AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 19
Christmas is wonderful. Olivia marvels at how much about her I had learned when she opens her gifts. Her favorite color was yellow. Her favorite artist, Monet. Her favorite books, mysteries, and thrillers. Each gift I present is centered around something related to her favorites. Lexi also helped me out with some things, but I mostly observed what she liked.
I spent a small fortune on lingerie from Victoria’s Secret. I needed to replace several of the panties and thongs I had ripped off her body during my impatience to get her naked. I also bought her several nice vanilla and lemon body creams and lotions.
Her stocking is stuffed with numerous gift cards. I bought her an iPod and put all the songs on it that I found on her old one, plus a tablet for movies and games, and a Kindle so she could load it up with books to read on the trips I plan to take her on.
I enjoy watching her eyes light up as she tears at the paper like a child. She loves each and every gift. The final one I give to her is a pair of emerald stud earrings in the shape of hearts for her delicate earlobes.
“Lucian,” she gasps, “these are too expensive.”
“They match the emeralds on the tennis bracelet I got you. You can wear them together.”
“You’re too good to me.”
“No, you’re too good for me.”
We spend all of Christmas morning and part of the afternoon cuddling, drinking cocoa, and listening to music. We were having dinner at Lexi and JC’s apartment later and had a ton of gifts to bring for everyone attending. I decide the easiest way to transfer them was to do it like Santa Clause, except we substitute a black garbage bag for a red sack.
By the time we get there, the festivities are in full swing, and over twenty people are present. Olivia made sure to purchase gifts for everyone, even people that we didn’t know too well. That’s the type of person she is, always caring about others.
After a dinner of turkey, ham, and a ton of side dishes, including stuffed shells which we eat while squeezed around a table designed for sixteen, we open gifts. The little ones—Lexi and JC’s children and Megan and Chase’s son—make out like bandits because they receive gifts from each one of the guests on top of what Santa already brought them.
I watch Olivia as her eyes stayed glued on Johnny, Arabella, and CJ as they open their gifts.
Leaning in, I whisper in her ear. “Do you want one of them someday?”
“Of course. I love children.”
As if on cue, Arabella yawns and crawls into her Olivia’s lap, which elicits a huge smile. Out of all the people at the gathering, the little girl chose her godmother to curl up on.
“I think it’s time to put the kids to bed,” Lexi said.
The children are rounded up and taken to be changed for sleep. Before we left our loft, I had stowed the engagement ring in my pocket and was itching to get down on one knee and ask Olivia to marry me. But I think she would have been embarrassed. I decided to hold off until a more intimate moment.
Zane closes the office at noon so we can go home and prepare for New Year’s Eve. It’s been lightly snowing for the past couple of hours, and I’m standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows of our new apartment. I came up to check the paint job that I requested as it has just been finished.
Olivia wanted certain neutral colors for each room, and I gladly obliged. Anything to get her to move in with me. This weekend, we plan on going furniture hunting. I want to move in by the second week of January, and I hope that she will follow before the end of the month. I want her with me full time. Maybe our engagement will help her decision along.
I’m as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I can’t sit still when I arrive back downstairs. Olivia seems melancholy and is sipping on some tea. It’s a change for her usual four to five cups of coffee a day habit. I’ve never seen her drink tea before, and I wonder if it’s because she’s been nauseous again.
“Are you feeling alright? Maybe we should stay home tonight.”
“Hell no. I got this wonderful silver dress and matching heels. We’re going even if you need to drag me on your back.”
“You should go to the doctor and see why you’re sick. This has been going on for weeks, and you’re always exhausted.”
I’ve been patient, but our lovemaking has decreased since we first got together. She craves sleep, and even though I desired her, the sight of her sleeping form makes me pull back from waking her. I want her to feel better, and if sleep was going to do it, then I could always jerk off.
“Lucian…” she cautions.
I’d increasingly repeated the same line about her going to the doctor. The thought of her cancer returning was always on my mind, but she didn’t seem concerned. One blood test could indicate if she was battling something. I didn’t want to argue, but if she didn’t go by next week, I was putting my foot down even if I had to employ Matty and Lexi to get her to move.
“I just worry about you.”
“I’m fine,” she argues. “I’m just under a lot of pressure and working many hours.”
She has voiced the same mantra over and over, but I knew different. I had asked Zane about the projects she was handling, and the load was minimal. She also works no more than forty-five hours, yet she is always tired. It gave me pause.
