Chapter Nine #2
She went to walk away, and he reached out, capturing her hand and pulling her in close. “Thank you.”
He wanted to tell her he loved her, but she might not be ready to hear it.
She kissed his lips and smiled at him. “You’re welcome.”
She amazed him so damn much.
Carl was waiting for them, and the back of the limo already had a dog harness. He strapped Angel in, and she curled up onto his lap.
“I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“I will do anything for you.” She reached out and took his hand.
He didn’t want to let her go. Roman had known Abigail was a different kind of woman from the moment he met her.
They arrived at the office, and Abigail set up all of Angel’s things and she did so inside his office.
At the start of the morning, Angel was quite happy to sit in her bed and let the world go by. He got through a lot of emails and phone calls.
Before lunch, Angel started to make a fuss, so he had no choice but to leave the office and take her for a walk.
There was a small park not far from his building, so he walked her across the street, and she had some business to attend to.
He cleaned it all up and carried her in his arms back to the office.
Abigail was waiting with lunch, and she even had treats for him so he could give them to Angel.
The rest of the afternoon, Angel would play with a few of the balls Abigail had brought. She’d run around, chasing them. From time to time, he would stop working just to play with her. Every now and then, he saw Abigail through the office window, and he saw the smile on her lips.
Angel crawled onto his lap.
“You see that woman, one day soon, I’m going to marry her. She doesn’t know it yet, but I will.” He kissed the back of her neck, breathing in her doggy scent, which he found so adorable. He loved Angel. It was love at first sight.
By the end of the day, he was curious to see what Abigail’s other surprise was for him.
He closed down his laptop, picked Angel up into his arms, and carried her out to the elevator where Abigail was waiting for him.
She took hold of his hand, and he loved that she no longer tried to fight their relationship.
If he heard anyone in the company complaining about her, he would deal with them personally. Abigail earned every promotion and reward he’d given her. From the moment she got the job here, she had been loyal and refused to be poached by anyone else.
Carl was waiting for them, and he even greeted Angel. The drive to Abigail’s home was short. Words were not needed with Angel between them.
Abigail let them in, and she pulled him into her apartment.
Angel wriggled in his arms, and they had already given her a quick walk before coming up. He watched as she trotted off to the small den Abigail had made her.
“It’s why I didn’t want you coming over last night,” she said. “I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.”
“I wouldn’t have minded this being spoiled.”
Abigail laughed. “I know, but I wanted you to remember this for your birthday specifically. The last few years, you barely celebrated. Now, go and take a shower, while I get the rest of your dinner ready.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Come and shower with me.”
“No, because if I get in that shower with you, we won’t be able to finish your food and your presents. Go.” She nudged him away, and he took the shortest shower on record.
He didn’t even wait for the water to warm up, and he was done and out within ten minutes. Drying his hair, he changed into a pair of pants and a shirt.
When Abigail saw him, she burst out laughing. “That was fast.”
Something smelled so good, and vaguely familiar.
“Sit, go and sit.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pressed his face against her neck, and breathed her in. “You’re the only present I need.”
Roman went and did as she asked, taking a seat at her dining room table, and he watched as she carried in a casserole dish. The moment he saw what was inside, he knew what she had made for him. This was his grandmother’s recipe.
Abigail walked away, only to return moments later carrying a cake that also looked familiar.
“Happy Birthday, Roman.” She leaned over and kissed his lips.
“This is what my grandma used to make.”
“There was a cookbook in your kitchen from your grandma, and inside, this lasagna recipe, as well as the birthday cake, were earmarked with your name on them. They’re your favorite foods, and she even made a note to cook every birthday. I hope I’ve not upset you or overstepped.”
“You’ve not overstepped.”
“I was kind of worried you might see it as an invasion of your privacy.” She nibbled her lip.
“This is not an invasion. This is perfect,” he said.
“I don’t know if it will taste likes hers, but everything else is the same.”
Roman reached out and cut into a slice of lasagna, and he served them both a large slice. He picked up his fork, slid it down one corner, scooped it up, tasted it, and yes, it was delicious. He closed his eyes and took a few seconds to enjoy it. It tasted so good.
“Perfect,” he said.
He took a second helping of lasagna, then it came time for the cake where Abigail sang to him, and Angel came to sit on his lap as he blew out his candles. It was the best birthday he had in a very long time, and it was Abigail who made it special.
She’d given him a dog, brought back so many good memories, and as part of his gift, he got to unwrap her and have his way with her.
It was the best ending to a birthday he started out not wanting to celebrate.