Chapter Twenty-Seven
Adam
Saturday
“Wake up,” I whispered into Lindsey’s ear, making her stir slightly in my bed. “Lindsey, I need you to wake up now.”
I could barely sit still, I felt like an excitable bunny about to explode from happiness. After the incredible gift she’d given me, which touched me because it was so thoughtful not because it had cost her a lot of money, a plan had been forming in her mind. Sure, I hadn’t gotten her a Christmas present yesterday, but that wasn’t on purpose. I just hadn’t thought because of all the stress with my family, but now I could make up for it.
I had a great idea – I just needed her to wake up first.
“Mmm, why are you waking me up?” she whined as she writhed under the sheets. “If you want me to get up, you shouldn’t have the most comfortable bed in the world. It’s so warm. I just want to lie here forever.”
“Okay,” I said in a sing song teasing tone of voice. “I guess then I’ll have to keep your surprise all to myself.”
That caused her eyes to snap open. She couldn’t resist. I laughed as she gave me a very curious look. “Surprise? On Boxing Day? What sort of surprise is that?”
“To make up for my lack of present yesterday. I feel like an asshole about that.”
She pushed herself into a sitting position and brushed her hair over her face. The sight of her locks brushing against her milky skin that was flushed from the heat of the bed had me licking my lips in anticipation. Maybe I needed to forget all about my plan and get that day in bed with Lindsey instead. Or maybe I needed to just do both.
“I wish you wouldn’t feel bad. I didn’t get the gift for that.” She fiddled with the bracelet that hadn’t left her wrist since the first moment I brought it for her. “I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
I leaned down and kissed her gently, relishing the strawberry taste of her lips in the morning. Her plump soft mouth was too much for words. “Well then, let’s think of this as me doing something nice for you. You act like I’ve done so much for you, but you’ve done a lot for me. You’ve put up with some serious crap from my family, and you’ve dealt with it with grace and poise – much more than I ever have before.”
She smiled against my mouth and kissed me some more. It was challenging for me to reel it in when she made me feel so many things all at once, but I had to try. “So what is the surprise? Do I get to find out?”
I tried to pull back but she had her hand possessively around the back of my neck. “Well, you have to get dressed first or you’ll never find out, will you?” I said teasingly. “I know you want to lie in bed all day, but if you do, you’ll never know all the awesome ideas I’ve had.”
She didn’t move, not at first. She remained where she was and pulled me back to her. “I do want to find out,” she breathed against my mouth. “But first I want to spend some serious one on one time with you. Do we have time for that?”
She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me which made me groan loudly. It was difficult enough to be around her while she looked so damn good. Now she was making it utterly impossible.
“Do we have time?” I mused while my mouth moved into hers. “I guess we’ll have to see about that.”
My cock stood to attention in my pants – I couldn’t hold back for even a second later. I smirked and gave in. We had time. Even if we didn’t, I would have made time. How could I resist this naked body that was just crying out for me? She was just so damn sexy, it was almost unbearable. I didn’t think I would ever get tired of this body of hers.
Of course I wouldn’t because I was falling rapidly in love.
***
“I cannot believe this,” Lindsey exclaimed as she glanced down at the view beneath us. “This is amazing. I can’t believe how long I’ve lived in New York, and I haven’t ever been up the Empire State Building before.”
She leaned over the edge to see the view beneath her, gasping as excitably as a child. I didn’t think my plan would have this much of a reaction. I just wanted to take Lindsey out to some silly touristy stuff for the day, I didn’t think she would love it so much. It was turning out to be the perfect day.
“I can’t believe you haven’t done this before, either,” I chuckled. “Mind you, I haven’t been for a while. I used to all the time when I was younger, but… I guess you just stop doing the things that are right there on your doorstep.”
“I guess so.”
She looked wistfully off into the distance as she got lost in her thoughts. I wasn’t sure how, but from the expression on her face I could just tell that she was thinking about her parents. I wanted to pry, needing to know more about her life and how she’d lost them, but I couldn’t. It was killing me to be so patient, but I knew that was what Lindsey needed of me. I didn’t always like sharing my feelings either, so I had to understand.
Instead, I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her, inhaling the wonderful scent that flew off her hair. It was fruity, citrusy, lovely. So very her. There was a big part of me that wanted to share my loving feelings with her at that moment, but I didn’t think I was ready. When I said the L word for the very first time, I needed it to be right. I absolutely had to be certain.
“Are you cold?” I asked while pressing some kisses up against her neck. “It is pretty freezing up here. I probably should have thought about that before I made any plans.”
“No, it’s perfect.” She turned around and smiled up at me. Her cold, slightly pink nose brushed against my cheek, which instantly caused my head to dip towards hers. “Thank you so much for all of this.”
“This isn’t all of it,” I told her seriously. “I also thought we could go shopping so you could choose your own gift…”
“But I don’t want a gift,” she insisted fiercely, but I wasn’t going to take that from her. I’d allowed her to get me a present even though I didn’t really think that she could afford it – Even with the money I’d given her to pay her rent. I’d let her because she wanted to, now it was time for her to return the favor.
“I want to get you a gift, and I won’t take no for an answer.” I left her with no room to argue against me. “Then I’m going to take you to dinner. I want to do all the things I could have done for you yesterday if the whole world didn’t shut down for Christmas Day.”
“Actually...” She stepped back but her fingers remained looped through mine. “Speaking from someone who has spent a lot of Christmas Days alone, I know there are some places open. Maybe not to sort of places that you are used to shopping in, but there are shops out there.”
“Alright, alright, you’ve put me in my place again.” I rolled my eyes in an over dramatic fashion. “Let’s just go shall we? Before you embarrass me even more.”
“Sure, sure, whatever you want.”
But we didn’t leave right away, neither of us wanted to leave. Standing at the top of the Empire State Building in each other’s arms, it was like our own little bubble that neither of us wanted to burst. As we stood there, I thought how it didn’t matter how we met, it wasn’t an issue that things were a little complicated around us, being with Lindsey was the easiest thing in the world. It was just like breathing.
I think I do love her, I thought to myself. In fact, I’m pretty sure that I do, but I won’t say it yet. Not until I think she wants to hear it.
***
“I can’t believe how much stuff you bought.” Lindsey shook her head at me. “It’s obscene. I told you to stop it. I only agreed to one thing.”
“I know, but I couldn’t help it. You looked so good in everything.”
“You made me try it all on!”
Lindsey only stopped arguing with me when the waiter got to our table. I could tell she felt ridiculous surrounded by all those bags, but I honestly didn’t care. She deserved it all and she really did look good. I had a fun time too watching her try on all different things, mostly because of the way that her face lit up when she liked something. Those were the items that I brought for her.
“Can we have some champagne, please?” I asked happily. “Your most expensive bottle.”
“Are you celebrating, Sir?” the waiter asked as he wrote my order down.
“Yes,” I replied while smiling at Lindsey. I wasn’t sure what we were celebrating exactly. Maybe it was being together, maybe it was surviving my family, maybe it was me finally falling in love with someone, but I wanted to celebrate it in style. Lindsey deserved it. “Maybe you better make that two.”
“And, what would you like to eat?”
“Steak, please, I’ve heard you have a good reputation for your meat.”
“Ooh that sounds nice,” Lindsey agreed with me. “I’ll have the same.”
In a way, this would be a little bit like a second Christmas dinner for us both. Not a traditional one, and not in a traditional way, but I wanted to extend the celebration that little bit longer. After all the years missing out on a proper Christmas, Lindsey deserved it.
“So what are we celebrating?” She leaned in closer to ask as soon as we were alone. “Something special that I don’t know anything about?”
“Just me and you,” I said with a serene smile. “I’m just happy, that’s all.”
We clinked our glasses together despite the fact that there wasn’t anything in them yet and laughed. I didn’t know it would be this easy to fall for someone. I wasn’t sure how challenging I assumed it would be, but I never thought it would be like this.
Max was going to have a lot to say once he heard about this!
“I’m happy, too. This has been one of the best days of my life. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed living in the city quite so much. I don’t know if I’ll be able to see much of the city after two bottles of expensive champagne.”
“Don’t you worry about that. I’ll carry you home. It isn’t far to my place, anyway. I’ll just sling you over my shoulder and carry you that way. You won’t be too embarrassed, will you?”
“Hmm…maybe.” She paused thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ll just have to be sensible.”
At that moment the drinks came over so we could cheers for real, only this time I didn’t do it. I remained still and watched as Lindsey took a giant sip of hers. I never really thought about money before, not really, it was just something I had that sustained me while I did what I really wanted to, and that was volunteer at the orphanage. But seeing Lindsey and knowing what she’d been through, it made me want to do more. I just wasn’t sure what yet.