Page 148 of Naughty & Nice

He stands a little taller. “It’s a surprise.” He grins so wide it hits his eyes.

“Oh?”

“Yep. Enjoy that, I’ll be back in ten minutes with the first part,” he instructs.

“It’s got more than one part?”

“Of course,” he says before dropping a kiss on my lips and backing away once again. “Relax. I’ll be back.”

And then he’s gone again.

Lifting the mug to my face, I breathe in the scent of rich chocolate.

He’s used my favorite.

I don’t know why I’m surprised; Hendrix always pays attention to the things I like.

I take a sip, but the silence allows me to drift off into my thoughts again.

My cell sits on my nightstand, taunting me.

Lori and I exchanged a handful of messages earlier.

I tried to play everything off and not cause her any more stress than necessary when it comes to Wilder, but I’m not sure she really bought it.

She said she hadn’t really spoken to him. He’s been too busy, apparently.

I bet he has…

She and Kian only have a few more days of their vacation, and I dread her turning up here so that we can talk properly.

She’s going to dig deeper than anyone else would. And she knows me well enough to know exactly which buttons to press to get the truth.

What is the truth?

I release a heavy sigh that doesn’t relieve any of the tension pulling at my muscles.

I’m so incredibly happy right now. Hendrix is everything I’ve ever wanted. Our relationship is so much more than I ever could have dreamed of.

But…

I don’t want to say something is missing, because then that would sound like Hendrix isn’t enough, and he is.

I just…

The sound of water running gives me a hint as to what Hendrix is doing.

Excitement stirs in my stomach as I think about what he’s planned for tonight.

We’ve spent New Year’s Eve together for years. But this one is different.

This year, we’re celebrating the start of a new chapter of our lives.

I’m so excited to find out where the next year will take us and where we’ll be a year from now.

The only thing I know without a doubt is that we’ll be together.

Hendrix and I are the real thing. Soulmates.

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