Page 78 of Revival

"Open it." Lifting off the lid, there's a new shiny gold key inside. "Stay with me. As long as you want. I want my house to beourhouse. I want to travel with you. And I want these crazy pups to be ours. Not mine or yours, butours."

"I think we're on the same page, Romeo."

I feel his kiss down to my toes. "Take me home."

"Not quite yet. I have one more birthday surprise planned."

"Really? You have already given me such an incredible day. I don't need anything more. Except, maybe an evening with you. Naked in our bed. With a little whipped cream." I wiggle my eyebrows.

"Our bed,” he repeats quietly, nodding. “As delicious as that sounds, we have places to be. Now, let's go before we're late." Daniel takes off in a sprint, the puppies chasing at his heels. It only takes a second before both Lydia and Beetlejuice get their leashes twisted in Daniel's legs and send him flying into the sand.

I catch up, taking the leashes. "I thought you said we're going too be late, and now you're just lying around.Sheesh. What am I going to do with you?" I laugh as the pups continue jumping all over Daniel, kicking sand everywhere.

"You can start by helping me up." Daniel holds his hand out for me to pull him up, but instead, he pulls me down on top of him.

"Oh my goodness!" I catch myself as a stumble on top of him.

"Don't worry. I have you. I will always have you."

I kiss Daniel. His lips shock mine and I laugh into the kiss. "There's our spark,” I murmur against his lips.

Daniel's phone vibrates in his pocket. He checks the text message but hides the screen from me. "Ready?" he asks.

"Who was that?"

"It's all part of the surprise, dollface. Now, let's go, or we're going to miss it, and that would just suck."

Twenty minutes later, we pull up to the massive house, directly on the water in Newport Harbor. "Whose house is this?" I ask.

"A friend's." Daniel helps me down from the truck and puts the puppies on their leashes. Now, stop asking questions and come on."

"Just so you know, I don't like surprise parties."

He chuckles. "Then it's a good thing I didn't plan one."

Walking into the seemingly empty house, I turn each corner like a ninja waiting for someone to pop out at me. As Daniel pulls open the curtains to the boat deck, I expect people, though I'm not sure who will jump out and yell surprise.

Even though I hate surprises, I am slightly disappointed there isn't a party. It's been over a month since I've seen my family, and celebrating turning forty with them would have been nice.

"Are you okay? You look upset, or… disappointed?"

"No, I'm good. Or as good as a woman can be who's turning forty in four days," I joke.

"Does something happen to a woman at forty that I'm unaware about? Because you all act like it's the scariest thing out there. Even if you wake up on your birthday and all your hair has turned gray, and all your teeth have fallen out, I will still think you are the most beautiful woman on the planet."

"How did I get so lucky?" I whisper. Reaching up, I give Daniel a kiss. The puppies bark at our feet, jealous of the attention we're giving each other rather than them.

"I think I'm the lucky one. Now, I'm going to put the dogs in a kennel I have for them; you pour us some drinks, and I'll meet you on the deck."

Standing there, admiring the boats and the waterfront mansions they belong to, I hear Daniel's faint footsteps approach from behind, and my body goose pimples anticipating his touch. He wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. With a nibble on my ear, he whispers, "Ready?"

"More than ready." I push my ass into the erection I can feel growing through his shorts.

"When I get you home, dollface, the things I'm going to do you for teasing me all night. But right now, look to your left."

A sixty-foot-tall rubber duck is entering the Newport Harbor.

My eyes widen and my mouth drops open. "Holy shit. You didn't! How? What?"

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