I went to the florist at lunchtime and ordered a huge bouquet of roses. Instead of all red, I asked the florist to put one rose of every color he had on hand. On the note I wrote:I’ve been a complete ass. Can you forgive me?I stopped at the pet store on the way back to my office and bought a few things for Indy and the girls. I missed that little dog almost as much as I missed his human. Mal and Urs had been bored to tears without Indy chasing them all around my house. I picked up a few catnip stuffed mice for them as a special treat for their suffering too.
I had just sat down in my office chair when I received a text from Miller. I held my breath while I opened the text to read his response.
I miss you too. Indy and I will be over at 6.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief and tried to figure out what to do for dinner. Takeout wouldn’t impress him, but I could barely boil water. Inspiration struck and I texted Miller’s mom for one of her recipes. She was happy to help me plan a surprise and emailed me instructions on how to make stuffed peppers. I finished work early so I could do some grocery shopping and set a romantic atmosphere with candles and soft music. They weren’t empty gestures either. Miller meant the world to me, and I would do whatever I could to prove it.
Mal and Urs wound themselves around my legs as I followed the recipe instructions. The stuffed peppers were easier to make than I’d thought, and I felt a sense of pride when I put them into the oven to bake. “Let’s just hope I don’t give my man food poisoning,” I said to the cats.
I lit candles all around the dining room and put on some music—all things I never thought myself capable of—while I waited for Bones and Indy to arrive. Miller meant the world to me, and my stupid pride would need to take a back seat to showing him how I felt. I heard Indy barking on my front porch before I heard Miller’s key in the door. My heart beat erratically, and butterflies took flight in my stomach. I tried to look casual as Miller came through the door, but one look at him and I was a goner.
“I’ve missed you so much, Bones.” I wrapped my arms around him and breathed in his scent. “Never again…” I couldn’t complete the sentence, but he knew what I meant.
He held me just as tight. “I’ve missed you too.”
My world had returned to its peaceful order with Miller in my arms. Well, until I heard the cats hiss followed by Indy’s high-pitched bark before our pets tore through the house. They were the happiest sounds I’d heard in several days until I heard and felt laughter rumbling through Miller’s chest.
He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Thank you for the beautiful flowers, Jag.”
“I’m glad you liked them.” I leaned in and kissed him softly. “I meant every word I wrote on that card, Bones. I’m very sorry for the immature way I handled the situation. I promise to do better the next time I get jealous.”
Miller’s baby blues twinkled with happiness. “We’ll work on it together because I would’ve behaved just as badly if the situation was reversed.”
“I hate the time we lost because we can’t get it back. Hell, it’s December already.” For so long, I’d hated the month of December. I wanted nothing to do with Christmas decorating, shows, music—none of it. I would still have sad memories of losing Will, but being with Miller made me want to focus on the future and not my past. “It’s our first official Christmas as a couple, and I want it to be special. Will you help me pick out a tree and decorate it?”
Miller knew the significance of what I was asking. I could see it in his eyes and the way he touched my face. It was a big step forward for me, and I wanted him to be part of it. I wanted Miller to be a part of everything I went through.
“How about we go this weekend?” he asked.
“Perfect.” I leaned in and kissed him again. I planned on kissing him a bunch that night to make up for the lonely days we’d spent apart. I laughed as I realized we were still standing in the foyer. I had snatched him up as soon as he’d shut the front door. “How about we move this reunion a little farther inside the house? I have a surprise for you. I linked my fingers with his and led us into the dining room.
Miller smiled gently when he noticed the romantic touches. “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble. Don’t you know by now that I would’ve been just as happy with pizza on the couch?” He tilted his head back and sniffed the air. “Smells like my mom’s stuffed peppers in here.”
“That’s because I got the recipe from her today. I wanted to do something special to show you how much you mean to me. Have a seat, and I’ll bring dinner out.” I carried the casserole dish into the dining room and set it on the table. I leaned forward and kissed him softly before I sat at the table. “You deserve to be wined and dined. Damn, I forgot the wine.” I started to rise from my seat, but Miller placed his hand on my arm to keep me in place.
“I’ll get it.”
While he was gone, I tried to pull myself together. I was feeling anxious again, but I wasn’t sure why. Everything was going smoothly, so I didn’t understand where my anxiety was coming from. Miller walked back into the room and placed the bottle on the table. I was lost in my thoughts, and it startled me a bit. I looked at Bones; he looked a little confused. “I’m feeling anxious, and I don’t know why.”
“I do.” He reached out his hand to me and gave me the crooked smile I had missed so much. “I know just what you need.” I placed my hand in his and he tugged until I stood up. He dropped my hand and picked up our plates. “Grab those dishes or our pets will be in our food while we’re upstairs.”
“What about our dinner?” I did as he asked and followed him into the kitchen.
“We’ve been apart for more than a week, and you’re worried about your stomach? I must be losing my touch. The best thing about stuffed peppers is that they reheat nicely.” Miller spotted the toy I’d bought for Indy on the counter after we safely stored the food away. “You were going to use my dog to get to me, weren’t you?”
“I’m not proud,” I said in mock shame. Indy spotted the toy in Miller’s hand and began to wag his tail in excitement. I took the toy and gave it to Indy. “Here you go, boy. I missed you too.”
“It worked,” Miller said with a leering grin.
We practically ran to my bedroom in our haste to get reacquainted with each other’s bodies. I wanted to relearn every part of him like it was the first time because that was how it felt. That was the source of my anxiety. Once Miller had his way with me, I could relax and enjoy our dinner.
Our pets were in hot pursuit, thinking we were playing games. Indy was going to town on his new hot dog squeak toy as he gave chase. Miller pulled us inside my room, shut the door, and locked it. I gave him a quizzical look. Did he think the pets could somehow unlock the door? He just shrugged. We sent our clothes flying as we made our way to my large bed.
Miller fit himself between my spread thighs and lowered his head for a kiss so full of passion and promise. He kissed me until my anxiousness disappeared and all I could think about was the pleasure we’d bring one another. Miller reached between my legs and cupped my sac. He gave my balls a firm massage at the same time Indy bit into his squeak toy again. Miller grinned at me from above and gave my balls another squeeze.Squeak!He did it a few more times, and each time, Indy simultaneously chomped on his toy. We burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of the moment.
“No wonder you were so anxious,” Miller said. “It’s been so long since we’ve had sex that your balls are squeaking.”
“Fix me, Bones.”
