Mistletoe Mischief (Lost and Found #5.5)(10)

Roger's mouth split in a grin as he looked from the tree back to her. "If I had known I was going to have this much fun with you, I'd have bought you a Christmas present before the date. Want to shop here? Now?"

Cass barked out a laugh, but the suggestion kind of appealed to her as well. There was an intriguing playfulness in the thought of getting a completely random gift.

"Let's do it!"

She started sorting through the packages, looking for one for a male. The prices on the tags ranged from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. She found a long, thin one, and discarded it. Then she found a tall, rectangular, heavy one. It had a tag for a male, but was wrapped in glittery pink paper. Giggling, she cradled the box to her chest. "Okay, I have mine."

Roger looked at the paper and narrowed his eyes at her in a skeptical look. "Really?"

Turning to the tree, he started sorting through the packages. Within a few minutes, he found a long tubular package. It was at least two feet long and was actually wrapped pretty nicely, in silver paper and a red bow.

Cassandra's stomach clenched at the thought of getting a present, and it was a stupid reaction. But since her brother had been gone, she hadn't had enough of a connection to anyone to get more than generic gifts from the girls at the office when they did the holiday exchange.

How sad was that?

They got in line to pay and she was surprised at the amount that rang up for Roger's gift.

"That's too expensive," she hissed behind him, poking him in the ribs.

He shushed her and blocked her with his broad shoulder.

"No, it's snot," he whispered.

She looked at him sharply, trying to decide if she'd heard what she thought she did. His eyes glinted with suppressed laughter and she shook her head at him. 

"Why are all men so gross?"

Before she could challenge him again, he swiped his card and the transaction was completed. Cass huffed as she rang up her own items, then followed him back out to the Jeep. Roger started the car and bumped up the heat, but then he turned in his seat. "Do you want to eat or open our gifts first?"

Excitement bubbled up inside her and she allowed herself to grin at him. "Presents."

With a single nod, he handed her the pretty wrapped package. "You first."

She shook her head adamantly. "Nope. You first. I want to draw my excitement out a little more."

Laughing, Roger nodded. Holding the package down against the center console with his prosthetic, he started peeling back the paper with his other hand. Cass turned in her seat, leaning forward to see what was revealed. Roger seemed to be deliberately going slow, and making her wonder. When he finally pulled back the package, he had a surprised look on his face.

"Well, I'll be darned … "

Inside the pretty pink wrapping paper was a fairly comprehensive looking micro tool set. Roger popped open the lid. "You know, this is the size I use on one of the adjustments on my elbow joint."

Though it was covered with the jacket, he indicated the inside of his right elbow.

"This is a surprisingly appropriate gift." Leaning forward, he coaxed her in for a kiss. Cass met him halfway. She was more than happy to, actually. "Thank you for my gift, baby. I love it. I know you put a lot of time into picking it out and wrapping it just right."

They laughed together at the ridiculousness of the statement. He nodded his head at the brightly wrapped package at her feet.

"Your turn."

Cass lifted the gift and began to peel the paper, trying not to tear it.

"Are you actually going to use that paper again?"

She paused and looked at what she was doing, shook her head and began to tear the paper haphazardly. It was a tube, with no indication of what was inside. The end of the tube popped off easily and she began pulling out tissue paper.

And more tissue paper. And more.

"What the hell?" she muttered.

Finally, a small, hard, wrapped box fell into her hand when she upended the tube and gave it a good shake. It was wrapped in the same silver paper. Cass stared at it for several long seconds before she started unwrapping again. This time she revealed a small chocolate box that said Kentucky Bourbon Balls across the top. She gave Roger a critical look.

"If you spent that much money for chocolate I'm going to march right back in there and get your money back."

Roger was grinning, though, as if he knew what was in the package. Cass opened the box and pulled out another wad of tissue paper. She began unraveling it. Finally, a shining gold ring was revealed. Cass gasped as the stone caught the light. It looked like a real diamond. And the gold looked real, too.

Beside her, Roger snorted.

"Well, if that isn't a message I don't know what is," he murmured.

Cass began to shake as he took the ring from her trembling fingers. Her gaze lifted to his in spite of the fear in her heart.

There was a calm smile on his incredibly handsome face. He took her left hand in his own. "Cassandra Jones, I've had an unbelievable night and day with you. Going on a blind date with you was the best thing I've done in a very, very long time. Would you consider this ring a promise to invest in exploring this relationship further? We'll call it a pre-engagement ring."

Cass sniffed, trying not to bawl in front of him, but it was hard. He slipped the ring onto her left ring finger and she gasped. It fit as if it had been made for her.



       
         
       
        

A tear rolled down her cheek to drop onto their clasped hands. Tugging her toward him, Roger kissed away her tears. Then he kissed her lips.

Cass couldn't breathe. There were so many emotions raging in her body. She had no idea what to say or do. She couldn't even get a full breath.

"If you don't at least nod or say yes," Roger said, voice deep, "you're going to break my heart."

Then she could hear the anxiety in his own trembling voice. This wasn't easy for him either.

"Yes," she told him firmly, taking in a huge gulp of air. She needed to tell him what she felt. "You scare the bejeezus out of me but I definitely want to explore this thing between us. You have made me feel more in the past twenty-four hours than I've felt in the past four years. No, let me change that. You've made me feel more in the past twenty-four hours than I ever have in my life. I want to live like this with you, discovering everything about you, loving you."

His eyes gleamed with moisture and she blinked to clear her vision. She couldn't imagine anyone being this emotional over her. The girl with nothing.

Roger leaned in and rested his wet cheek against her own, then he kissed her. He tasted spectacular, even more so now that she knew this was her man.

Damn that sounded so strange. That plastic mistletoe mischief had actually worked …





Epilogue





Roger looked at what he held in his hand and felt an elemental shift in the very core of his being. Cassandra was more woman than he'd ever met before, and he was fascinated bc everything she did. They'd been together for days now, every spare hour they could get together, but he had no desire to leave. Ever.

That was a very strange feeling for him. Normally, after a few hours, he needed to escape whatever company he was with. Even his buddies from work could wear on his nerves eventually, but not Cassandra. Every expression on her face, every movement of her body, every word out of her mouth was fascinating and precious to him.

And now he was counting down minutes until she called. He had to work later tonight, but he would spend the evening hours with her.

Excitement burrowed through him. She was late calling, and he was anxious as hell to get over there to be with her.

Moving around the apartment, he picked up a few clothes, tossing them into the laundry basket. There were a few dishes he loaded into the washer. All busywork he'd put off while he'd been absorbed in her.

When the text lit up his phone that she was leaving work, he gathered his things and walked out the door.

He would be starting the rest of his life tonight.



Cass looked out the window, wondering if she had time to hop into the shower before Roger got there for dinner. An unexpected snafu at work had derailed her regular escape time, and she hoped he was okay with eating quickie spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. They hadn't talked about Italian food yet. 

Seems like they'd talked about everything else but that.

This week had been joyous to her, and terrifying. So far, Roger had been everything she'd hoped for and more. She looked down at the ring on her finger, still shocked to see it there. He hadn't shown any regret at giving her the promise ring. In fact, he'd started running his thumb over it as often as possible, as if to remind himself that it was real as well.

Cass didn't know if the ring was actually worth anything-hell, it could be glass for all she knew-but she didn't care. The sentimental value was more important than anything. Other than the pictures of her brother, the ring had become the thing she prized most in her life.

No, that wasn't right. The ring was a prized possession but Roger had become the most important thing in her life.

Inwardly, she cringed, but that was how it felt in her bones. He belonged with her. Period. If this was some kind of psychotic break or schizophrenic episode, she hoped they never found a cure. Because her crazy and Roger's crazy fit perfectly.