I pursed my lips in disapproval. “There is to be no laughing at my fantastic curse words.”
Still dragging me, he looked back at me somberly. “I wasn’t laughing, my lady. I was expressing my astonishment at your wide and varied uses of the English language.”
My laugh echoed around the empty ballroom. “So, basically in Draven speak, you just said the same thing I did, but outsmarted me by saying it in such a complimentary way that I can’t possibly be mad at you?”
His eyes glittered with laughter.
Yep. Outsmarted by my vampire.
I didn’t even feel bad about it. I was outsmarted by him often. That was what came from dating a thousand year old vampire who, it sometimes seemed like, kneweverything.It was a good thing I had a healthy self-esteem. And it was also a good thing he was adorable, because being a know-it-all could get very annoying after a while. But Draven made it fun. And he was so clever that I couldn’t ever be mad at him for it.
Half the time, I let him win a disagreement because I knew the other half of the time he was letting me win. It worked out in the end. And in the things we really couldn’t seem to see eye-to-eye on, we talked about it until we were both in consensus.
I had no idea what other relationships were like, but I had to say, others were welcome to their young guys with their limited experience and Peter Pan syndrome. But for me, I was very happy with my vampire.
We sat in his sitting room that was decorated in cream and brown leather, and exchanged gifts.
I bit my lip as Draven opened mine. I’d had a leather journal worked up, with pockets for envelopes glued onto the heavy cardstock pages. In every envelope was a fun date that I wanted to go on with him. There was bowling and arcades, movie tickets, restaurants, a themed night at The Laughing Elf, and a ton more. But I was really nervous. Seriously, whatdidyou get the vampire who had everything?
Draven was quiet as he paged through the journal. He opened each envelope carefully and slowly until he had a whole lap-full of tickets and vouchers; then he looked at me, and I could see it in his eyes.
I gulped.
“I love you, Mia.”
I blinked my stinging eyes and said tremulously, “I love you too.” I swallowed again, feeling like I was choking on too much emotion. “I just realized it tonight.”
He smiled. “I’ve known for a while.”
“Well, youarequicker than I am,” I sassed, and leaned into his chest.
He laughed and snuggled me closer, my gift to him falling to the couch. After a few minutes, I couldn’t stand the suspense anymore.
“What’d you get me?” I wanted my gift. I’d waited and waited for it and he’d been more secretive than 007 about it. Forbidding staff from giving me hints, threatening Mesmer within an inch of his life if he let anything slip. I was bouncing in the seat, vibrating with excitement. It wasn’t my first Christmas gift, but it was my first with Draven, and that made all the difference.
He smiled his secret smile and grabbed my hand. We wound through several rooms and hallways before he opened a door with a key. “You locked it!” I accused, half offended, and half admiring that he seemed to know me so well after so little time together. I was totally the type to find, unwrap, and then re-wrap my Christmas gifts so it didn’t look like I’d seen them.
He chuckled as the door opened and I swear my jaw probably hit my chest, I was in such awe. There was a huge bay window on one side of the room, a snack bar loaded with lots of goodies on the other side, and along one wall of windows, looking out at the winter wonderland outside, was a white, baby grand piano with a padded, silver bench seat.
My breath caught, and I blinked rapidly again. My stupid eyes were stinging from all the dust in the unused room, obviously. It had nothing to do with the incredibly thoughtful gift in front of me.
Draven pulled me toward him so my back was resting against his chest as he cuddled me closer. “You said you wanted to learn,” he murmured in my ear. “It comes with piano lessons.”
I was still too choked up to say anything, but Draven seemed to understand. I dragged him with me to run my hands over the smooth, satiny finish. I sat on the bench seat and marveled at its comfiness. I opened the fallboard and revealed the long line of white and black keys, trying out a few in the lower range. And then I simply sat there.
I thought back to all the times when I was young. Losing my parents, and then losing my foster parents. Working my fingers to the bone and not getting anywhere except a crummy apartment in a rough neighborhood. Never having enough food, and if I did, it was only because I’d elected to skip the electric bill that month and freeze.
I remembered all the times I’d worked back-to-back shifts to try to stay afloat, and all the times I’d fallen asleep in my waitressing uniform because I’d been too tired to change into my pajamas for bed. I remembered the loneliness, and the sorrow, and how they’d eaten through me until I’d felt raw and broken, and so very, very ancient.
All of those things flitted quickly through my mind as I looked down at those keys. “I think you’re my gift for all those difficult years,” I said quietly. I couldn’t look at him as I said it, and I totally won the cheese of the year award, but—he really was.
Draven’s breath caught, and then his warm body covered mine from the back as he hugged me from behind again. Then he sat on the seat with me. We sat in stillness in my new music room with my head resting on his shoulder and his chin resting on my head as the sun slowly rose on December 26th.
Chapter16
Mia
Winter was beautiful in Moonhaven Cove. The enchanted snow still fell, but the town managed through magic to keep the streets, driveways, and sidewalks clear of it.
