Page 83 of My Silver Lining

“I have something for you.” She handed me a black box.

I pulled off the lid to find a very cool bracelet that managed to be masculine at the same time.

“I made it for you. I used antique silver and this really cool walnut wood that I intertwined into the design. Walnut is symbolic for intelligence and wisdom. And the silver is representative of healing. I feel like you’ve healed me in a way. And I didn’t even know I was broken,” she chuckled.

“You’re not broken,” I said, running my thumb over the wood and metal that were intertwined together. “And this is the nicest gift I’ve ever received.”

Her lips turned up in the corners, the widest grin spread across her face. “Well, look in the bottom of the box. There’s one more thing in there.”

I looked inside, and a gruff laugh escaped.

“A condom?”

“Extra large.” She waggled her brows. “I was ready to take things to the next level long before you rented out a dance studio and lured me here with delicious pasta.”

I clasped the bracelet around my wrist and moved the foil packet between my fingers. “This is the gift that keeps on giving.”

I reached down beneath the table where I’d left the gift bag for her earlier today when I stopped by to make sure things were getting set up. “First things first.”

She eyed the package before tearing off the red velvet ribbon and lifting the lid to the box.

She didn’t speak, which made me a little nervous. I asked Henley what exactly I should order for her, and she told me her favorite brand and gave me her sizes for everything.

Maybe I fucked up.

“Rafael,” she whispered as she pulled the pink leotard out of the box and studied it. She reached inside for the ballet shoes and sighed. “You got me a dance outfit.”

“I know you miss it. And I was sort of hoping you’d dance for me tonight. It was sort of a gift to myself, too.”

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, and she smiled. “I can do that.”

And then she leaned forward and kissed me.

twenty-two

. . .

Lulu

No man had ever been sothoughtful.

So attuned to my needs.

I left to use the restroom and change clothes as he cleaned up our dinner.

When I returned, I found him sitting in the chair, the table already broken down and leaning against the far wall. His long legs were extended and his feet crossed at the ankles.

Damn, the man was sexy just sitting in a chair.

It was the way he looked at me.

Those dark eyes could see into my soul.

His gaze moved from my head down to my toes as he took in my full dance attire.

“Dance for me, Lu,” he said.

It had been a long time since I’d danced for anyone. I danced alone often, but the day I retired the idea of doing this professionally, had been the last time I danced in front of an audience.

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