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With my heart panging, I picked her up and lowered myself onto the office chair. There, I cradled her on my lap and hugged the fuck out of her.
“I got you, sweets. It’s been a hustle, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to some time off too.” I checked the wall clock: 9.40 p.m. “Only twenty minutes to go before we can head home. Until then, I’mma make you a protein shake and we’re gonna sit here while you drink it.”
The little nod against my chest made me smile. “Chocolate please.”
“You got it, Queen Bee.”
I placed her on the chair and headed to the small kitchen. Fuck, it hurt to hear how close she was to breaking point. She was right though: in our determination to make our combined businesses successful–hers the hair salon and mine the gym–we’d lost sight of us.
That fucking killed me; especially after fighting so hard to find myself again and accept Brooklyn’s unconditional love when I didn’t believe I deserved it.
While making her shake, I thought hard. I used to worship the ground she walked on. I’d give the world for her, and as I handed her the protein shake and resettled her on my lap, I vowed to make the most of our Christmas break together and be the man she deserved. Her Christmas present was part and parcel of that.
“I love you, baby,” I murmured into her hair.
“And I love you too. I’m sorry. I’m just finding it tough at the moment.”
I hummed in acknowledgement and slowly swayed us from side to side.
Looking out overQuake Fitnessthrough the mezzanine window gave me a great sense of pride. I’d named it in honour of my best army mate who we’d lost in combat during an ambush in Afghanistan a couple of years ago. Me and Quake had always hit the gym together yet naming mine after him didn’t seem enough. So, when his daughter was born—six months after he was killed—I’d also created a trust fund for her to take the pressure of his widow Willow. Thinking of them all still formed a heavy wedge deep in my throat.
“I’d do anything for you, Bee,” I whispered thickly.“Anything.”
Her caring eyes met mine and searched. She’d grown to recognise when my demons simmered close to the surface, and she eased away from my chest, ready to distance herself.
“I know you would. Do you need a second alone?”
“No, babe. I’m thinking, but I’m okay.”
She nodded and the tension slid from her shoulders. Her arms looped around my neck brought a sense of peace. While my wahine was fierce, she had softness that brought solace to my soul.
I inhaled her perfume and released a deep sigh. “There’s only one guy left and he’s finishing up now. Let me close up downstairs, then I’ll take you home.”
Despite my intentions, I made no move to stand. I was shattered, too, and finding the energy for one last closing push before a few days off was increasingly hard.
Brooklyn sensed my reluctance. “Do you want me to close up for you?”
“No way. You stay here and I’ll be back in ten.”
I kissed her after I stood, then paused at the top of the stairs to look back at her. Sitting in the office chair with her legs tucked up and the shake resting on one knee was exactly where she needed to be.
The sight made me smile, because after all the shit we’d been through, she was my one and only. Always. No gym bunny would ever change that.
“I love you, my queen.”
She looked around the side of the shaker and gave a weary smile. “I love you too, Packman.”
As I made my way down the steep stairs, the knowledge of what I had planned for Christmas morning pumped me up. I couldn’t wait to give Bee the most important present to date.
CHAPTER4
MICKEY & KIMMIE
~ CHRISTMAS EVE-EVE ~
KIMMIE’S POV
Itapped my fingernails on the reception desk, waiting for my only client of the day to arrive. It was a straightforward head and shoulders portrait for a business portfolio, so all going well, I’d be finished and home before lunch.
