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“I have something for you,” I say. I wait for her to give me a sarcastic remark about the tattoo. Surely she’s noticed it by now. Calista might be stressed, but she’s not out of touch with reality.
She jerks up her head, searching my gaze. “You do?”
I nod, ignoring my twinge of disappointment when she fails to mention her tattoo. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to give it to you, but I think you need it now.”
She watches me as I walk over to my suitcase and unzip it. I return to Calista with the velvet box clutched in my hand. Her eyes widen when she sees it, but she says nothing.
“This isn’t a traditional gift, since it was yours to begin with,” I say. “But I know you want it back, regardless.” I open the box to reveal the pearl necklace inside. “They’re all present and accounted for. Sixty-four in total.”
Calista inhales sharply and covers her mouth with a shaking hand. “Is that…?” When I nod, the tears that were glistening in her eyes begin to fall. She sniffles and wipes her cheeks, but doesn’t reach for the necklace.
I extend my arm, putting the jewelry closer to her, urging her to take it. “I’m the one who broke it, so I had to be the one who restored it.”
When she remains frozen, I carefully lift the pearls from the box and step behind her. She trembles as I brush her hair over her shoulder. I lean down and press a kiss to the side of her neck, taking advantage of her shocked state. Once I fasten the clasp, I take her shoulders and slowly turn her to face me.
“I’m sorry I took this from you.”
Her gaze flits to mine. “Hayden Bennett, is that a sincere apology? I don’t think I’ve ever heard one before.”
I glare at her, but the look carries no heat. “Don’t get used to it.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She runs her fingers over the strand, and her lips tilt up in a small smile. “Thank you. I can’t tell you what this means to me. My dad gave this to me.”
At the mention of her father, my gut clenches. “That makes it special.”
She nods, her expression turning thoughtful. “How did you know the exact number of pearls?”
“The night I took the necklace, I counted them.” When she scrunches her forehead in confusion, I shrug. “It worked out in the end.”
“Hmm,” she says, the sound threaded with doubt. “It surprises me that you counted them to begin with.”
“I’ll always take care of what’s important to you, down to memorizing inconsequential details.”
I reach out and trace the curve of the necklace, watching the flickering of her pulse quicken. She inhales sharply but doesn’t pull away. Emboldened, I slide my hand to grasp the nape of her neck beneath the string of pearls. Our gazes lock and the air fizzles with sexual tension.
And emotional connection.
“You mean everything to me,” I say. “No matter how much we argue, that’ll never change.”
“I’m finally starting to believe that.”
Before I can respond, she rises on her toes and brushes her lips over mine. It’s over way too soon as far as I’m concerned, but I refrain from grabbing her. Calista hardly ever shows me affection, and I never want to do anything that’d discourage her from doing so.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that shoving my cock in her mouth might piss her off.
My fingers tighten on her neck as I repress the urge to kiss her, to finish what she started. What she just did was a fucking tease that has my pulse racing and dick hardening. My sexual frustration is at an all-time high.
Calista’s eyes flutter open, her eyes swirling with emotion. “Thank you for the necklace. I’ve really missed it.”
Her pulse thrums against my fingertips, quickening with her confession. The pearls lie still against my hand, cool and smooth to the touch, but the heat from Calista’s skin has already begun to warm them. The flush that now tinges her cheeks isn’t from gratitude.
She’s affected by me.
It’s time to use that to my benefit. Which will end up satisfying her as well.
“You’re welcome,” I say.
“Since you’re in a generous mood, I’d like to ask for another gift.”
