Page 186 of Pucking Obsessed

Plus, honestly, who’d miss Wilder? Really?

“Huh, there’s a thought. How about we save that for next year’s present? You don’t want to spoil me.”

“I do.” Eden stares at me hard. “Next year?”

I raise my eyebrow. “Not thinking of going anywhere, are you? I’m twenty-eight today and I expect you to be here, when I’m eighty-two. You’re stuck with me, phoenix.”

Eden smiles.

It’s like his whole face lighting on fire.

I almost drop the cake.

I don’t need a single other present. Eden’s smile is the only gift that I need.

I smile back just to hold onto his smile for another moment longer. I imprint it onto my memory.

It’s precious.

Then I drop to sit on the sheepskin rug in front of the fire. I place the cake box carefully next to me.

Eden sprawls beside me. The firelight dances across the planes of his hard chest, tattoos, and his silver pierced nipples.

Eden leans over and kisses me, pulling myCATITUDEt-shirt over my head. He caresses down from the hollow of my throat, pausing to trace over the pendant that I never take off. Then he tosses my top to the side, before stroking lower between my breasts and then down to my stomach.

The fire warms my bare skin.

I bask in the heat, widening my legs to encourage Eden to touch between my thighs.

Instead, he pulls back and pushes the cake box toward me. “Gifts first.”

I try hard not to pout.

Then I pull off the lid of the box.

My eyes widen.

The cake is gorgeous.

It’s chocolate in the shape of an open book with a phoenix sitting on top of it. A robin perches on the phoenix’s shoulder. They’re reading the book together.

Embers from the phoenix are falling like fireworks and making the book curl and blacken at the edges.

The cake is a work of art.

“Phoenix,” I whisper in awe. “You actually designed this for me…?”

Eden entwines our hands. “It’s us at our book club.”

“It’s dark and beautiful.”Like you.“It’s too incredible to eat.”

“I used strawberry jam.”

“Well, maybe we could cut into it for the strawberry jam…”

“The others have a surprise for you first.”

I perk up. “More presents?”

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