Page 117 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

What a ridiculously perfect thing for him to say.

I take another step, eating up the remaining distance between us. My arm moves of its own volition, my hand finding his cheek like I wanted.

He’s real. He’shere.

He doesn’t move or react, his posture still rigid as he waits for me to say something.

“Areyouthe present?” I ask.

He laughs, the sound deeper than usual, like something is caught in his throat. He clears it.

“No, over here,” he says, pointing to the mud room just off the foyer where we store our shoes, coats, and other outerwear. “Take a look.”

“How will I know what it is?” I ask, moving past him and towards the door.

He doesn’t answer, but turns out he doesn’t need to because when I push open the door the first thing I see is two brand new luges reclined against the wall.

I whip around to face him, my jaw on the floor. “No way.”

I’m still reeling from the shock of him being here, I don’t think my heart can handle a gesture this thoughtful. Tears sting at my eyes and I blink them away before I embarrass myself.

He nods and I fling myself at him in the same breath, surprising him. My arms close around his neck and I embrace him, squeezing him tightly against me.

A rough exhale falls from his lips, almost like he’s relieved. His forearms wrap around my lower back and hoist me into his arms. My feet leave the ground as he turns his face into my hair. I can feel a smile stretch across his lips as he mumbles against my ear.

“I take it you’re happy with the gift.” He murmurs.

I nod vigorously. “It’s the best present I’ve ever received.”

He chuckles in my ear, the sound a melody to my ears. “You’re easy to please.”

“How did you even make this happen? How are you here?” I ask, pulling back to look at him.

He lets me slide down the front of his body until my feet touch the ground, but doesn’t release me.

“I looked into it after you mentioned wanting to go sledding last night. It was pretty easy, don’t read too much into it.”

Right, of course. Nothing’s changed in our arrangement, that’s what those words mean.

“You brought two, does that mean…” I trail off, not knowing how to finish my sentence.

Does that mean you’re coming with me?

Does that mean you’re staying?

He releases me and stuffs his hands in his front pockets. “I thought I’d stick around for a few days.” He says, his face expressionless. “At least until New Year’s Eve.”

“I feel bad, I didn’t get you anything in return.” I say with a dismayed expression.

His turns downright predatory as his hands come back to me, closing possessively around my waist. “Don’t worry, I got you another present, but that one’s going to be mostly for me.” He says, suggestively.

Just like that, he stokes the flames of my arousal until they get almost out of hand. If he made a move to fuck me on the floor right now, I wouldn’t resist, sledding and my parents’ being home be damned.

But he steps back and tips his chin at the luges behind me. “It snowed a good fifteen centimeters last night, perfect for sledding. You want to take them out for a spin?”

My heart pounds and flutters and soars and about ten other acrobatic moves. This is more than two pieces of plastic. This is him knowingly partaking in something tied to our past because he knows it’s going to make me happy.

That’s the real gift.

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