Page 242 of The Sidekick

He got the flower colored. It’s the same dark blue as his eyes, just like I pictured.

“I love you.”

Crap! I meant to say it’s beautiful. I didn’t even smile when I said it.

His grin wavers for a second before he slams into me, clutching me close as he ravages my mouth.

“I love you, angel. So fucking much.”

He draws back with a shaky breath. “Anniversary. Slow down.”

“Huh?” I try to pull him back into me but he gives me ‘the look’ and I straighten up.

“Max has been talking about our first night together like it’s a damn anniversary. He has some half-baked plan to take everyone out to dinner.”

“Oh no,” I whisper, arousal fading quickly. I’ve gotten a little better with eating but restaurants are still iffy.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “So I’m going to convince them we need a night in.”

“It’s Max. You’re going to need some heavy ammo for that.”

He gives me a devious grin. “I have that covered. Now, your present.”

“I thought the tattoo was my present?” I ask in surprise. “I meant to say it’s beautiful. It’s exactly like what I pictured.”

“No, the tattoo was your present to me,” he says absently and grabs a box off the couch.

He brings it to me as I try to figure out what he means. Then he opens the box to hold out for me to look.

My lips part in wonder at the collar. It’s one delicate curve of metal with a tiny hinge and a heart to lock it in place.

“I never showed you. I totally forgot,” I mutter.

“I didn’t,” he tells me grimly. “Andi figured out which one it was.”

I touch it reverently and glance up at him. “Will you put it on me?”

“Yes,” he says with a lot more force than I think is necessary. He acts like I’m going to say nevermind and walk out if he doesn’t hurry.

He tosses the box behind him and gently fits the collar to my neck. I hold my hair out of the way for him as he closes it.

“There,” he sighs and runs a finger over the metal. It’s cold but warming quickly with my body heat.

“The key?” I look behind him at the box and he puts his fingers to my chin, drawing my attention back to his chest. A tiny key rests at the hollow of his throat by a thin leather necklace.

“Thank you,” I bounce on my toes and crush him to me in a hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now we need to get on with our plan derailing portion of the evening.”

“Ok,” I giggle as he takes my hand and starts pulling me into the spare room that I claimed when I first moved in. The room we’ll share now.

When he opens the door I stop as another surprise hits me. The room has been rearranged while I was at work. The bed is pressed into the far wall leaving the front half of the room empty except for one thing.

“What is that?”

He turns back and gives me a sexy smirk.

“Have you tried aerial yoga, angel?”

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