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I spring up from the couch and practically sprint to it. I take just a second to collect myself before I reach for the knob to open the door. I don’t want to look like an over-eager puck bunny, especially when he’s probably still all about keeping this casual and no-strings-attached.
But when I swing the door open, forget about staying collected. My heart melts into a puddle in my chest.
“Liam … what did you …” the words stop in my throat as I feel warm pinpricks of tears on the backs of my eyes.
Liam steps through the doorway, his arms overloaded with wrapped presents. Three inflated balloons train behind him, their strings between his fingers, and a big white cakebox balances precariously atop the piles of presents that overload his arms.
He twists himself to yank a balloon that’s caught on the top of the doorjamb into the apartment before nudging the door shut with his foot.
He looks at me with a bashful smile and rosy cheeks, a look so different from his usual casual confidence.
“I just, uh, well, I wasn’t sure what to get you for your birthday,” he says, the words carrying over an embarrassed laugh. “I didn’t want to get you the wrong thing … or something you already had … or something you wouldn’t like … so …” he dips his chin to nod at his overloaded arms.
I feel liquid at the corners of my eyes, and my chin trembles. All this time, while I was wondering whether I should even mention my birthday was coming up, whether he’d even care, he somehow knew and spent heaven knows how much time buying, like, a dozen presents for me …
“Oh, no? What did I do? Don’t you like the wrapping paper?” his voice is suddenly laden with worry; and I realize why as I feel a trail of wetness running down my cheek, one of those damn, inconvenient tears escaping from my eye.
“No, no!” I say, my voice a quiver. “This is … incredible. Amazing. Thank you, Liam.”
When I see the relief in his eyes, a warm, fuzzy feeling spreads through my chest; it feels like my heart is flying in the sky, and a smile takes up home on my face so broad and strong that it makes my cheeks ache in the best way.
“Please put those down so I can hug you,” I say.
Once Liam sets down the pile of presents on the table by the kitchen, I jump into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him so tight that I worry even the thick muscles of his neck won’t be able to take it.
My feet dangle in the air as he straightens his back and wraps me up in his arms, pressing my body against his as I bury my head in the crook of his shoulders, rubbing my eyes into the softness of his sweater to dry my happy tears.
“Happy early birthday, Zoey,” he says, his voice a sonorous, low rumble in my ear. “Let’s open those presents.”
The sight of him walking through my door carrying those presents, the balloons, and a cake is already the best gift I’ve ever received, bar none. A present itself I’ll never forget, no matter what’s actually in those boxes.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to tear that paper wrapping open once I set my eyes on the pile.
Now I really feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
It takes everything in me not to cry again as I’m opening the presents, Liam adorably explaining his thinking for every one.
He got me the newest release by LK Kinsley, the author ofMalicious Hearts. It’s been on my to-buy list for weeks, but I hadn’t gotten around to it yet. He also bought me a scarf, a beautiful old music box, a sweater, a super cute snow globe, the most adorable stuffed turtle I’ve ever seen that he got from a craft store, and a couple other things.
He even put a fifty-dollar gift card in the birthday card he got me, “in case I didn’t like any of the gifts.” I tell him over and over again that I love every one of them, and it’s the truth.
We agree to save the cake for after dinner.
“Is there anything else you want for your birthday?” he asks.
A couple things come to mind—things I’ll reserve for later tonight. Even though anticipation licks at my core to get Liam out of that sweater and out of those pants and dive headfirst into the sexual tornado that this weekend is going to be, right now, I want to spend more time with him just hanging out; just being together.
“How about picking up where we left off on Downton Abbey?” I ask.
I yelp and giggle as he grabs me by the waist and pulls me into his lap as we fall to the couch.
“I was really hoping you’d say that,” he answers.
* * *
I don’t thinkI’ve ever been more comfortable in my life than I am right now.
Liam’s arm is around me, and I’m nestled snuggly against his side. We’ve got one of my fluffy blankets over our laps, the warmth of our body heat keeping the plummeting temperature at bay. Today started off cold and only got colder, as we’re firmly in the grip of a cold snap that feels like one of winter’s parting shots.
