“You’re not. I was just shocked. And confused. Today was… a lot. I’m tired.”
“Let’s go to bed.”
I let him steer me up the stairs and into his bedroom before standing still so he could undress me with tender kisses and reassuring touches. My emotions were still a chaotic tangle, but I was too exhausted to sort through them. I was too exhausted to do more than let Tripp take care of me.
Once I was back in his tee, I climbed into bed.
And was immediately jabbed in the ass.
I reached behind me and pulled out a wrapped box with a pretty green bow on top.
“You can open that tomorrow.” Tripp tried to pluck it from my hold.
I immediately snatched it closer to my chest. With the way the night had taken such a drastic turn, I’d completely forgotten why I’d gone downstairs to begin with.
“You’re tired, baby.” There was a forced severity in his tone as he fought a smile and went for the present again.
“I’ve got a little energy.”
His gray eyes heated, and a tremble rippled down my spine.
I took advantage of his momentary distraction and rolled away to put some distance between us, nearly toppling to the floor.
He caught me in time and righted me on the mattress. “I guess I better let you open that before you hurt yourself.”
“That would be a good idea.”
He sat back to watch as I carefully unwrapped the pretty paper to find a velvet jewelry box. When I opened it, I lost my breath.
The wide bracelet was gorgeous. It wasn’t overly flashy or too elegant for everyday wear. It was simple yet stunning.
“Turn it over,” Tripp ordered.
I picked it up and did as he said to reveal a small cluster of diamonds.
Maybe not for everyday wear, after all…
I was wrong about the cluster, too. It wasn’t a random grouping. They were carefully arranged to resemble a buckle.
Like the intimidating ones on Gilded’s cuffs.
He got me a restraint bracelet.
The already gorgeous piece of jewelry would’ve been enough, but the little detail that made it personal took it to a completely different level.
“I love it,” I breathed, more of the negativity from the long day ebbing from my body. I threw myself across the mattress to tackle him down before straddling his torso. Holding his face, I kissed him hard but fast. “I love it so much.”
“I’m glad, siren.”
And then I rolled again until I was standing beside the bed. Tripp looked disgruntled at the turn of events, but I didn’t give him the chance to object. Or, more likely, to yank me down.
I rushed from the room to retrieve his present from the overnight bag that was still next to the stairs.
That time, without the crushing printouts to distract me.
When I returned to his room, he was propped against the headboard, waiting for me. My steps slowed, both because I wanted to admire the view and because my earlier doubts returned to sink low in the abyss that used to be my stomach.
The man had a bookshelf built because of one comment I’d made. That attention to detail was already its own kind of present, but then he’d topped it by giving me a restraint bracelet.
