“Okay,” Sylas said soothingly. “No more ladders.”
“Really?” My jaw dropped. “I mean, you don’t have to do that. I know I overreacted.”
“No, you didn’t,” Sylas contradicted me gently. “You asked me to get down and I made light of it. That’s on me.” Sylas snuggled me closer. “I’m sorry, Paul.”
Unable to even remember the last time that someone else had apologized for upsetting me, I was speechless, so the doorbell that rang through the house wasn’t interrupting anything. Sylas shifted me off his lap and brushed his lips over mine.
“I’ll be right back. Keep focusing on your breathing, okay?”
I nodded and closed my eyes, listening to the faint murmuring of voices from the foyer. The squeak of Sylas’s athletic shoes announced his return just before he cleared his throat.
“How are you feeling, Tiger?”
I eased my eyes open to find that he’d knelt in front of me, a large, oddly shaped package tied up in gold tissue sitting on the floor between us. I managed a wan smile and shook my head at the gold bundle. “I think I’m okay,” I said, my voice softer than I liked. “What’s that?”
“This?” Sylas followed my fingers with his eyes, frowning in exaggerated mock confusion. “Now, where on earth didthatcome from?”
I snorted. “Right..”
Sylas shrugged, his twinkling eyes more purple than silver. “I guess you should open it and then we can find out?” he suggested.
Remembering the tiny card crumpled in my fist, I un-balled it and smoothed it out, narrowing my eyes at Sylas who cocked his head in a terrible attempt at looking innocent. “I don’t suppose you know who sent the beautiful flowers in the bedroom?”
Sylas took the card and read it, his lips twitching into a gentle smile that matched the affection in his gaze. “It says they’re from a secret admirer,” he pointed out with a smirk. “Should I be jealous?”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hold back a grin. “You’re a dork.”
“Hey, that’s not nice,” Sylas protested with another smirk. “So, are you gonna open this or not?” he asked, nudging the newly delivered package toward me.
Searching in the tissue rosette caused by the ribbon tying the paper closed, I found another card and plucked it free with a triumphant grin. “So, do I have another admirer or…?”
Sylas’s smirk stretched back into a smile. “Honestly? I’d be shocked if you didn’t have hundreds,” he said softly. “You’re extraordinary.”
My stupid heart tripped over itself as it started racing at his words and I had to reach up and wipe away a tear. “You are so much sweeter than I deserve, Sylas. Why aren’t you married with a hundred kids?”
Pain flashed through his eyes so quickly that I would have missed it if I hadn’t been staring into the quicksilver of his gaze. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business,” I amended quickly, forcing a bright smile and tugging on the ribbon, anxious to change the subject.
“It’s okay, baby,” Sylas said softly, stilling my fingers with his gentle hands and bringing them up to his lips. “You’re important to me and I don’t want to have any secrets from you, but, honestly, it’s not a happy story and I’d rather not ruin your birthday with it. Can we put a pin in it and I’ll tell you my background tomorrow?”
Warmth rushed through me at Sylas’s easy declaration and I stroked his cheek with the fingers he still held to his lips. “Okay.” Dropping my hands, I made quick work of untying the ribbon and folding the paper to the sides, revealing another beautiful basket filled with smaller tissue-wrapped packages. This basket was much larger and sturdier than the one holding the plants. It had a pair of handles that folded up to carry it and a padded lining made of pale green chintz fabric that had cheerful bumble bees buzzing between flowers.
“Wow,” I breathed out, “That is cool.” I studied it carefully before looking up at Sylas. “I’ve never seen a basket like this before. Is it for a specific purpose?”
“Maybe you should read the card?” Sylas suggested with a wink, reminding me that I’d dropped it in my lap with the other card when things had taken the sudden heavy turn moments before.
“Oh.” Tearing open the envelope, I found that what I’d thought was a card was actually an instruction sheet. For a Moses basket. Who needed instructions on how to use a basket? I made it to the next line before it became obvious that apparentlyIdid. “Oh!” I said again, this one in surprise. “It’s like a bed for the baby!”
I leaned over to press a kiss to Sylas’s lips. “Thank you!”
Sylas chuckled. “I’ll never complain about kisses,” he teased me, “but aren’t you going to open the other packages? There might be something for the Daddy-to-be in there.”
Laughing, I reached for the first of the smaller items and the paper fell away to reveal a honey-infused skin conditioner. Next was a shower crème. Then a body scrub and so on. By the time the Moses basket was empty, there was a complete set of skin care products lined up on the coffee table.
“This smells so good,” I sighed, taking a deep whiff from a bottle of bubble bath before waving it under Sylas’s nose.
“Sure does,” Sylas agreed, grabbing it from my hand and setting it down with the rest. Before I could protest, he’d risen to his knees between my legs and caught the back of my head with one hand, pulling me forward for a kiss that started out soft and sweet before deepening to aggressive and soul stealing. “Mmm. But you taste better.”
Releasing me as abruptly as he’d captured me, Sylas sat back on his heels and glanced over at the clock on the wall. “Now, you have just enough time for a long, hot bubble bath before the next part of your birthday celebration begins.” He rose to his feet and extended a hand to pull me up. “If you’re interested, of course.”
