I mutter, but can’t help but smile. “She’s going to be surprised.”
“This might be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her,” Riley says, and pats my shoulder. “You did good. When will she be home?”
“In about two hours. Kat texted and said they were just leaving a few minutes ago. She’s going to text again when they’re about a half hour out so I can order a pizza.”
“Swanky,” Riley says with a wink. “And FYI, don’t give her wine tonight. She’s been drinking wine for two days.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
EVERYTHING IS READY for her when she walks through the doors. Sunflowers are set out, candles lit, pizza waiting on the coffee table. And Scoot, who thankfully wasn’t interested in the construction process, thus staying out from under foot, is curled in a ball on the back of the couch.
She steps inside and immediately kicks off her shoes, sighs, and glances up, surprised to see me standing in her house.
“Hi,” she says, and smiles. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I haven’t seen you in two days,” I remind her, and step to her, taking her overnight bag from her, her purse, and helping her out of her coat. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“Do I smell pizza?”
“Mm,” I reply, and kiss her on the forehead, breathing her in. Damn, I’ve missed her. “Come eat.”
“You’re a prince,” she says, and flops on the couch, scrubbing her hands over her face.
“You know you’re always beautiful, but you look tired tonight.”
“God, I’m exhausted.”
I pass her a slice of pizza and she immediately takes a big bite and sighs in happiness. “So good.”
I’m going to be inside her later when she makes that same exact sound.
Rather than grab a slice for myself, I pull her feet into my lap and get to work rubbing her arches, and making her purr while she munches happily on her dinner.
“I could seriously get used to this.”
I smile. “Me too.”
“I think I’m getting the better end of it.”
“That’s up for debate,” I reply. “I get to touch you, talk to you. I think I’m in pretty good shape here.”
“You say some really sweet things, you know.” She watches me with tired green eyes.
“I don’t say anything that I don’t mean,” I reply. I pass her another slice of pizza and switch to the other foot, paying it as much attention as I did the first. “How did it go?”
“It was great,” she replies. “Cuppa Di Vita has a few new wines in their cellar, and we tasted them all.” She frowns. “But for some reason it didn’t sit well with me, so I tasted, then spit. I didn’t swallow.” She giggles, making me grin. “I always thought spitters were quitters, but . . .” She shrugs and giggles again.
“Are you coming down with something?”
“Maybe.” Her hands are resting on her belly now as she watches me rub her feet. “You have great hands.”
“They enjoy touching you.”
She smiles softly. Her hair was once in a tight bun, but it’s loosened and soft tendrils frame her sweet face. Her makeup is simple, like she usually wears it, and her lips are bare and kissable.
“How are you?” she asks.
Anxious to take you upstairs. “I’m great. It was pretty uneventful around here while you were gone.”
“Uneventful is good.” She yawns. “I should take my stuff upstairs and get some comfier clothes on.”
“I’ll go with you,” I reply, and hold my hand out to help her up. She’s so tired it seems that just lifting her feet up each of the stairs is a challenge. When we get to the bedroom, she crosses to where her dressers used to be, then comes up short.
“I’ve been burgled,” she says. “By a burglar that has a thing for yoga pants and bras.”
“I’m sure those exist,” I reply with a chuckle, and take her hand again. “But I think I have another explanation.”
“I hope so. I was really looking forward to those yoga pants. And why is there a door in that wall?”
“Come on, Sherlock, I’ll show you.” I lead her through the door and she simply stops and stares, her jaw dropped, trying to look everywhere at once.
“Oh my God.”
I hang back and watch as she slowly steps inside and touches the edges of her hanging clothes, runs her hand over the top of a dresser, and sits at her vanity, as if she’s never seen any of those things before.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers. I walk up behind her and massage her shoulders, watching