Gentleman Nine(67)

Channing was just staring at me, and I felt compelled to say some of the things I’d been saying to him in my head all night long.

“The other night before you left, you really opened your heart to me. I stood there like an idiot, frozen, unable to reciprocate. The truth is, I was a fool for letting you get on that plane without saying something—anything—to let you know how much I…” I hesitated. He told me not to use the word love while we were in this limbo. I needed to honor his wishes. I continued, “How much I care about you. I don’t even know where to begin. You blew into my life like a storm. I was so depressed and hopeless. You saved me with your light, with your laughter, with your positive point of view. Before you moved in, I had such preconceived notions about the type of person you’d become over the years. And I was wrong. You shot those down from the very first night when you listened so patiently to me. I’d never smiled so much in my life. I know you say we only had a few months together, but it truly felt like much longer. You saved me from making one of the biggest mistakes of my life leading up to that night at The Peabody, and in turn, you opened a door for us that I never dreamt was possible. I never imagined that you could love me. The idea of that is still so new. But I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that you do.”

A long moment of silence passed where I just listened to him breathe. “This is hard,” he finally said.

I spoke through my tears, “I know.”

“It’s Christmas. Don’t cry,” he said.

There was a knock at the door.

“That’s strange. Hang on. Someone’s at the door.”

“Make sure you look through the peephole.”

There was no one there, but there was a box at my feet.

A delivery on Christmas Eve?

I carried it inside and returned to the computer.

“Who was it?”

“No one. There was this box.”

“Who’s it from?”

“I don’t know. It’s not labeled.”

“Open it.” The slight smirk on his face made me think he had something to do with it.

“Channing, what are you up to? What’s inside the box?”

His blue eyes sparkled through the screen. “Merry Christmas.”

“How did you manage this?”

“I have elves.”

“Really…”

As if he hadn’t already given me enough with his patience and understanding over the Rory situation, he’d gotten me a present? I felt terrible because I hadn’t gotten him anything. I just didn’t feel deserving of any of this.

“So…open it. Actually, open everything but the small, flat one.”

The box was filled with various individually wrapped gifts. I opened them one by one: Christmas flannel pajamas, a hot cocoa kit, a stuffed white kitten, and a new Kindle. I finally knew what I was doing tonight.

“You shouldn’t be alone tonight. I was thinking those things could help.”

“I absolutely love them.” Cradling the stuffed animal, I said, “Especially my own version of Kitty.”

He smiled. “Put the pajamas on. I want to see you in them.”

“Okay.”

Taking my time, I lifted off my shirt. As I slipped off my bra, Channing’s eyes focused on my breasts. Desire pooled between my legs. I would have given anything for him to be here right now, to feel his scruffy beard on my skin.

Once I had the pajamas on, I said, “These are so comfy, thank you.”

“Okay, open the last thing.”

After removing the wrapping, I began to open the flat, black box. Inside was a thin strand of authentic pearls.

“Oh, my God. A pearl necklace.” Then, I started to laugh because I realized why he’d chosen this.

“Not the kind I wish I could give you tonight. But I figured you deserved a real one, unlike the one that dude online and myself would like to give you.”

“An actual one!” Running my fingers along the smooth beads before putting it on, I said, “This is so beautiful. I’ve never actually owned pearls.”

“I thought it would look nice around your delicate neck. Anyway, I have one more small thing for you. I’m emailing it to you tomorrow. I’m not finished with it.”

Feeling ashamed, I said, “You’ve gotten me multiple gifts, and I didn’t get you anything.”

“You can make it up to me another time.”

“I need to do something for you tonight. It’s Christmas.” Something occurred to me. The one thing I could give him right now. “Are you alone?”

“Mom’s taking a nap, so yeah.”

“Why don’t you sit back…”

“What do you have in mind?”

“There’s not much I can do from here,” I said as I began unbuttoning the flannel pajama top. My nipples stiffened as they hit the air.

The room was completely still as Channing stayed quietly focused on me. He wasn’t smiling or laughing. He was transfixed, his eyes growing hazy and filling with need by the second.

His tone was demanding. “Take everything off but the necklace, and take me to your room.”

I did as he said, carrying my laptop to my bedroom.

Once situated on my bed and fully naked, I fiddled with the pearls and asked, “Tell me what you want.”