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I covered my mouth with my hands, carefully balancing the box on my knees. "Guy, you didn't. Where in the world…."
"Just open it already." Guy was grinning ear to ear.
"Guy, this is too much. A Faberge Egg costs millions. But, oh, my, God, it is beautiful… So unique… I can't believe it… You shouldn't have…."
"I take it you like it. But don't overthink the price. It's a miniature…. And it's only crystal."
I took it out and set it on the mantle, watching the lights from the Christmas tree reflecting through it in an array of colors. Tears ran down my cheeks as I turned and held out my arms to Guy. "Merry Christmas. I love you."
Guy kissed me on the top of my head. "Merry Christmas, Ariel. I love you too."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Guy
New Year's Day
As we drove up the driveway to my Casa Palacious, I was reminded of our day at the zoo. Just like she had done on the boat ride, Ariel looked out the window in awe. "Guy, why are you so opposed to this place?" She pointed toward the barn and then turned her gaze to sweep across the manicured vineyard cloaked in a magical mist from the irrigation. "Is there a winery somewhere that goes with it?"
I kissed her hand. "I have no idea. I'm just leasing it, remember?"
Ariel gripped my hand, not taking her eyes off the view. "Wow... just wow...."
"Wait until you see inside...."
"Honestly, why don't you like..." she giggled, "your Casa Palacious?"
I shrugged. "It's too big for a single man."
"Well, for the time being, you have little ol' me to share the place with, you know?" She scowled, "I mean, unless you’ve changed your mind and your driver is going to drop you off first..."
I planted a kiss on her lips to shut her up. "Not unless you invite me to stay at your apartment instead!"
"I think the answer to that is a no-brainer." Ariel grinned and leaned her head against my shoulder.
Our time together at Marcie's townhouse had been fantastic. We cooked Italian food, went window shopping in London, and even had snowball fights in Richmond Park. But I also kept my promise to Ariel and found a way for her to safely return home to San Diego. Admittedly, I had ulterior motives; there was no way I would agree it was safe for her to move back to her apartment. I hated being out here alone — and, most importantly, I was in love with Ariel. There was no way I wanted her out of my sight. I hadn't forgotten she had only been living here in Cali for a short time before all the drama. And Ariel had made it clear there was not a chance she would return to LA and move in with her mother. So, under the circumstances, I had no choice, right?
"Is that the guest house over there?" I followed the direction she was pointing to.
I laughed, "Nope! You guessed wrong. That's the building security works out of."
"Really? It matches the architecture of the mansion perfectly."
"I know. The original owner was very particular about that."
"Where's the guest house, then?" Ariel asked, searching the landscape.
"Over there. You can't miss it," I said, pointing it out.
"No. You are kidding me, right? Isn't that part of the main house?"
"Nope, the guest house is a separate building."
She shook her head in disbelief. "Are you serious? It's huge!"
During our planning, Ariel had been a bit ambivalent about whether she would stay in the guest house or move into one of the many spare bedrooms the main home allowed. Not wanting to push the issue, I had let it go, hoping she would decide to stay with me. But, although we'd cherished our time together in London, I sensed that Ariel wanted to keep her options open when it came to living together full-time.
Ariel's eyes widened. "It's like its own little mansion."
