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"You didn’t have to give it to him," I pointed out, knowing how much his support meant to my brother.
"I wanted to, and he was a sound investment," he said simply.
I leaned over and kissed him, tasting the red wine on his lips. The kiss deepened as I gently pushed my tongue into his mouth, feeling the heat between us flare. Oliver pulled me onto his lap, his hands roaming my body, cupping my breast and pushing my pink silk robe open. Desire curled through me like a hot wire, but I pulled away reluctantly.
"We’re like two magnets," he said, his voice husky with desire.
"I agree, but I’m hungry," I replied with a laugh.
Oliver chuckled, moving me back to my seat so I could finish dinner. We capped our meal by feeding each other spoonfuls of chocolate chunk ice cream, the sweetness a perfect end to the night. After we finished, we snuggled in bed together, watching the first flurries of snow blanket the patio as we turned out the lights.
"Are you happy?" he asked, his arms wrapped around me.
"Very," I replied, feeling a deep sense of contentment.
"I’m glad. That’s my goal," he murmured, his voice soft and tender.
"You’ve achieved that," I said, nestling closer to him.
As I dozed off in his arms, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, feeling safe and loved.
Chapter 14
Our lives grew hectic over the next couple of weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday. I barely saw Oliver during the day as I immersed myself in his company, discovering the vast array of his holdings. It was amazing how he kept up to date on almost all of them, juggling numerous responsibilities with ease.
As Christmas Eve approached, I sensed that Oliver was up to something. He had a certain gleam in his eye that hinted at a surprise, probably a gift for me. He planned to close the offices at noon that day, and the employees were hardly working, enjoying a catered holiday breakfast and exchanging Secret Santa gifts instead.
"Ready to go?" Oliver asked, ducking his head into my office with a smile.
"Yes, just shutting down my laptop," I replied, quickly wrapping up my work.
"Do we need to pick up anything for tomorrow?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes twinkling.
"Only Matthew, Finley, and Sadie," I said, excitement bubbling within me.
Christmas at my parents' house promised to be special. Sadie and Finley would be announcing her pregnancy, and I knew my mother would be overjoyed at the prospect of a grandchild, even though she would be a young grandmother at forty-nine. She adored babies.
"I know them, but anything for dessert?" Oliver teased.
"You already sent pies and pastries. Give it a rest," I laughed, shaking my head at his generosity.
Oliver smirked, clearly pleased with himself. The day before, while we were at work, he had arranged for Vlad to drive the desserts up to Westchester and drop them off at my parents' home. My mother called to tell me we had sent too much; more than seven people could possibly eat. I told her to talk to Oliver since it was all his idea.
As we made our way to the elevator, we said our goodbyes to everyone we passed. The elevator was crowded, and Oliver sought out my hand, holding it firmly as we moved to the back of the car. He kept hold of my hand all the way to the limo, and during the drive to his penthouse, his grip never wavered.
When we arrived, Oliver turned to me with a mysterious smile. "Go upstairs by yourself," he instructed.
Curious and slightly puzzled, I nodded. "Okay, but what's going on?"
"You'll see," he said, his smile widening. "Just go upstairs, and I'll join you in a bit."
I couldn't help but smile back, my anticipation growing as I made my way to the elevator and headed up to the penthouse. Whatever Oliver had planned, I knew it was going to be something special.
“Why?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, “Does everything have to be a test? Just do as I ask for once.”
“I’m going.”
