AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No problem.” He walks over to the champagne and pops the cork, then pours us each a glass. “Want to do that, or should I? I’m starving.”
“Um, no, I’ve got it.” I force another smile as I accept the glass of champagne. “What’s the occasion?”
He joins me on the bed. “First time we’ve gone away together. I thought we’d like to make a nice memory, instead of it being, you know, that time we went to the Holiday Inn and my teammates tried to drag us to a party.”
I smile for real this time. “You’re sweet. Do you still want that pork dish?”
“Sounds great.”
I call the restaurant and order, which is way harder than it needs to be because he keeps touching me, kissing my neck and dragging up the hem of the jersey to palm at my ass. I glare at him over my shoulder, but he just ducks in for a kiss.
When I hang up, he brushes my hair back. “Are you wondering about the present?”
“It’s big.”
“Not the only big thing you’ll be getting tonight.”
“James!” I stage-whisper, widening my eyes like I’m scandalized.
He just grins as he grabs the present and passes it over to me. “Want to open it now?”
“I’m surprised you don’t want to give me the other big thing first,” I say dryly.
“This is worth the wait.”
I give him a look as I tear at the wrapping paper. There are actually two things wrapped together. I see the photo album first, and then the box registers.
A camera.
“James,” I whisper.
He leans in a bit, an anxious look on his face. “Is it okay? I did some research into it, but if it’s not the right kind, I’ll return it and get you exactly what you need.”
I take it out of the box slowly, marveling at the clean linesand the pristine lens. A Nikon Z9 with all the bells and whistles. Cameras like these cost several thousand dollars, easy, and now I’m holding one in my hands. I set it aside gently, then launch myself into his arms.
He catches me with ease. “Hey, princess. Did I do good?”
“It’s perfect.” I kiss him deeply, squeezing my arms around his neck. His hands settle underneath my thighs, holding me close. “You didn’t have to, though, it’s not cheap and I can always—”
“No.” He cuts me off firmly. “This is a gift. Make new art with it, honey, okay?”
Instead of responding with thank you like a normal person, I let out a sniffle. I can’t even find a way to respond because my throat feels like it’s blocked up. I bury my face in the crook of his shoulder instead, breathing in his cologne and relishing in the sturdy way he’s holding me. It doesn’t replace what the fire destroyed, but it gives me the ability to get started again.
“Thank you,” I finally whisper. I kiss him again, moving my hands to his face, framing his jaw. He looks right at me with those eyes I’ve come to love before kissing me back, settling me down on the bed.
I spread my legs so he can dip his body between them, his hands exploring underneath the jersey. He drags his lips down from my face to my neck and lower, then takes the jersey off entirely, leaving me with messy hair. He doesn’t seem to mind, though; he’s still looking at me in a way that triggers heat in my belly and lower. It’s like I’m a prize he just won. Like I’m something precious.
“God, Bex,” he says. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
He splays his hand on my soft belly, pulling me into another kiss. I stroke my hand through his hair as I kiss him back. “You are too,” I say with total honesty.
And because he’s confident in his masculinity, he doesn’t make a face. He just breaks away to look at me, a tender expression on his face.
“This lingerie is so pretty,” he says as he traces over the lace on one of the blush pink bra cups. My breath hitches at the promise of contact where I want it. “Did you get this just for me?”
I nod, digging my teeth into my lower lip. He pulls off his sweater and jeans and makes short work of my bra, nuzzling at my breasts, rolling one nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and sucking on the other until I’m arching my back. I can feel myself getting wet, my clit tingling and begging for attention. I try to wriggle my hand between us, but he catches it.
“Keep your hands over your head, pretty girl,” he says.
