“We do,” I told her.
She tilted her head. “We do what?”
I chuckled. “We live here. Merry Christmas, darlin’.”
Her mouth dropped open and hung there so long I thought she may never recover. “You bought a house for us?” she asked, her voice finally working but filled with surprise.
I nodded. “It fell into my lap and was too good to pass up. Besides, we are making a family, aren’t we?” I knew I sounded as nervous as I felt. What if she refused to move into the home with me?
When she grabbed my face with both hands and placed her lips on mine, the worry slipped away. I was glad that our friends, who were all inside, were waiting for our cue to walk in because I was lost in the kiss. Capri’s kiss tasted so sweet and felt like not only coming home, but it tasted of forever.
We finally came up for air but didn’t move apart. “I can’t believe you bought us a house,” she said softly, in a wondrous tone.
“I’d do anything for you, darlin’. Never forget that. Now, are you ready to host your first party in your new place?”
Her eyes bugged out, and she stepped back. “We’rehosting the party?”
“Yup,” I said with a smug smile.
“I can’t believe how wonderful you are. I love you so much,” she told me breathlessly.
I touched my hand to her cheek and then slipped it down her arm to grab her hand in mine. “I love you more. Now let me show youourplace.”
When I opened the door, a chorus of voices rang out, “Surprise.”
ChapterTwenty-Five
CAPRI
I couldn’t believewhat Pax had done.
The house was my dream home. He knew how much I loved the homes on the river and how free I felt when I sat in the backyards of our friends and family’s houses that lived on the street. And how crazy was it that our new home was right next door to his sister and her husband?
To say that Gemma was excited was an understatement. And the guys—they were a hoot already making plans for a change in our fences.
First, they wanted a gate from our backyard to Bodie and Gemma’s. Then, Gyth had mentioned a design he’d seen somewhere where you could make a section of your fence flip down halfway on each side into a table of sorts so the guys could just hang out and talk from their own backyards with a beer or whatnot. The picture he showed us was actually pretty cool and now Bodie and Paxton were making plans to do it.
All night, I’d had a permanent smile on my face and happiness flowing freely through my body. Every once in a while I had to shake my head in amazement over how much my life had changed.
If it hadn’t been for Pax, I would have run, and who knows what would have happened to me. What I did know was I would have never found a life like I had now.
So, when it came to the things my guy wanted to do with the fence, the yard, or anything else for that matter, the world was his oyster. He deserved whatever he wanted. As long as I had something comfy to sit in after a long day at work where I could listen to the sound of the rippling water that always relaxed me and a safe place for our children to play when they were older, then I was happy.
Without thought,childrenhad come to mind. Not just one child. The image of multiple children running, playing, and laughing with their daddy flitted through my head, making me feel gooey inside.
But seriously, beyond the backyard, I could live in my master bathroom. The thought made me giggle, but the place was heaven. A huge sunken tub with jets or a walk-in shower, with multiple shower heads that I knew Paxton and I could put to good use. They were mine for the picking. For a bathroom, it was enormous.
There was also a huge walk-in closet and a state-of-the-art kitchen that I could bake in until my heart was content. The whole house was glorious. But one of the things that really topped it all off was the French doors that led out to the balcony off the master bedroom, which overlooked the water. That was where I’d found myself towards the end of the evening trying to wrap my head around the magnificent gift I’d been given.
I stood staring out at the water, mesmerized by the view, when I felt strong arms wrap around my middle and come to rest gently but protectively on my stomach.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Pax murmured in my ear.
I dropped my head back against his chest. “I’m thinking, I don’t know what I did to deserve you and all of this, but I am so damn happy I’m hoping it’s not all a dream.”
“It’s very real, sweetheart. So real, I can make love to you in our new bed tonight.”
That was another crazy surprise. Paxton had already had an amazing security system set up for safety purposes, and he hadn’t furnished the house because he’d said he wanted us to do that together. He had, however, bought a bedroom set he thought I’d like with the help of his sister so we could wake up Christmas morning in our new home.
