by Aly Martinez
Son of a bitch. I had known bringing her here was a bad idea, but the rest of the family went to Melanie’s in Augusta for the holiday. And God knows why, but for whatever reason, the two of them weren’t speaking. I was sure it had to do with borrowed lip gloss or something equally as trivial that my sisters found to bicker about. It wasn’t like I could leave Maggie alone at home.
“I collected them when I was a kid!” I defended.
Maggie leaned toward Clare and whispered, “He was in high school.”
I glared at her. “Are you done?”
She batted her eyelashes and smirked. “For now.”
“Well,” Clare started, barely able to speak around her laughter. “It’s very nice to meet you, Maggie. And, if you happen to think of anything else you think I should know about your brother, I’d be thrilled to listen.”
I turned my glower on Clare. “Don’t encourage her.”
Her lips curled up at the corners in a patronizing smile. “Why not? I love getting to know you better. Besides, I find it incredibly sexy that you know which card could beat a Pikachu.”
I cocked my head. “That’s the only Pokémon you know, isn’t it?”
“That’s the only Pokémon seventy-five percent of the population knows. And that percentage goes up to ninety-nine if you only count people who’ve actually gotten laid.” She lowered her voice and teased, “Honey, I didn’t realize I took your virginity.”
“Oh my God! I love her!” Maggie exclaimed, pulling Clare into a hug.
Funny thing—I did, too.
But I kept that to myself and pretended to be annoyed.
I stared up at the ceiling, muttering, “God help me.”
Tessa suddenly patted my leg, holding up a Barbie doll. “Luke, you open dis?”
Clare and I had gone to bed late by the time we’d finished wrapping, and Tessa had gotten up at the crack of dawn, demolishing all of our hard work in less than an hour. It was only nine a.m., and I was already on my third cup of coffee. But it was worth every minute of the exhaustion to see Tessa smiling and laughing with her mother.
Maggie’s eyes twinkled as she squatted in front of her. “You wouldn’t happen to be Tessa, would you?”
Tessa looked up to me then back at my sister and nodded.
“Oh good!” Mags exclaimed, digging into her purse and pulling a small gift-wrapped box out. “See, Santa accidentally delivered this to my house. It was addressed to a Tessa, and Heath told me it was probably yours. I rushed over this morning as fast as I could.”
Tessa’s big, green eyes lit as her mouth fell open. “Yes! Dat’s mine!”
Maggie stood up and extended her hand. “What do you say you and I go sit down and open it?”
“Yes!” she squealed, bouncing on her toes as though it were her first and not hundredth present of the day.
Before taking off, Maggie pulled another box from her purse and slapped it against my chest. “Here ya go, Romeo.”
She tossed Clare a smile then took Tessa’s hand and disappeared around the corner.
“What’s that?” Clare asked, anxiety in her eyes.
I chuckled and curled her into my chest. Kissing the top of her head, I murmured, “Relax. It’s nothing big. I had her pick it up for me a couple of days ago.”
“Heath!” she scolded. “We agreed no presents.”
“Babe, it’s our first Christmas together.”
“Right. And I got you nothing.”
I smirked. “Oh, I don’t know. I plan to sneak you away for a shower in a little while.”
Her cheeks pinked as she swayed into me, repeating, “We agreed no gifts.”
I offered her the box. “Fine. It’s not a Christmas gift. But it’s something I’ve wanted to buy you for a really long time. I finally got the chance, and here it is. Better?”
She chewed on her bottom lip and stared at the box. “You’ve wanted to buy me something for a really long time?”
“Too long…so do me a favor and quit bitchin’ and actually open it.”
She glared up at me, but a second later, she snatched it from my hand and tore it open.
“Oh, Heath,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.” She traced her finger over the bracelet-style silver watch with diamonds surrounding the face of the dial.
It was beautiful. That was why I’d picked it out. But I’d made a modification that had thoroughly confused the sales person at the jewelry store.
She tilted it to the side and shook it. “It doesn’t quite work. It…” And then the words died in her mouth as she sucked in a sharp gasp and looked up at me with wide eyes. “Oh my God.”
I took the box from her hand and removed the watch. “I had them take the battery out.”
“Oh my God,” she choked out, tears slipping from her eyes.
I slid it on her wrist. “You’re with me now, Clare. I’ll make damn sure you don’t ever need another wish again. But, if you do, it’ll always be 11:11.”
“Oh my God,” she repeated, staring down at her watch. “I can’t believe…” She trailed off and shook her head. “I know you don’t believe in my silly wishes. But there is no other explanation for how I got you.”
And, if it were a wish that got me her, I’d kiss that clock every fucking day for the rest of my natural life.
She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to mine, inhaling reverently. “Thank you.”
I let her have her kiss, but when she was about to break away, I snaked a hand into the back of her hair and held her to my mouth as I murmured, “I love you, Clare.”
Her eyes popped open, and her head jerked away an inch. “Don’t say that!”
I cocked an eyebrow and reluctantly let her go. “And why not?”
“Because that’s my line. You got me an amazingly thoughtful and meaningful watch. Telling you I love you was kinda all I had left.”
I stifled a laugh. “And what if I hadn’t gotten you the amazingly thoughtful and meaningful watch?”
She huffed and rolled her eyes. “I’d still love you, but I’d probably wait until I was absolutely sure you loved me before I told you.”
“Well, nothing says absolutely sure like me telling you I love you. So, how about you just say it back and we’ll be square?”
She adamantly shook her head. “Now, it doesn’t have as much impact. You ruined it. Now, we’ll just have to wait until I can catch you off guard.”
“Excuse me?” I said roughly, but I was smiling, so it didn’t quite pack the punch I had been hoping for.
She returned my smile and kissed me again. “Thank you for the watch.” Kiss. “I love…” Deep kiss, complete with tongue and a rumbled groan. She pulled away, grinned, and finished with, “It.”
“Very funny,” I deadpanned, sliding my hand down to her ass, squeezing, and using it to grind her against me. “I think I’ll have better luck coaxing this out of you in the shower.”
She moaned her approval, but when I stepped away, she caught the front of my shirt. “I loved you when I thought you were Luke. I didn’t understand it, but day after day, I felt it”—she took my hand and placed it over her chest—“right here.”
“Fuck,” I growled, my fingers spasming against her chest.
I went in for another kiss, but she dodged it.
“I still loved you even when I thought you were Agent Light sent to arrest me. You risked everything and saved me and my little girl’s life. I’ll never be able to repay you for that.”
My chest expanded into entirely new realms. I brushed a stray hair out of her face and pressed my lips to her forehead. “Jesus, Clare.”
“But, right now, after spending the last month with you and getting to know the real Heath, I can honestly say I love you more than Luke and Agent Light combined. But I never want you to think it’s just because you rescued me from Hell. Or just because you were kind to me when I needed it the most. I love you because you’re an incredible man who remembers something like a silly superstition from when
I was at my darkest and bought me a gift so I could carry that with me into the light—with you. For that, I love you, Heath.”
I waited a second to make sure she was finished talking before I lifted her off her feet and covered her mouth with mine. She moaned, circled her legs around my hips, and locked them at the ankle as though I were trying to get away rather than crawl inside her the way I so desperately wanted to.
How the fuck was I ever going to find words to follow that up? There was no combination of letters in all of the world’s vast languages to properly convey how I felt about her. But, as I rested her shoulders against the cool sheet rock and moved my mouth to her neck, I gave her all I had.
“I love you, too.”
“I can’t believe you made me wear this,” I whispered to Roman.
Why I’d whispered, I had no idea. Probably out of habit. Because there was not one person in the entire movie theater. Of course, that was because bajillionaire Roman had insisted on renting out the entire theater. He’d done the same thing with the restaurant at dinner. It was a far cry from date nights back in the day when we’d hit the dollar menu at a drive-thru then sneak into a movie with one ticket.
But such was life with this new, loaded version of Roman. I can’t say it was a bad thing. He’d surprised me that morning with a pair of Jimmy Choos that cost more than my first engagement ring. (Not my second. That thing was a rock.)
However, this new version of him did come with some downfalls.
In addition to the heels, he’d also given me a pink Rubicon bulletproof vest to wear.
I’d attempted one of my typical fits, refusing to wear it. He’d sat on the edge of the bed, grinning at me, his sexy arms folded over his equally sexy chest. Moments later, his hand was in my hair, I was naked, and he was moving inside me while declaring that I would wear it any time I went out of the house.
Considering I was currently wearing that aforementioned vest under a silky, white blouse and black pencil skirt with the also aforementioned Jimmy Choos, we all know how that conversation ended.
“Oh hush. That’s the newest model of Rubicon. It’s barely three millimeters thick. You should have seen Simon Wells’s face when I showed up at his office with that batch. I’m most likely the first person in the entire world to get custom body armor made in less than an hour.” He patted his chest, where his T-shirt concealed his own vest.
He wasn’t wrong. It was thin. And lighter than I’d ever imagined a vest could be. But it was still bulky under my fitted top, and it basically erased my boobs.
However, the glint of pride in Roman’s eyes as I’d pulled it on made having the figure of a twelve-year-old boy worth it.
I mean, it wasn’t like we saw anyone else anyway.
“Where should we sit? This place is packed,” I teased, surveying the empty theater.
“Smartass,” he chuckled, walking up the steps.
Pointing with the huge tub of popcorn, he indicated the two seats directly in the middle.
Once settled, Roman began pulling candy from his pockets.
He knew me well.
Or so I’d thought until he handed me a bag of Raisinettes.
I stared down at the offending candy. “Are you new here?”
“They were out of M&M’s,” he defended.
“Um, in what world is Raisinettes the default choice when they’re out of M&Ms? Everyone knows chocolate-covered almonds are the only suitable replacement.”
“I hate almonds though,” he replied, tossing a handful of popcorn in his mouth.
I curled my lip in disbelief. “Since when?”
“Uh…since always.”
My chin jerked back. “What the hell are you talking about? You love my almond chicken.”
He chuckled. “No, I love your chicken. I pick the nasty almond pieces off.”
“Seriously?”
He glanced over at me and lifted the soda to his lips, a smile curling the corners of his mouth as he took a sip from the straw. He swallowed and then confirmed, “Seriously.”
My jaw slacked open. “No way. You’re screwing with me, right?”
He barked a laugh. “I can’t believe you didn’t know this. I pick them out of the trail mix and everything.”
I gasped. “Oh my God. I thought you did that because you knew I loved them and wanted to leave them for me. I always thought it was so romantic.”
He laughed, quickly covering it with a cough. “Right. I mean. That’s exactly why I do it.”
I leaned back in the chair and waved him off. “Oh, don’t even try that now. It’s like I don’t know you at all. I’m married to a stranger.”
“Well, actually, you’re not married to anyone. But we’ve got to get that shit fixed soon. It’s fucking killing me.” He offered the candy my way again.
“I don’t think now’s the best time for a wedding,” I replied, begrudgingly taking the bag of Raisinettes.
“You want another wedding?”
“I don’t know. Maybe like a destination thing or something,” I mumbled absentmindedly when something hit me. “Wait, do you like olives?”
He swayed his head from side to side and then grinned tightly. “Yes.”
“Oh my God, you don’t!”
He laughed loudly. “Not at all.”
“I find not one thing funny here, Roman. You do realize you’ve been lying to me for our entire relationship.”
Still laughing, he set the popcorn on the seat beside him and moved the drink from the cup holder between us. Throwing his arm around me, he soothed me with, “All right. Simmer down. I haven’t been lying to you our entire relationship. I don’t like almonds, or olives, or salmon.”
I gasped, thoroughly affronted by that little addition.
He didn’t seem concerned with my affronting and kept talking. “But you do. You hate red sauce, and just last night you made me lasagna. We both make compromises. That is not a bad thing. I can pick off olives and almonds and choke down salmon once in a while because I know you’d do the same for me. Now, chill out, eat the damn Raisinettes, and then give your man a dark movie theater hand-job.”
A laugh bubbled up my throat, and I threw a hand out to slap his chest.
“What?” He feigned innocence. “It’s a compromise, Lis.”
“How is a movie theater hand-job a compromise?”
He crinkled his forehead. “Um, because I really want a dark movie theater blow job but I paid to rent out the entire theater because I know you’ve been wanting to see this movie. At least, with a hand-job, you can still watch.”
I giggled, but he caught my hand and guided it down into his lap, letting me know just how serious he was.
“Annnd on that note, I need to go to the restroom before the movie starts.”
He groaned and dropped his head back against the chair. “Fine. But hurry back, I hear Hemsworth takes his shirt off in the first five minutes. I’m hoping that will get you in the mood.”
I stood up and stared into those silver eyes that had stolen my heart. Bending over, I dragged a seductive finger down his chest and murmured, “Hemsworth has nothing on you.” I kissed him, deep and wet. And, as I righted myself, I taunted him with, “However, if this were a Channing Tatum movie…”
He swatted my butt. “Smartass.”
I giggled and jogged down the stairs, but I did it contemplating how one gives a movie theater hand-job without staff or security seeing it.
When I got to the door, Ethan was waiting for me.
“Restroom?” I asked.
“Right there,” he said, pointing his finger just across the hall.
Two minutes later, the novelty of an empty theater restroom had me giddy as I took my time drying my hands in the air blower.
Just as it turned off, I heard the bathroom door close.
“Roman?” I called, smiling when I lifted my head.
But it wasn’t Roman.
Or Ethan.
A man I’d never actually met but would hav
e recognized anywhere emerged from around the corner.
Panic blasted through me, but I’d barely gotten a scream out before his hand landed over my mouth.
And then I was silenced completely when he slammed me to the floor, his body landing hard on top of me, stealing the breath from my lungs.
His disgusting lips brushed my ear. “Hello, Elisabeth. So nice to finally meet you.”
The feeling was not mutual. I could have lived a thousand lifetimes without meeting Walter Noir.
“Let me go!” I yelled, fighting against him, but he kept me pinned to the tile floor.
The tip of his gun pressed into my temple as he snarled, “Shut the fuck up.”
I froze immediately, blood thundering in my ears.
“Good girl.” His hand landed on the back of my head, where he fisted it, wrenching my head to a painfully unnatural angle. He leaned into my face, spit spraying from his mouth as he seethed, “I want my wife back!”
“I don’t know where she is,” I cried.
He tsked his tongue against his teeth as he furrowed his brow. “Now, that’s just not true. She was at your house when you left, right?” The butt of his gun slammed down on my nose.
My vision blurred from the explosion of pain.
“Don’t fucking lie to me!” He released me and pushed to his feet.
But I was helpless to try to get away. I rolled to my back, barely able to remain conscious.
“How’s my daughter?” He laughed maniacally, squatting in front of me. “Or should I say our daughter. We did make a beautiful girl, didn’t we?” He ran his gun down the side of my face.
A shiver shot down my spine as I struggled to focus. “I don’t know where she is,” I slurred, drunkenly lifting a hand to wipe blood away from my nose as it began to seep up into my eyes.
“I suggest you figure it out, Elisabeth.”
His hand drifted down to the hem of my blouse, tugging it up as disgust awakened my senses. I batted his hands away and then scrambled across the floor until my back met a wall.
He tipped his head to the side, a slow smile pulling at his mouth. “Rubicon?” he asked, pointedly glancing down to the exposed pink vest.
I didn’t reply as I kicked my feet, trying desperately to get farther away from him with no luck. My body trembled as blood poured from my nose and into my lap.