Page 73 of Lords of Misrule
I untie the ribbon and unwrap the Christmas paper, opening the small black box inside. It’s a plain silver ring. I glance up Finn, my brow knitting as I study his bemused expression.
“Never seen a ring before?” He smirks.
“I just didn’t… I mean…” I stumble over my words and his smirk melts into a smile. He gets out of the chair and kneels down next to me, plucking the ring out of the box and putting it on my left ring finger.
“Now this one.” He hands me the next box that’s the same size and I open it the same way I did the last. There’s another ring inside and I raise a brow.
Hudson leans over and pulls the ring out. He turns it over and lets the light from the fire catch on the engraving on the inside of the ring.
“Girl?” I ask, reading it out loud.
“The one Finn just put on you has one too.”
I pull it off and let it catch the light.
“Our girl?” I feel tears start to well up and Hudson kisses my cheek while Finn helps me slip the rings back on.
“Our girl.” Finn grins at me.
“Open the last one.” Rowan nods to the bigger box and I eye him as I go to reach for it.
When I unwrap it, I find a necklace with a blackberry pendant that sparkles in the light. I turn to look at him, tears starting to fall down my cheeks, and his eyes meet mine for a moment before they dart away again.
“Here.” Rowan holds his hand out after he sets his mug down, and I hand him the box.
He pulls the necklace out and then motions for me to turn so he can put it on. He slips it around my neck and hooks the clasp, letting it fall into place. I wrap my fingers around it and glance up at him.
“I love it.”
He leans forward, cupping my jaw as he kisses me. It’s softer than his usual kiss, gentler in the way his lips pass over mine, like he’s trying to kiss the tears away. I melt into his touch for a moment before we pull away. He grabs his mug of cocoa again and I run my fingers over his knee.
“Thank you.” I grin at Finn and Hudson. “I love it so much. I wish I could have gotten you something though.”
“We have you every day. That’s enough.” Hudson wraps an arm around me, pulling me close, and I lean against his shoulder, my eyes drifting to Finn.
“Ready for bed?” Finn asks as he stands, holding out his hand. I nod and he hauls me up to my feet. The rest follow us up the stairs.
Before I know it, we’re all tucked into the two beds we pushed together in the loft, Hudson snoring and Finn dead to the world at my side. I stare at the vaulted ceiling above me, drifting off to sleep thinking how thankful I am for these three and how Christmas has definitely become my favorite time of year.
* * *
Later that night I wake up and make my way downstairs to get a drink. I look out the window to the massive navy sky dotted with stars and framed by the frost on the windowpanes. I take another sip of the warm apple cider when I feel arms wrap around my waist and lips pressed to my exposed shoulder.
“You didn’t wake them up, did you?” I whisper.
“No. Hudson’s still snoring like a fucking hibernating bear and Finn didn’t even move,” Rowan answers, kissing the side of my throat.
“Good. I don’t think Finn’s had a whole night’s sleep since London.” I’ve been worried about him.
“And what about you?” he asks, pointing out the obvious.
“I’m just worried about getting back to the States. Meeting with the courier in Chicago.”
“Let me be the one to worry.” He presses another kiss to my shoulder.
I glance back at him, raising a brow and giving him a look that tells him these days we both get to worry.
“It’s fine, Charlotte. I promise. I’ve checked and double checked all the papers we had made in Prague. We’ll get through.”
