Leah
“Happy birthday, darlin’.”
Warmth blooms across my cheeks as a bite back the urge to gawk.
How the heck is this my life?
If someone had told me even a year ago that I'd be dating a hot tower of a blond heathen, I would've laughed myself silly. But he's here right now, looking at me like that, with that devilish grin and a kiss like heaven, and all I want to do is savor the moment. I want to savor him.
As he reaches for me, my hand curls around the back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss. “Thank you, cowboy,” I murmur against his mouth before teasing his lips apart.
A groan slips out with his next breath as his hands wander to the curve of my rear. He squeezes intently, making me giggle.
We're interrupted by the soft clacking of nails against the faux-wood laminate. Letting out a disgruntled sigh, Angus sits back on his haunches, his backside pressed against my leg.
“Don’t look so excited,” Nick jokes, adjusting his beanie. “Y’all ready to go?”
“What do you say, buddy?” I gently pat the top of his head.
Angus steps outside and lopes toward Nick’s truck.
“He's thrilled.” Nick snickers.
“Clearly.”
It’s been a hectic week since my niece came home from the NICU.
Between school and helping Matt and Rachel settle into life with a newborn, I’ve spent more time at their house than my own.
When Nick suggested I spend my birthday weekend with him while Grady was at Tiffany’s, I jumped at the chance.
A whole weekend together sounded like exactly what I needed.
Nick takes my bag and starts the truck to warm it up. He gets Angus situated before helping me into the truck, where a glittery pink gift bag is waiting on the passenger seat.
“Aww …” I look back at him. “What is this?”
He smiles.“Go ahead and open it.”
By the time he climbs behind the wheel and turns out of my complex, I’ve peeled back the tissue paper and found a familiar children’s book inside. Yes Day—except he's slapped a sticky note over the word Day and scrawled Night across it in black marker.
“What is this?”
He shrugs. “Maybe you should flip it open."
Inside the cover is a note in his handwriting.
Welcome to Yes Night. For the next few hours, there are no plans to follow, no expectations to meet, and absolutely no requirement to be reasonable. You make the wishes. I say yes.
-N
For a moment, all I can do is stare at the words.
I’d assumed spending the weekend together would mean we’d finally address the rather large elephant that’s been following us since the first time we had sex.
We've gotten hot and heavy a few times, but Nick has been a complete gentleman, sensing when things were becoming uncomfortable for me.
And the sweetest part? He doesn't make it awkward.
But that's not what I want for us. I want to enjoy him, enjoy us. Actually enjoy myself. I'm experiencing things that I have never felt before, and it's healing a part of the relationship I have with my body that was damaged when I first started having medical problems.
I run my thumb along the edge of the page. “What if … what if I don’t know what I want?”
“Then we take our time until you do. There is no pressure, Leah. If you want to sleep in Grady’s room, that's alright, but fair warning, I'll be on the floor right outside waiting for you.”
Shaking my head, I fight against the smile pulling at my mouth.
“I love it when you do that,”he murmurs.
I raise an eyebrow. “Do what, Cowboy?”
“Bite that damn lip. Makes me jealous.”
I lean across the console. Breathing in his clean scent, I press my mouth right against his ear. “Then bite it.”
He shivers against me. His knuckles blanch as his grip tightens on the steering wheel. “You’re gonna get us killed, woman.”
“I thought it was my yes night,” I tease, leaving a trail of kisses along his ear and down his neck.
The truck rolls to a stop.
Suddenly, his hand slides behind my neck and pulls me toward him. His mouth meets mine, swallowing my gasp as his tongue parts my lips.
My hand braces against his jacket.
A low chuckle rumbles through his chest before his teeth catch my lower lip. He soothes the sting with another kiss.
And then another.
My lips swell under his touch as his tongue thrusts into my mouth, curling against mine. An ache grows low in my belly, my center wet with need for him.
A horn blares behind us, jerking us apart. I smack my head against the headrest.
Nick hits his knee on the steering column before flooring the gas and peeling away from the stoplight.
The cab fills with our heavy breathing. Neither of us look at each other as the silence stretches between us … that is until a long, disgruntled groan comes from the backseat. Angus drops his massive head onto the center console between us.
Nick stares back at him. “Why do I suddenly feel like I’m in trouble?”
I scratch behind his ears. “Sorry, buddy, I … almost forgot you were here.”
“Leah,” Nick playfully scolds.
“I was distracted! And I said almost—”
“I don't know,” he teases, glancing down at my pittie. “Sounds like you've been replaced—”
Angus lets out a heavy growl, shutting us both up fairly quickly.
Our gazes meet, and we burst into laughter as Angus settles his head between us for the rest of the ride.
***
“It smells amazing in here.”
“Garlic and herbs probably wasn't the smartest idea for action on Yes Night.” He chuckles, shrugging off his jacket.
“Bold assumption,” I joke, kicking off my boots. “Lucky for you, your girlfriend brushes her teeth.”
“Ooooo …” He pulls me close for a tender kiss. “Beautiful and good oral hygiene.”
“I'm the total …” My words fail me as I see a stunning bouquet of pink peonies on the table. “Nick, are you kidding me?”
“What?” He tucks his hands into his pockets. “It’s your birthday.”
“I know, but … they're … so …” I burry my nose into a bulb, unable to contain my smile.
“And that right there …” He points at me, giving me that crooked grin of his. “That cute little noise you just made makes it worth it.”
Can we just go straight to the bedroom?
My heart swells, trying to understand how this man makes caring for me seem so easy. He easily spent more than two hundred dollars on these for me, for one simple moment of making me happy.
I catch the front of his sweater and pull him down for a kiss. “Thank you.”
He presses his lips to mine again. “Let me take Angus out back.”
“Are you sure?”
He gives me a look. “It's thirty degrees outside.”
“Knock yourself out.”
Nick opens the back door, and Angus bolts outside, kicking through the fallen leaves before taking off across the yard in a full sprint.
Grabbing my carry-on, I head upstairs to unpack for the weekend. I pass Grady’s darkened room, and a small ache settles in my chest at the empty bed. I continue down the hall and push open Nick’s bedroom door.
And freeze.
Oh, Nick …
Nearly every surface of his dark bedroom is covered in a stunning sea of peonies. Cream and blush blooms in crystal vases are accented with delicate sprays of baby's breath while dozens of electronic candles flicker throughout the room, casting a warm glow over the wooden furniture.
I close my eyes for a moment and breathe in the heavenly scent, remembering the girl who once believed in romance, the kind found in books and fairy tales, where women are cherished and hearts are won.
Nick is the proof.
I move my bag into the ensuite bathroom, where three garment bags hanging from the closet door catch my attention, each one embroidered with the logo of a luxury lingerie boutique.
Curious, I slink toward them, my fingertips tracing over the zippers.
“It's hard keeping secrets from you.”
I giggle, peering over my shoulder at my handsome man. “Nick, this is way too much.”
He nonchalantly takes the garment bags from the closet door before leaning close, his mouth near my ear. “Darlin’, if you only knew you deserve so much more than this ” He kisses my temple. “Now c’mon. I got you something for tonight, something that I thought would make you more comfortable.”
I follow him back into his room, where he hangs the garment bags over the full-length mirror.
He unzips them, revealing three gorgeous pieces of lingerie. “I couldn’t decide. They all looked like you, and—” he chuckles—“I’d love to see you in all of them. If you want.”
I join him and carefully graze through each piece. Emotions catch in my throat as I trace each lace inlay and embroidered flower. This man knows me. He did all of this for me—well, for us, to bring us closer together.
I select a sheer negligee with vintage rosette detailing along the neckline.
Nick slips his arms around my waist. “Do you like it?”
“Seriously?” I flounce out the skirt. “It’s perfect.”
“Yeah?”
I hum, admiring the careful stitching.
“That’s the first one I picked out.” He presses his lips to my ear. “I knew I needed to taste you while you wore it.”
His words rob the air from my lungs, warmth slinking down the slope of my back.
He teases at the hem of my sweater. “Need help?”
I chuckle, slipping out of his hold. “You wish. Turn around, mister.”