Page 84 of Prince Charming

She could be as sneaky too and do something lovely for him. And she knew just the thing. Once Marianna found his favorite pie recipe online, she pushed him out of the kitchen.

“I can’t have you around licking spoons.”

He smirked. “Think it’d turn you on? I already know my tongue does it for you, Anna.”

Wicked boy. She turned crimson.

Capturing her around the neck, he kissed her deep enough to make her forget her name.

“I’ll be out back finishing something.”

And then, alone in his kitchen, she made him a shoofly pie.

“Ready for your Christmas present, darlin’?” He asked later. Snowflakes dusting the top of his ball cap. Marianna frowned. No one said presents were involved.

“Don’t look like that.” He grinned, making her belly flip over. “I made you something. Come look.” His offered hand got Marianna moving across the living room. Unable to refuse him anything.

It was going to be a problem.

But now, she felt a flutter of excitement.

Outside, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sitting on a tarp under the carport roof was a four tier bookcase with twelve shelves, cubby holes included.

Marianna’s heart pounded out of her chest.

“You… you made this for me?”

“You mentioned you love reading, and your place doesn’t have a bookcase.”

“Luke, it’s…” she was at a loss for words.

He rubbed a hand around the back of his neck. “If I’d had more time this week, I could have made it fancier.”

“Luke, stop. It’s perfect. I can’t believe you did this for me. It’s beautiful.” Marianna couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She was so overwhelmed by his gesture that she flung herself into his arms before she realized. “Thank you very much.”

“Merry Christmas, darlin’.”

“Can we take it home now?” Eager to see how it looked.

Tag got a look in his eyes that once again made her feel funny inside.

“Go get your coat, I’ll get this in the truck.”

He carried it up the stairs and into her apartment like it didn’t weigh more than a potato. Marianna fussed him through the doorways, so he didn’t scratch her gift. “It’s okay if I get banged up, just not the bookcase, huh?” He gruffed.

“Da.”

“Cruel woman, now tell me where you want it.”

The moment it was sitting up against the far wall in her living room, she rushed through to the bedroom to grab her books.

Displaying her set of Goodwill books proudly on the middle shelf. She grinned at him over her shoulder. “Oh, I love it so much.”

“Five fucking paperback books, darlin’?”

She frowned, not understanding the scowl on his face.

“All you have is five books?”

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