Page 28 of A Merry Penthouse Christmas
“You might be oblivious at times, but you are attractive, Beau de León. And warm. Warm-hearted, I mean, though it is a goodthing you took more meds this morning.” He shifts his hand on my cheek to feel my forehead. “You did, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You’re also a wonderfully welcome presence in my life. Calming. Caring. And just the right amount of infuriatingly stubborn and combative when necessary that I can’t seem to stop thinking about you even when in the midst of my most grueling meetings. Or sleepless nights. But it is not only your looks or those kisses we shared that haunt me, Beau. Although they do.”
I feel a little breathless again, especially with Arik’s hand combing back through my curls. “I don’t, um… only like you because you’re attractive either. Or because you’re a good kisser.”
“What else am I then?” He grins.
“You know what you are.”
“I suppose I’m… intelligent, shrewd, charming, sophisticated, seductive—”
“Conceited,” I add.
He laughs. “And absolutely captivated by you and how you are all those things too. I am also cunningly devious at times.” He glances up.
We’re standing in the nursery doorway, and hanging from the top of the door is a small sprig of mistletoe. “When did you—?”
Arik kisses me while my head is still tilted upward and slots us together with his hand on the back of my neck. I’m tired and still a little dizzy, but damn if I don’t love how well he supports me when I go limp against him and let the kiss happen.
I sink so deeply into it that my socks slide against the carpet and a spark ignites between our lips. Or maybe that’s my barely held at bay fever again. Even if it is, Arik renews our kiss deeper before releasing me.
“Sorry about that,” he says. “I know we need to talk this out more, but I also really needed to kiss you again.”
“You did? I guess that’s okay.”
“Good. Now I’m taking you to bed.”
“What?” My heart skips as he grasps my hand.
“I am taking you to bed. Because you need a nap.”
Oh. “But my sheets need to be changed. They’re kind of disgusting.”
“You can use my bed then. I’ll handle the rest.” Arik leads me the other direction to cut through the kitchen. I’m too stunned, too humbled to disagree. And way too tired to consider the new choices before me.
Because my interview went great, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be staying here.
“When you wake up, I have a surprise for you, but you have to rest to see what it is.”
Tease. But if he insists, then rest I will.
ARIK
Fortherecord,Iwasnota wreck when I brought Bastian to the hospital.
Not completely anyway.
I knew rationally that as long as I stayed calm and got him the care he needed, he would be fine, but apparently, rational isn’t how the mind of a parent works. I could still never blame Beaufor what happened. Weathering a little panic now and again is part of being a parent too.
I check on Bastian several times while Beau is napping, but he continues to sleep peacefully, needing rest more than anything, which is half his day anyway at this age. That both of my patients are asleep gives me all the time I need to enact my plan.
I had a lot of time to think about it last night.
By the time I hear stirring from above, I have everything displayed and ready and time it perfectly so that some good old-fashioned Bing Crosby is playing just as Beau comes down the stairs and sees me.
“Don’t worry,” I tell him as he enters the living room with his face lit up brighter than the twinkling lights on the tree I’m decorating. “I’m just adding some tinsel, and the lights were already attached, but I saved the fun part of putting on the ornaments for you.”
