Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“Cariño, I got you something,” I tell her, coming around to the couch she’s sitting on this afternoon. It’s Christmas Eve, and Cadence is watching a Christmas movie, both of us in the spirit, even going so far as to convince her to spend tomorrow with my family. She was hesitant at first then became more open to the idea after I persuaded her with a kiss.
“Santiago, how? You haven’t left my side.” She pauses the movie, giving me her full attention as I walk towards the living room after working in my office for a few minutes. It’s not that I was working; it was that I had to go grab the present that’s currently in my pocket.
“One-day shipping, so to speak,” I reply, coming to sit on the coffee table in front of her. She has her foot propped up beside where I’m sitting. The crutches are by the front door. Today has been much better. The swelling has gone down, and she’s able to put more pressure on it. The bruising will take time to disappear but will go away with time. That’s the one thing I couldn’t fix for her and one of the reasons she was reluctant to go tomorrow. Thankfully, she’s now coming with me.
“But I didn’t get you anything.” She places her arms across her chest, a pout on her lips.
“I have everything I could ever want.” I take the box out of my pocket, knowing this is just the tip of the iceberg in the gift department. One day, it’ll be a ring on her finger, but since she’s still worried about this being too soon, that will take a little while.
“As do I.” She arches her eyebrows. I don’t respond and hand her the box for her to open. When Cadence told me of her dream, of one day owning a studio and then a shop for people to come in and take a look at the estate jewelry she’s been collecting through the years, I knew exactly what I wanted to give her. “Santiago, you didn’t.”
“I did. A unit came up. The price was too good to pass up, and while you won’t let me fund or invest in your business, I can at least help push your dream along. What’s the use of having all this money if I can’t give it to the woman who stole my heart?” Cadence puts the box to the side. Already aware of her plan, I stand up, ready for the leap she’s about to take but not wanting the weight of both of us to break the coffee table and her to be in pain once again.
“You’ve stolen my heart, my soul, my body, my every being. I want so badly to say I can’t accept this gift, but I know you’ll never take it back.”
“Not happening. No rent until you’re on your feet, being the smashing success I know you’ll be. Once you start making money, we’ll renegotiate.” Tears are glistening in her eyes, and a smile is plastered on her face.
“I don’t have anything to give you, though, nothing of this magnitude at least,” she replies.
“Yes, you do. I’m going to unwrap my present under the Christmas tree, tie you to me in every way imaginable, starting right now.” I take my time walking us towards the tree, her legs wrapped around my waist, after grabbing the blanket off of the couch and throwing it on the floor, where I carefully lay her down and I take her clothes off piece by piece, slow whispers of a touch against her skin, kissing her until she’s writhing and begging for more, yet all I do is take my time, knowing I’ll have Cadence for the rest of my life.
Epilogue
Cadence
One Year Later
“Fuck, just like that, cariño.” I’m on my knees, a pillow beneath them because that’s the only way Santiago will allow me to take his cock in my mouth. I know, I know, who would have thought the once disgruntled man has turned out to be this caring, loving, devoted now-husband of mine? That’s why I was going through our closet earlier, cleaning a few things out, preparing to hide a few gifts from Santiago, the hardest endeavor ever. It’s not easy to surprise a perpetual snoop when his birthday and Christmas fall within days of one another. This year, I’m pretty sure I have it in the bag. What I wasn’t expecting was to find my purse from that night a year ago, the contents still inside it. There was one thing that really had me confused, and that was the cough drops. A few clicks on my phone, and my jaw dropped while I was reading through the forums. I shoved the last few gifts in the far corner of the closet, in a place I was sure Santiago wouldn’t go. The antique Patek Phillippe watch was hard to pass up when I found it at a flea market. The owner had no idea what a rare find he had on his hands, so I purchased it from him for a fair price, knowing it wouldn’t be landing on my now successful website or storefront.