Page 60 of Exacting Vengeance

She readjusted another African violet pot on the sill, then froze.

When she’d left her apartment, all her plants were exactly where she always positioned them to take advantage of the daylight they needed to flower. This one wasn’t where it should be. It was only six inches to the right, but still…

Yesterday, Kyle had commented on her having a green thumb. He must have moved the pot when he’d looked at her plants.

She turned to go into the kitchen and fill a watering can but stopped.

The framed photo of her mother on the hall table… Had that been moved, too?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Her heart beat a little faster.

On closer inspection, it wasn’t like it had been moved much. More like someone had picked it up, then set it down again but not exactly in the same place. She blew out a slow breath to calm her fraying nerves. Kyle must also have picked up the frame to look at it and done the same with her plant. That had to be the explanation. It was the only one that made sense.

An hour later, she’d watered all her plants and cleaned her kitchen.

The intercom by the door buzzed. She pressed the button. “Yes?”

“It’s Kyle.”

She jerked back, as if he’d been standing right outside the door. He hadn’t called to say he was coming over, so why was he here?

There hadn’t been enough time to make those decisions she needed to make. She wasn’t ready but couldn’t leave him standing in the vestibule. With a slightly trembling finger, she hit the button to unlock the inner door.

When he finally knocked, her heart thumped harder. She twisted the deadbolt and opened the door. “Hi,” Victoria said, hoping she didn’t look as flustered as she felt.

“Hi.” He grinned, which made her heart beat faster but for an entirely different reason—yearning. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” Only after closing the door did she notice the large Nordstrom shopping bag in his hand.

“Happy birthday.” He handed her the bag.

“But it’s not my—” Oh. It was her birthday. Her real one. She smiled up at him, her heart swelling at the kind gesture. “You remembered.”

“I never forgot.” He leaned down and kissed her on the lips, sending warm tingles to those still-sweetly aching parts of her body. “Open it.”

Aside from the salted caramel cupcake Tracee always presented her with on her fake birthday, she hadn’t gotten any gifts on her real birthday since her mother had passed away. “Thank you. This is so unexpected.” It really was, and in some small, special way, it was nice that someone actually knew how much this day meant to her.

They sat on the sofa while she pulled out a large box wrapped in red paper and tied with a thick gold ribbon. She untied the ribbon and slid the box out of the shiny wrapping. A moment later, she stared speechless at the briefcase nestled in layers of lavender tissue paper. She held up the briefcase, watching the play of light on the satiny sheen of black micro-fiber fabric and intricate silvery black and purple beading. It was the most beautiful briefcase she’d ever seen, made more so because Kyle had given it to her.

“I love it,” she choked out. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to.” He squeezed her hand. “You deserve something special on your birthday.”

“It’s perfect.” She held the briefcase tightly to her breast, impossibly moved by his thoughtfulness.

“There’s more.” He pointed to the briefcase. “Inside.”

When she undid the clasp, a shimmer of gold glinted from the bottom of the briefcase. Inside, was another beautifully wrapped box, this one small and delicate. She unwrapped the box and removed the cover. Inside was yet another box, this one of burgundy velvet. She flipped open the hinged lid and gasped. “Oh, Kyle.”

Set on a bed of creamy satin was a pair of exquisite diamond stud earrings with pearl teardrops, practically an exact replicate of her mother’s heirloom earrings, the ones she was certain Yuri had stolen so long ago.

The memory of that night when Kyle had kissed her… She’d just related her suspicions that Yuri had stolen her treasured earrings, then unceremoniously presented her with plain studs as a replacement.

Her chest heaved from the effort it took not to burst into an all-out waterfall of tears. Tears of joy. Tears of gratitude. Tears of love? Yes. She was falling inextricably in love with him all over again. With unerring certainty, she acknowledged that she had always been in love with him.

“I remembered that, too.” Tenderly, he stroked her cheek. “I don’t think there’s anything about you I forgot.”