Page 183 of Before Dawn

He shifted the bags to one arm and reached out, his palm cupping my cheek. “To get everything you touched or intensely stared at earlier.”

I stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. “Y-you actually went back?”

“I did.” His expression was so damn sincere it made my chest ache. He placed the bags on the coffee table then turned back to me. “I saw how much you liked them, and I couldn’t leave them behind. I know it’s hard for you to say ‘yes’ to things, and Ineverwant you to feel like you can’t have what you want.”

My heart raced as I grabbed a bag and pulled it open, only to gasp at the sight of the stunning black Dior tote from their newest line, emblazoned withMISS DIOR.

I barely had time to process it before Mikkel stepped closer. “If you want something, it’s yours. I’ll always make it happen.”

I swallowed, struggling to find my voice. “I don’t want to be the kind of person who just takes from you, though.”

He shook his head, and closed the space between us, his hand finding my waist. His voice dropped lower, rich with certainty. “Do you know what turns me on?” His fingers traced a slow path down my arm, his touch light but commanding. “Seeing you happy. Watching your eyes light up when you find something you love. Knowing that my money is being spent on you.”

A shiver ran down my spine, not just from his words but the way he said them—like this was fact, undeniable, irrefutable.

“Thanks for always getting me out of my head,” I whispered.

His lips brushed my forehead. “You never have to thank me.”

I exhaled, my heart lighter now. “I can’t believe you bought everything I touched.”

His smirk was nothing short of devastating. “I doubt I missed a thing, but let’s check.”

I grabbed the tote bag again, marveling at its beauty.

“Saw you eyeing this and thought it’d go perfectly with your red leather dress,” he murmured, watching me with quiet satisfaction.

“What leather dress?”

“The mini one, with the splits at the side.”

My head jerked up.How the hell did heremember that?

Before I could question it, he handed me another bag and I pulled out a fine silver bracelet from Cartier, adorned with tiny charms—a flower, an airplane, a heart, a book, a tassel, and the letter A.

A lump formed in my throat. “Mikkel, this is beautiful.”

“I want you to think of where you are in life every time you wear it,” he said, his voice gentler now. “And how much you’ve grown from everything you’ve been through.”

Words fell short, so I kissed him, pouring all my love and gratitude into it.

Among the other surprises were a Fendi bag, a Kate Spade wristlet, a Rudsak jacket, Stuart Weitzman heels, Fenty and Huda Beauty lip products, and Lululemon leggings.

He was right; this was everything I touched or looked at today. Hell, it was everything I wanted but would never ask for.

He couldn’t possibly get any dreamier.

I looked up at him, and he brushed his thumb across my lips.

“The way your eyes widened when you saw these, and the faint smile that followed, told me you wanted them,” he said. “I can’t wait to see how amazing you’ll look in them.”

I swallowed hard, overwhelmed. “I don’t do half as much for you. I– I just don’t.”

His gaze softened, and he took my hands in his, his grip firm. “You don’t have to earn your place in my life,mi reina.111” His voice was absolute. “You already have it.”

My tears were threatening to spill over. “Thank you for everything.”

Mikkel’s thumb moved gently across my cheek, his expression soft, unreadable.

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