was there and I was here. And when Ashton appeared in our downstairs sitting room where Reno and I were watching a new reality ghost hunting show, I already knew what was in the garment bag slung over his shoulder.
“Lennon is sending you clothes, and I can’t?” he asks a little dramatically, but it doesn’t stop him coming over and passing the bag to Reno before straddling my hips and sucking on my neck. He laughs, each time he pulls away, to check on the size and colour of his hickey, before returning to do it again, and again. I gave up fighting after the first attempt. Instead, I let him do his best.
“You said I couldn’t buy you anymore gifts.” He pouts, coming in to kiss me slowly, now that he’s finished marking his claim on me.
“No, I said no more this week. Besides, if you get your huge ass off my lap and let me show you what it is, you’ll be phoning Lennon and sending her gifts. What time are we leaving for dinner?”
“We’re leaving at seven,” Reno says.
Ashton leaps off my lap and takes the bag back from Reno. “I’ll open for you. Sit there and recover. We’ve got nests to set up and trial before your next heat.”
I roll my eyes, not arguing with him, waving my hand on as if he needs any more encouragement. With typical Ashton flare, he opens the bag and pulls out the most breathtaking suit ever made. I remember when I sent a screenshot of the pale pink suit, and she admitted it was perfect. After we laughed about never needing it.
“Bailey girl, what is this? Please tell me your ass is going in those shorts.” His eyes are wide, no longer pissy, now they’re full of heat.
“It’s my coming out suit.”
“Coming out suit?”
“Reno, did we get a parrot?” I laugh, climbing to my feet to feel the delicate fabric that is as soft as I always knew it would be.
“Bailey, this is your coming out suit?” Reno looks as stunned as Ashton does.
“What? Don’t you like it?”
“Do you wear a trench coat with it? Is there a part missing?”
I hack a laugh at Ashton. The biggest flirt I know is suddenly nervous. “Nah, I’ve got a pack to protect me.”
“Bailey girl…” Ashton whines, but he’s distracted by the arrival of Koda and Henley, and he points at my new clothes.
“You’ll look gorgeous, good enough to eat,” Koda says.
“Yeah, well that’s the plan. What’s the problem, Ash?”
“The problem? I’ll be punching the fucking daylights out of anyone who looks at your ass. The Alliance, all the people you work with, the waiter, the President, I won’t be able to stop. You’ll be telling the world who you are and I’ll be acting like an asshole. We’ll go have a drink after, Reno will be dancing with you, and I’ll be punching shits left, right, and centre instead of watching your ass in those shorts.”
“No, you won’t. Besides, I have a plan. I thought I’d wear something similar to dinner tonight, to you know, ease you into how good I’ll look,” I giggle, turning around to look at him, surprised by the seriousness of his expression.
“You’d do that for me, Bailey girl?”
“Without a doubt.”
Ashton spins away and walks to the atrium. The first few plants and trees we’ve ordered have started to arrive and are sitting to one side. He’s deep in thought, like he’s really wondering if what he described will happen. I thought he was being dramatic, but maybe he wasn’t.
My hand rubs over his shoulder, and he raises his arm so I can slide my arm around his waist and get a snuggle in.
“Ashton, I won’t wear it.”
“Nah, bullshit, Bailey girl, you will wear it. We might have to fuck a few times before we leave. It threw me, like I never figured I was the jealous type until I saw your pink suit, which is hot as fuck by the way. I want the world to know how long your legs are. After you tell them they’re mine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I love that you feel good and secure enough to wear those shorts. I’ll get you some Jimmy Choo’s to match, and the world will see how special you are.”
“I’m not special.”
