“If this is a ploy to make it put the lotion on, you should know my husband is a total ninja—holy crap,” she says, her eyes widening when I jerk open the closet door that opens into a huge walk-in closet full of…boots. Lots of brand new boots.
“Cheese and rice on a bed of guacamole,” she says, not making a bit of sense as she looks over the obnoxious amount of boots I’m hiding.
“I bought all these for her during the year we were apart. I was going to give it to her as a grand gesture if she wouldn’t have anything to do with me once I found her. Now…I’m already building her dream cabin, with the intentions of giving it to her until she decides how serious she wants to be with me. I don’t want to throw these at her too. It’ll feel like I’m trying to buy her affections, and I’ve been down that road. It’d be stupid to repeat the same mistakes.”
Lilah turns to me, lips pursing. “You won’t ever be able to buy Kylie, Liam. She loves the cabin you’re building—that she thinks is for you, by the way—because of the thought that went behind it. She’d love the boots because of the thought that would have gone into selecting them. It has nothing to do with the price tag.”
I lean back, checking to make sure I can’t hear Kylie. “Just come by later and get them out of here. I’ll save them for a holiday or something. I just…just get them, okay?”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. You’re being ridiculous, but fine. Why are you acting so nervous?”
I smile tightly. “I’m just trying not to mess anything up. Last time around, we had three incredible weeks before I really fucking blew it.”
“And now it’s been three weeks again?” she guesses.
“You can see the reason for the slight panic attack.”
“As long as your girlfriend doesn’t show up from a business trip, you’ll be fine,” she assures me.
Of course she told Lilah.
“I can assure you I only have one girlfriend, and I’m not quite sure she realizes she’s my girlfriend.”
Lilah snorts. “Trust me, she knows. You’ll be fine, Liam. Stop worrying.”
“I never want to be the reason she has that look on her face again, Lilah. You didn’t see what it was like. Every bit of everything was sucked out of her that day. I’m still—”
“Trying to seek penance for something she’s clearly forgiven and moved on from? It took her less than two days to end up back in your evil clutches. Stop freaking out. You’re giving me anxiety, and I’m trying not to change anything about my body in case it somehow messes up the birth control I’m truly depending on right now.”
It takes me a second to follow all that.
“Just hide the boots. And I’ll get them when there’s a good time to give them to her without it looking like I’m showering her with gifts all the time.”
She just grins. “She really will like them, but why’d you have to buy so many?”
“She had all these catalogues,” I grumble. “She circled her favorites. I bought all the ones circled, since she left the catalogues behind.”
“That is so fucking sweet,” she says on an exaggerated sigh, and I narrow my eyes as I point at her in warning.
“Not a word about this.”
“Right. I won’t let her know how pathetic you really are. You can keep all your cool points, because I’m an excellent secret keeper,” she quips, not even looking back as she skips out the door.
Lilah just thinks she’s not as annoying as the other two Vincents. Most of the time, she’s worse.
I shut the closet door, and then walk out and shut the guest room door behind me. Just as I head back into the kitchen, Kylie is walking out of the bedroom, as Lilah goes on.
She turns to look at her in confusion. “You haven’t found a shirt yet?” Kylie calls.
“Liam pulled me aside to show me his dick. Benson’s is bigger,” Lilah is quick to say, and the color drains from my face.
Kylie bursts out laughing, and I immediately relax. Damn Vincent. Why did I ask her for help instead of Penny?
I’m way too on edge, feeling an expiration date that isn’t really here.
“You okay?” Kylie asks me when she sees my face.
Forcing myself to calm down, I give her what I hope is a genuine-looking smile and not one of manufactured tension.
“Yeah. You ready? I’m not sure how I feel about surprises, but…you can talk me into anything,” I tell her, aiming for charming and not stupid.
She grins. “Lock up, Lilah,” she calls behind her.
“I’ll do it as soon as I get finished with your vibrator,” Lilah deadpans.