After the Christmas Party(155)
His mind racing, Riley carried the last box of his supplies into Trinity’s apartment. He hit the front door with his hip, wincing when it closed a little more loudly than he’d intended.
No one might be home but he didn’t want any of her neighbors calling the law on him either. Then again, maybe they’d just think it was Santa making all the noise. He felt like Santa.
He’d worried how he would be able to pull off her Christmas gift without her knowing what he was up to. Leaving her warm, sexy body naked in his bed hadn’t been easy, but her surprise would be worth it.
He couldn’t suppress the grin on his face.
He’d promised Trinity the best Christmas ever and he was going to deliver.
She’d already given him the best Christmas ever.
The best night ever.
The best everything ever.
She’d rocked his world. In so many ways. Trinity had certainly knocked him for a loop. A good one. Like a carnival ride that thrilled and made you want to just keep coming back for more.
He glanced around her living room, smiling at his efforts. What would she think?
She professed to not like Christmas, but he’d never seen anyone more starved for the magic of the holidays. He wanted to give her that magic. He wanted to make all her dreams come true.
To make her day feel as if she lived a fairy-tale. He wanted to make every day of her life feel like a fairy-tale.
Which struck him as odd. His thoughts were those of happy-ever-after, not those of a man who knew he couldn’t do to a woman what his father had done to his mother. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to think of a future without Trinity.
Because he loved her.
Oh, hell.
He couldn’t love her.
But he did.
Yet what kind of Prince Charming could he be when he’d forever be called away from her for his career?
With shaky hands and a heavy heart he finished what he’d snuck her keys out of her purse and driven to her apartment to do.
No Prince Charming had ever done better.
Too bad he was a Prince Charming who couldn’t give a happy-ever-after.
Maybe if she didn’t open her eyes, she could just pretend she wasn’t awake and could sleep straight through Christmas. Darn whoever had changed the schedule at work and left her home alone today.
Only she wasn’t at home.
She was at Riley’s. In his bed. Alone.
She tugged on the covers, trying to pull them over her head, but they wouldn’t budge. Which had her eyes popping open to see why.
“Good morning, princess.”
“But…” She stared in shock at the man sitting at the foot of the bed, looking sexy as all get-out with only his jeans on. Wow. Maybe she was dreaming.
She stared at him, trying to reconcile the fact that he was here, that he was smiling and teasing her. Had she dreamed waking up in his bed alone? Dozens of conflicting emotions swirled inside her.
Last night had hurt. A lot. But he hadn’t left because he was right here in front of her.
Of course he hadn’t left. She’d been in his bed, in his house.
“Why?”
He looked confused. “Why what?”
“Why are you here?”
His brow arched. “Is that a trick question? I live here.” His expression darkened. “Don’t you want me here?”
How did she answer that? Did you tell a man that you’d woken up and found the bed empty and had assumed the worst? That you’d cried yourself to sleep and erected a hundred new walls to replace the ones he’d torn down because she’d realized she was in love with him?
“I woke up and you weren’t here.” Did she sound whiny?
She’d thought he would take a hint and tell her why he’d left his bed, but he just shrugged, as if his absence was no big deal. Only he didn’t meet her eyes and he wasn’t smiling.
“Sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do. Now, out of bed. Time’s awasting.”
He might convince her to get out of bed except there was an itsy bitsy tiny problem. “I’m naked.”
“Good point.” His smile was lethal and he suddenly seemed intent on lightening the mood between them. “Forget getting out of bed. I’ll get back in with you. Much better idea.” With that he dove towards her, tugging on the covers she had tucked beneath her chin.
“No.” She wiggled and squirmed, trying to prevent him from uncovering her body. “No, I don’t want you to see me like this.”
He stilled. “Like this? I saw everything there was to see about your body last night. Up close and personal from all angles. Have your forgotten?”
“No, but…” How did she explain that when she’d woken and he hadn’t been there she’d felt such devastation and had grieved and erected those walls to where she just didn’t trust letting them back down. She didn’t want to let them back down. Right or wrong since he obviously hadn’t really left, she still felt defensive.