AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Trouble ended up falling asleep on his doggy bed after we played with him for a little while. He was utterly pooped. We ordered Chinese food, and had it delivered, setting up a cozy dinner as we watched him doze on his bed near the terrace doors.
“He’s so sweet. Thank you for a wonderful gift,” I said, glancing lovingly at the little pup.
“There’s plenty more where that came from,” Oliver replied with a grin.
“I know. For you too.”
“Would you like to open some up tonight?”
“Maybe after dinner. It’s weird not being with my parents,” I admitted, feeling a pang of homesickness.
“We could go if you want to. I’m sure Vlad won’t mind the drive,” Oliver offered.
“Absolutely not. I dragged it out of him that he was spending the night with his girlfriend. How does he even have time to date with the schedule you keep him on?” I asked, half-teasing, half-serious.
“I’m not that bad. Besides, I’m sure he’s more than happy to do it with the bonus I gave him.”
“How much?”
“Let’s just say it’s a lot. He does a lot for me,” Oliver said, nonchalantly.
“For us. Did you call Jonah?” I asked, changing the subject.
“He’s doing fine. As long as he’s behaving himself.”
“Did the crew go home for the holiday?”
“I suspect most of them did. I gave them off for a few days. I think Charles stayed, and Jonah’s not going anywhere. I bet a few others stayed also.”
I dug my chopsticks into a container of sesame chicken, putting a small piece into my mouth. “Do you miss not sharing holidays with anyone?” I asked, curiosity mingled with concern.
“I never took time to think about it. I occasionally went on trips with Dax or Wilmer. Ivan was playing hockey, so we almost never saw him during the holidays.”
“It hurts me to think you were alone,” I said, my heart aching for him.
“Don’t be hurt. I chose to be alone. I was busy with my business. Holidays were just ordinary days until you came along. If I had business overseas, Japan, China, or Australia, it was the next day already and business as usual.”
“That still makes me sad,” I murmured.
“You changed all that. Thanksgiving was the first holiday in a long time that I spent with family.”
He plucked a piece of fried shrimp from the white cardboard container and held it to my mouth. I gently bit into it as he pulled the tail away and dropped it on a napkin.
“You’re sexy,” he said, his voice low and husky.
I licked my lips. “So are you.”
He grinned at me with a wink and popped another piece of shrimp in his mouth. God, I loved him.
We finished our dinner, savoring the last bites of our meal, and I felt a warm sense of contentment. The flickering lights from the Christmas tree cast a cozy glow over the room, and Trouble snored softly from his bed, his tiny body rising and falling with each breath. This Christmas was already shaping up to be the most special one yet.
The crackling of the wrapping paper proved irresistible to Trouble. As we opened gifts and pulled tissue paper from the colorful bags, the puppy rolled around, trying to chew on the wadded balls until Oliver grabbed a bag and started shoving the garbage inside.
My fiancé had been incredibly generous with his gifts. I unwrapped several pairs of precious stone earrings, sexy lingerie—which I suspected was more for his benefit than mine—cashmere sweaters in various shades of blue, Christian Louboutin heels and boots, a gift certificate to La Roma Day Spa, a Cartier watch, and a gold bracelet. And that was just the beginning; there were still several bags with my name on them under the tree.
Oliver, on the other hand, was notoriously difficult to shop for. What do you buy for a man who has everything? I had opted for several silk shirts with his monogram, silk boxers, and chocolate paints, which made his eyes light up when he opened them. I also chose some unusual gifts for his desk at work—stress relievers and a personal vibrating massager for his neck. When he took it out of the bag, he raised an eyebrow at me.
“What exactly is this used for?” he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
