I was raised in a manor house full of cold marble, beige curtains, and refined rugs, which have nothing on the bright yellow walls and gorgeous indigenous artwork here in Yaya’s home. Even the high-end leather couches look like the kind you can cuddle up in and take a nap.
“Dios mío, are all of these presents for us?” she asks as she takes a few boxes, leading me to the rustic wood-and-iron coffee table.
“Of course. And—” I grimace as I set everything on the table. “—there are at least two more loads where that came from.”
“Two more loads of what?”
I freeze in place, Gael’s softly accented voice running over me like fine silk. Yaya captures my eyes with a gentle smile. She sets her boxes on the table and leaves us alone.
Taking a deep breath, I smooth down my button-up and turn to find him standing at the entrance to the hall that leads back to the family’s bedrooms. Heavens, he is so lovely. His hair has grown out a bit more, and his hands, so used to working with leather, have some sort of stain on them. He’s wearing flowy cream-coloured trousers with a tight tank top, and the combination spins me in circles.
“Hello, Gael. How are you?”
My voice is far steadier than my insides, especially when his smile, already stunning, brightens.
“Better now. I was worried you wouldn’t arrive in time for Christmas,” he says, making his way into the living room.
“As I told your mother, I would’ve been here sooner, but I had some business in Cambodia that couldn’t wait.”
“Saving the world?” he asks, popping his thick, perfect eyebrows.
My mobile goes off again and I grit my teeth. “Sorry. My father started calling twelve time zones ago and I’m still in no mood to hear what he has to say.”
“He still waiting for you to take your place as lord of the manor?” Gael asks, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He and I both know that I am not built for manor life.
“He’ll be waiting for a long time,” I retort, fishing my phone out of my pocket to turn off the vibrate feature.
I return my attention to the beautiful man in front of me. “As for saving the world… not quite. More like atoning for my country’s colonizer ways.”
Honestly, it makes me deeply uncomfortable whenever someone acts as though I’vesavedanyone. I’m wealthy, born into it, never having truly worked a day in my life. That I can take some of that power and privilege to help a few kids out of a bad situation… Well, it seems the very least I could do.
Gael laughs at my awkward joke, then gestures to the coffee table full of presents. “You’re far too generous.”
“Then I’m going to feel awfully silly about the presents still outside. It’s a good thing I upgraded my vehicle.”
“You are too much. Here, I’ll help you bring the rest in,” he says, hugging my side.
My heart nearly beats out of my chest from the simple contact. I would buy a hundred overpriced parcels of land for one of his hugs.
“I’m so glad to see you,” he says, smiling up at me, his brown eyes a pair of swirling depths I can happily get lost in.
“I wouldn’t miss Christmas with you for the world,” I say, feeling a little brave.
“I’m glad.” He squeezes tight, then takes my hand to lead me outside.
He opens the front door and lets out a low whistle. “Upgrade? That’s anF350.”
“It is rather large, yes?” I ask, feeling uncertain. “I’m not sure how things are actually sized here in Texas, only that they seem to be at least double what we usually see in the UK.”
“It’s pretty much the biggest truck you can buy without needing a special license.” He laughs as he climbs, ever so nimble, up into the truck bed.
“You are a crazy man,” he says, handing present after present over the side of the truck. “There’s got to be a hundred boxes here.”
“Psh. Don’t be dramatic. According to customs there’s a mere fifty-three boxes.”
He shakes his head and then elegantly drops to the ground. “You are far too generous.”
He doesn’t even bumble the parcels in his hands.
