TWENTY-FOUR
Willow
I stretched my legs and pulled the heavenly covers up over my chest.
Mmm. Just five more minutes.
The sound of a soft raspy voice drifted into my ears.
“Hey, sleepy head.”
I blinked my eyes open. Hovering over me was the epitome of virile perfection. The man who’d made incredible love to me last night. The man who’d whispered sweet nothings to me all night long. The man who’d spooned me with his spectacular body. The man whose beautiful bed I’d shared.
Ryan.
“Hi,” I murmured, my voice groggy. Pulling the covers up higher, I sat up and smiled at him. Dressed in sweats and a V-neck tee, he was holding a tray with a blueberry muffin and a container of coffee. The muffin had a pink candle in it. Also on the tray was a small trick or treat bag with a pumpkin face.
“You went out?” I asked, my voice growing stronger.
“Yeah. I went to the Coffee Bean around the corner. Breakfast in bed. Happy Birthday, my beautiful butterfly.”
“You remembered my birthday?”
“How could I not? There were pumpkins all over town, Miss Pumpkinhead.”
Embarrassed, I tried to fix my wild mane of hair. It was futile. I was a bedhead, plain and simple, so I giggled. How sweet of him to remember. Sitting down on the bed, he planted a soft kiss on my lips and then handed me the tray.
“Make a wish,” he said, after lighting the candle with his gold lighter.
I knew what I wanted. I wanted this moment to never end. I wanted more of him in the worst way. Pursing my lips, I blew out the candle.
I drank the coffee and ate the muffin. Ryan then set the tray on his nightstand after handing me the trick or treat bag. Taking off his shoes, he repositioned himself so that he was sitting cross-legged and facing me.
“What’s inside this bag?” I asked.
“A treat.” A mischievous smile curled on his lips. “Go ahead. Take a look.”
Some candy?
Hesitantly, I reached inside, and to my surprise, the touch of velvet met my fingertips. A small rectangular box. I slipped it out.
“What is this?”
“Your birthday present.”
“Ry-man, I don’t need a present. Waking up to you is the best present I could ask for.”
“Open it,” he ordered, jutting out his chin. It was an order. A dominant side of Ryan I’d never seen before. I more than liked it.
Doing as I was told, I snapped open the lid. My breath hitched and my eyes grew wide. Inside was a magnificent necklace with a sparkling diamond-encrusted pendant. A pair of pink enameled pointe shoes.
“Oh my God, Ryan!”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it, but you shouldn’t have. It must have cost a fortune.”
“Just a small fortune. But you had to have it. It belonged to the ballerina who owned this bed.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. Let me put it on you.”
My skin prickled as he expertly hooked the breathtaking necklace around my neck.
He smiled, his eyes drifting down from the pendant to my half-exposed breasts.
“It looks beautiful on you. Go take a look in the mirror.”
My eyes darted around the sprawling room in search of one. And then I found it. Hung above a set of drawers in the far corner. On the chest were dozens of photos of Allee and Ryan. Having not noticed them before, my throat constricted as a sudden rush of insecurity overcame me.
“What’s the matter?” asked Ryan, sensing my unease.
“Ry-man, I can’t accept this gift.”
“What do you mean?”
“You still belong to her.” My watering eyes stayed fixed on the photos.
Following my gaze, Ryan muttered, “Shit. I should have put those photos away.”
“No, Ryan, I understand. If my father married someone new, he could never hide the photos of my mom nor the portrait of her in our entryway. Nor could I.”
Ryan’s anguished expression softened. He stroked my face, brushing away the few tears that had escaped. “Willow, Allee will always be part of my life. She lives in my heart. Dr. Goodman told me that’s why love never dies. Please try to understand that.”
Undying Love. Biting down on my bottom lip, I nodded. Ryan’s blue orbs burned into mine.
“Willow, what can I do to prove that you’re the only one for me now?”
I shrugged. How could I ever replace Allee? My eyes stayed on him as he glanced down at his hands. He drew in a sharp breath, and then to my shock, he tore off his wedding band.
“Ryan, what are you doing?” I gasped as he set it on the nightstand and gripped my bare shoulders. I trembled at his touch as he held me fiercely in his gaze.
“I’m no longer married to Allee. I want to move on. Be with you. Wake up to you and go to sleep with you. Hold your body against mine. Smother you with kisses. Taste your lips on mine. Make love to you every way I can.”
I couldn’t help but burst into soft sobs. Ryan took me into his strong arms and held me until they subsided. He gently tilted up my chin.
“You okay, butterfly?”
I nodded.
“Say it. I need words.”
“I’m good.”
“Good.” His gaze dropped to the trick or treat bag, still on the bed. “There’s something else in that bag.”
Curious, I reached my hand back inside it, withdrawing a plain white business envelope. A birthday card? It didn’t look like one. Ryan confirmed that, apologizing that he didn’t have time to buy one.
“Open it.”
I unsealed the envelope and slipped out the folded sheet of paper inside it. I silently read the handwritten words: Come fly with me, butterfly! Below them was a drawing of a butterfly whose wings looked like two connected hearts. Perplexed, I unfolded the note. Again, my eyes grew wide.
“What is this?” I asked.
“A round-trip ticket to LA.”
Stunned, I let him continue.
“I’m going to LA tomorrow for my best friend’s wedding. I want you to come with me.”
Overwhelmed, I floundered for an excuse. “I-I can’t. I need to look after my father.”
“Don’t worry. I called him this morning. Nurse Hollis will be at his beck and call.
“Nurse Hollis?”
“Yeah, your father invited her for dinner and she promised to keep an eye on him all weekend. He wants you to go.”
Processing this news of my father’s blooming social life, I fidgeted with the charm on my new necklace. As my hesitation slipped through my fingers, Ryan’s hand met mine.
“Well, what do you say?”
“Okay…Yes.”
Grinning, he yanked down the covers and tweaked my nipples. “And what do you say we fuck our brains out right now?”
“Oh, Ry-man. YES!”
A million times yes! Happy Birthday to me!