Brynne was out cold—sleeping very deeply, and I wondered why so tired but didn’t want to disturb her either. I could do the watch and wait just fine with her next to me and thought about the lesson I’d just learned. Brynne wasn’t the only one with trust issues apparently. I needed to work on mine a bit more. When she said she wouldn’t take off alone on me, then I had to trust she’d keep her word.
I opened my eyes to find hers studying me. She smiled, looking happy and gorgeous and a tad smug. “I like watching you sleep.”
“What time is it?” I looked up at the skylight to see that daylight was still clinging. “I slept? I came home and found you in bed and couldn’t resist joining you. I guess I drifted off as well, sleepyhead.”
“It’s about five-thirty and time to get moving.” She stretched like a cat, gloriously sensual and erotic as she uncurled. “I don’t know why I was so tired. I just laid down for a minute and when I opened my eyes…you were here.” She started to roll off the bed.
I latched onto her shoulder and rolled her back, pinning her underneath me and settling between her legs. “Not so fast, my beauty. I need a little alone time first. It’s going to be a long night and I’ll have to share you with myriads of idiots.”
She reached up and held my face and grinned. “What kind of alone time were you envisioning?”
I kissed her slowly and thoroughly, roaming my tongue over every inch of her mouth before I answered. “The kind where you are naked and shouting my name.” I thrust my hips slowly into her soft body. “This kind.”
“Mmmmm, you are convincing, Mr. Blackstone,” she said, still holding my face, “but we do need to start getting ready for this thing tonight. How good are you at multi-tasking?”
“I am good at many things,” I responded before I kissed her again. “Give me a hint.”
“Well I do love your grotto shower almost as much as your bathtub,” she said coyly.
“Ahhh, so you’re just using me for my excellent bathroom amenities then?”
She giggled and moved her hand down between us to grip over my hardening cock. “Excellent amenities all the way around as I see it.”
I laughed and groaned at the same time, sweeping off her and into the bathroom. “I’ll get the hot water started…and I’ll be waiting for you in there.”
I didn’t have long to wait before she joined me naked and mind-bendingly sexy as usual; rendering me utterly captive and raging to claim her body with the dominating sex I couldn’t seem to control when we were together. My ultimate reward and my greatest fear all rolled into one. I’d joked about the gala tonight and sharing her with others, but the statement held far more truth than I wanted to admit. I loathed sharing her with other men who admired her—far too much in my opinion.
But, it was the reality of Brynne, and if she was my girl then I’d have to learn to take it like a man.
We made very good use of the time in that hot soapy water though. Yes…multi-tasking is one of my strong points and I won’t blow any opportunities I’m offered.
“You look beyond gorgeous you know.”
She blushed into the mirror, the darkening flush moving down her neck and even over the swell of her br**sts in the dip of that decadent dress she’d found. It was lace and very fitted to her shape, the short skirt rather frothy of some other material I didn’t know the name of. Didn’t matter what the hell it was, that dress was going to be the death of me tonight. I was so f**ked.
“You look pretty gorgeous yourself, Ethan. We match too. Did you pick that tie just because of my dress?”
“Of course. I have heaps of ties.” I watched her doing her makeup and finishing the last bits and pieces, grateful that she didn’t mind me lurking, and getting nervous for what I was about to do.
“Will you wear that vintage silver tie clip? The one I like so much?”
Perfect lead in. “Sure.” I went to my case atop the dresser to get it.
“Was it a family piece?” she asked as I pinned it onto my tie.
“Actually it was. My mother’s family. My grandparents were old English money and had only the two daughters—my mum and Ivan’s mum. When they passed, the goods went between the grandkids, Hannah, me, and Ivan.”
“Well, it’s incredible and I love antique pieces like that. Vintage things are so well crafted and if it has some sentimental meaning, then all the better, right?”
“I don’t have but a few memories of my mum, I was so young when she died. I remember my grandmother though. She had us stay for holidays, told us lots of stories and showed us photographs; she tried to help us know our mother as best she could because she always said it’s what my mum would have wanted.”
Brynne put down her makeup brush and came over to me. She drew her hand up my sleeve and then adjusted my tie a bit, and finally smoothed down over the silver clip reverently. “Your grandmother sounds like a lovely woman and so does your mother.”
“Both would have loved meeting you.” I kissed her carefully so as not to smudge her lipstick and pulled the box from my pocket. “I have something for you. It’s special…meant for you.” I held it out to her.
Her eyes widened at the black velvet box and then looked up a little startled. “What is it?”
“Just a gift for my girl. I want you to have it.”
Her hand shook as she opened the case and then one came up to her mouth in a soft gasp. “Oh, Ethan…it’s—it’s so beautiful—”
“It’s a small vintage piece from my mother and it’s perfect for you…and how I feel about you.”
“But you shouldn’t give this family piece to me.” She shook her head. “It’s not right for—for you to give that away—”
“I should give it to you and I am giving it,” I spoke over her firmly. “May I put it on you?”
She looked back at the pendant and then back at me, and repeated her actions.
“I want you to wear it tonight and accept the gift.”
“Oh, Ethan…” Her bottom lip quivered. “Why this?”
Honestly? The amethyst heart pendant with diamonds and pearls was a very pretty little thing, but more than that, it screamed Brynne’s name. When I’d remembered it was in the collection of my portion of the lot from my mother’s estate, I’d gone down to the vault and opened it up. There were other things in there as well, but maybe some more time was needed first before we delved any deeper with additional jewelry gifts.