Two days later Gavin stood at my door, plastic bags in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.
“What’s this all about?” I asked.
A huge smile broke out on his face. “We have a house.”
The smile that grew on my face was almost painful. I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck, which made him laugh.
“We have a house!” I still couldn’t believe it. The house was huge and beautiful and so much more than I ever thought I would have.
He chuckled as he kicked the door closed and continued to walk in with me wrapped around his shoulders, lips on his. I slid down when we got into the kitchen and began to inspect the bags.
“What do you have for us this evening?”
“I was in the mood for some Italian,” he said as he started pulling containers out.
While I was thinking spaghetti with meatballs, Gavin pulled out chicken piccata and tortellini. It probably paired better with the wine than my idea. There was also some bread with an oil dip along with a large salad. Gavin popped open the wine and poured two glasses while I grabbed some dishes and silverware.
We sat at my dining room table that—for possibly the first time—wasn’t covered with school work and papers. It had been many months since the last time it was empty.
“I’ve been meaning to ask; when is your graduation ceremony?” he asked as he put some salad on a plate.
“Tomorrow.”
“You’re not going?”
I shook my head. “I went to my undergrad, and that was enough for me. Besides, nobody would be there anyway.”
“I would.”
I stopped dishing out tortellini and looked at him. “You would?” He could make my heart melt with the simplest of gestures.
He nodded. “Of course. At least I get to give you your graduation present.”
“Another one?” I asked as I pointed to the necklace around my neck. I’d only taken it off to sleep.
“That was my original.”
I tore off a piece of bread. “I don’t need another.”
“Fine. When is your birthday?”
“July ninth.”
“Perfect birthday gift, then.” He took a bite of the chicken with one of the tortellini. “In around forty-five days, which is pretty close to the day. I spent a pretty penny on it.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t surprise me.” Considering I was pretty certain the amount of money he’d spent on my few gifts was more than I made in a few months. Our dinner date alone had been in the hundreds.
“A cool four hundred million pennies.”
I blinked at him, finally understanding he meant the house. “Only?”
“Well, technically three-hundred and ninety-one million.”
“Good job, Diane!” I held my hand up for a high five. He laughed as he slapped my hand.
“It comes complete with a man ready to serve you.” He gave a little wag of his eyebrows.
I clapped my hands together, my expression wide and animated. “My very own pool boy?”
“Feel free to use him sexually whenever you need him.” He winked at me.
“Oh, I plan on it.”
It really was the perfect birthday gift. My lease ended in August, and hopefully one of my coming interviews would result in a job offering. The quicker I was out, the better. Especially with the fast progression of our relationship.
Moving in with Gavin after only a few months of a hidden relationship may have been a bit rash, but I couldn’t find any reason not to. I’d fallen hard and fast.
“Is the asshole Mr. Grayson going to come out when we live together?” I asked. I knew how particular he was. Did he expect that level of perfection with me in our home?
He shook his head. “In my job, I have to scrutinize everything. I used that as a way to get close to you, but it will be our home. Our place to relax and be ourselves.”
“That sounds like paradise.”
“Agreed.”
We finished dinner and moved to the couch for a movie. Gavin was flipping through Netflix, and I was curled against his side.
“Have you ever lived with someone before?” I asked as I looked up at him.
His expression dropped, and the warmth seemed to ebb from him, making me instantly regret I’d asked.
“Once.”
“The one that didn’t end well?” He’d made mention of it in the past, and I had a feeling she was the reason he got money defensive when we were looking at houses.
He nodded. “I suppose it’s best I told you that I’ve been married before.”
The news stunned me, and I stared up at him. “Oh? For how long? What happened?”
“Two years, and basically, she was a gold-digging whore.”
Bingo. A lot of things began to make sense. “You didn’t want to be attracted to me, did you?”
His eyes never left mine. “No.” He pulled me closer, forcing me to straddle his lap. “I was angry with you and myself for those first few days, but each time I saw you, a little chip fell off my shoulder until there were none left.”
“I think you still have a chip on your shoulder,” I said. It reared its ugly head more than once.
“But not about you.”
He reached out to touch my face. It was another one of those sweet gestures he did. His hand stopped momentarily before he spoke, “I have a charity auction to go to; will you accompany me? It’s themed. I’m going as Zeus. You could be my Juno.”
I quirked my eyebrow at him. “Zeus cheated on Juno. A lot.”
A small smile graced his lips. “True.”
“We’d be better going as Hades and Persephone.”
“I’m the devil now?” he asked indignantly.
I nodded. “More believable than the leader of the gods. Just ask the people I work with.”
“But I am a leader, and I feel like a god quite often. Besides, Persephone wasn’t exactly happy with Hades. I think you’re Aphrodite.”
“Aphrodite? Me? Does that make you Ares or Hephaestus? If Hephaestus, she cheated on him and mostly with Ares. Though you do share similarities with the god of war.” I smirked up at him.
“That I do.” He hummed as he tapped his fingers on my hip. “What about Athena? She was very wise, just like you.”
“And a virgin. I think you know by now that I am no virgin.”
“No, I have made certain no virgin holes are left on you,” he replied with a smirk. “Hmm, this is getting more and more complicated. I didn’t realize you were so well versed in Greek and Roman mythology.”
I pointed to myself. “Slightly more intelligent than the average hotel clerk.”
He pursed his lips, not happy with my comment. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
I leaned in close, my lips barely an inch from his. “You can make it up to me.”
His hands squeezed my hips and pulled me closer and down. “Yeah?”
There was a playful smile on my lips as I slipped my arms around his shoulders. “If you’re up to it.”
“With you, that is never an issue,” he said as he flexed his hips and pressed his lips to mine.
One day we wouldn’t be crammed in my small apartment, but in our very own home.
With my fourth interview in two weeks at a close, I walked out with a lighter step. Each interview was practice, and I was getting better and better at them. Every one was a stepping stone, a progression to my goal. I was very ready to be free to be with Gavin, not hiding like we had been forced to.
The charity event was fast approaching, and I still didn’t have a costume. Gavin had told me not to worry about it, but we were only a few days away. On Wednesday, one of my first days off, I surfed the internet for anything I could get my hands on just in case.
We had plans for a little more casual night out, but knowing him, that just meant no dress code.
The buzzing vibration of my phone in my hand made me jump, and I had to swipe the screen a few times to answer. I couldn’t stop the smile from taking over my face at his name, or rather his initials, popping up on my phone.
“Hey, baby.”
“Meet me downstairs,” he said, then hung up.
I jumped up from the couch and slipped on some flip-flops on my way out the door and down the stairs. Parking was always a mess around my apartment, and I hoped he could find a space.
Luckily there was one a few spaces down, and I walked over as he pulled in and climbed out of the car.
“Hi, baby,” he greeted, leaning down to kiss me.
“So, what’s this all about?” I asked, wondering why he had called me down.
He leaned into the car and pulled a large box from the back seat and handed it to me.
“My costume?”
“Your costume, Aphrodite,” he confirmed, a smirk forming on his face.
I rolled my eyes at him. “This looks a little too fancy of a box for costume wrappings.”
After he grabbed his overnight bag from the passenger’s seat, we headed back up. There was a whole, wide-open table in my apartment, which still amazed me, to set the box on. Lifting the lid, I gasped at what lay inside.
What Gavin had purchased could by no means ever be associated with the costume image I had in mind—cheap, overpriced, flimsy material.
No, this was rich fabric and stunning glass crystals that formed the bodice. It was one shouldered, the fabric intertwining with the crystals.
“Gavin . . .” I trailed off, staring at the dress in awe.
He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Do you like it?”
“I love it,” I replied. “But this is way too much.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Yes it is,” I argued as I turned in his arms.
“Nothing is too much for my goddess,” he stated, his eyes locked on mine.
A groan left me as I wrapped my arms around his waist. “You spoil me too much. I’m not used to it. I’ve worked very hard to get what I need and what I want.”
He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. “Oh, I know how self-reliant you are,” he said with a chuckle. “However, I like to spoil you. I want to spoil you because you deserve the world at your feet.”
“And what did I do to deserve that?”
His hand moved to caress my cheek, his soft gaze making my chest ache. “You opened my heart, and that was no easy feat.”
I touched the pendant around my neck, then ran my hands up his chest and into his hair. His eyes fluttered closed, and a moan escaped his lips and his arms pulled me closer.
His words solidified the certainty I felt that we belonged together. I loved him, and I hoped soon I would be able to tell him.