Page 257 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus
I untangle myself from Miller and chuck myself at Oliver. He lets out an oomph, wrapping his arms around my back.
“He’s adorable and I love him,” I say, kissing his chin.
“These are from all of us, but I’m really glad.” He gives me a lopsided grin that makes my thighs clench as I kneel over him.
“There’s also a cooling gel bead mask,” Miller says, pulling it out of the box.
“Apparently Oliver was on an avocado kick,” Nik says, laughing.
“It’s a perfect courting gift,” I assure him, running my hand over his chest.
“There’s more.” He kisses my cheek and my silly heart races.
“This one is from me,” Oliver says, handing me one of the boxes from the after-storm pile.
It’s not a clothing box like the others.
This one is heavier.
I shake it until the lid comes off and my jaw falls.
“Wait, what is this?” My eyes fly up to his. “You got me a new laptop?”
“Eh.” He shrugs. “It’s new in the sense it’s never been used, and I ordered it just for you, but I gave it some upgrades. You’ll be amazed after that clunky thing you’ve been using. However,that’s not the gift.” He grabs another smaller box that is wrapped in plain pink paper. He nods to it.
I rip into it and frown even though I don’t mean to.
“I’m so confused,” I whisper, looking up at him. “But I love the laptop, and I know it’ll be a million times easier to use my publishing software now.”
“I still can’t believe you were logging into a website to convert your files,” he says, running a finger over my cheek. “The microphone goes with the dictation software that’s already installed on the computer. This way if you’re not feeling great you can still get work done.”
My lip quivers as I grab the stuff and set it on the side table.
“Wait, what happened?” Nik asks, coming up to squat at our other side.
My head shakes, and I bury my face in Oliver’s throat. “Thank you,” I choke out, swiping at the ridiculous tears that I wish I could will away. “No one. Not one person has ever supported my career.”
“If it’s important to you, then it’s important to us,” Miller says.
“Although, if you’d like to cut back and only write for pleasure, you can do that too,” Oliver says. “I know how stressed you are about meeting your deadline.” His chest vibrates as he starts to purr, and I cry harder.
Ohmigod, I am so embarrassing.
“I’m so sorry. It’s a great gift and I love it. I don’t know why I’m crying,” I admit.
“My moms said to expect major mood swings during the heat and over the next few days,” Nik says, grimacing. “Shit, I don’t think that came out right.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “It’s okay. I know what you mean.”
“Can Miller and I give you one gift from each of us?” Nik asks, running a finger over my cheek. “The rest can wait.”
“Of course,” I agree.
“This is from me,” Nik says, giving me a smile I can’t quite interpret.
It’s small and light. I’m pretty sure it’s a jewelry box. Once I pull the lid off, it’s clear there’s a black rectangle with a popular jewelry company logo on the top.
I shake the inner box out and pop the hinged lid.
