I held out the box of chocolates to him. “Merry Christmas, Caspian.” It wasn’t much, just a cheap box of caramel chocolates I picked up while shopping, but it was probably the only gift he would get this year.
He took it in his large hands and stared at the red bow on top. With a moment of hesitation, he examined the box like he couldn’t identify what it was. Then a small smile came over his lips, and he raised his gaze to meet mine. “Thank you. And thank you for putting up with my son…and me.”
“Yes, you’re both a handful,” I said with a chuckle. “But you both have qualities that I like.”
“I can see that in Maverick…not so much in myself.” He tucked the box of chocolates under his arm then said goodbye to his son. “Thank you for inviting me. This was nice. Much better than sitting at home alone.”
“Yeah.” Maverick kept his hands in his pockets like he didn’t want to give or receive affection. “It was nice.”
After staring at his son for a while, Caspian opened the door and stepped out into the darkness. He got into his car, started the engine, and then drove away. His red taillights were visible until he reached the gate and turned onto the main road.
Maverick shut the door and bolted the lock. Like he’d been holding his breath for the last few hours, he released the air stuffed in his lungs and let his shoulders relax.
“That went well.”
“Yeah, it did.” He leaned against the door with his hand on the knob. “I was waiting for it to go to shit any moment.”
To me, it seemed like the road would be a smooth one. It might not be perfect and it would take a long time for trust to be rebuilt, but at least they were on the right track. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. I know it’s hard to let your guard down, but I don’t think your father has a trick up his sleeve. The last two years have been hard for you, so I understand if your guard stays up for a while. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“You’re a lot more pragmatic about this than I am.”
“That’s because I haven’t been his victim for two years.”
“He was an ass to you.”
I shrugged. “I have a pretty thick skin.”
“No. It’s soft, beautiful, and kissable.” He pushed off the door and came close to me, his arms circling my waist as he forgot about his father. When his eyes settled on me, he didn’t think about anything else besides us. “I have a surprise for you.”
“You already got me a great present yesterday.”
“I know, but I have something better for you. Want to see it?”
I already had the perfect husband. What more could I possibly want? “You know I won’t stop thinking about it until you do.”
“Alright.” He took my hand and guided me up the three flights of stairs until we entered his bedroom.
When I walked inside, I expected to see a wrapped present on the bed or a gown lying across the back of the chair. He usually bought me clothes and jewelry, and he nailed it every time. I stepped inside and took a look around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. “Where is it?”
He opened the door to the walk-in closet. “Here.”
When I looked inside, I saw all my clothes hanging on the rack opposite his. My heels and shoes were placed in the cubbies, and there was a box that held all of my jewelry.
“And here.” He moved to the bathroom and showed me all my hair supplies sitting on the counter. My makeup, brushes, and everything else I used was there, along with a fresh arrangement of winter flowers. “Last but not least…” He walked to the other side of the bed then nodded to the nightstand.
It took me two seconds to figure out what he’d done. He’d had his servants move everything from my bedroom to his while we had dinner, officially moving me in to his bedroom. Our bedroom.
I went to the nightstand and opened the drawer. The little things I had tucked away were there, from hair ties, to old pictures, to miscellaneous things I didn’t know what to do with. “This felt like my bedroom a long time ago…” I shut the drawer and turned around. “I’d love to live with you, but I have to warn you—” I shut my mouth when I noticed him on the rug on one knee. A brown box was in his hand, and he gripped the velvet-covered container like he was about to open it at any second.
I was already married to this man. We’d already had a wedding, already had a future together. But we’d never had a proposal—and I couldn’t believe I was getting one now. It felt right the second I looked at him, the moment my brain caught up with my heart. My hands automatically cupped my face like this was a dream come true, like I hadn’t seen him wear his wedding ring every single day for the last few months.