How the Light Gets In (Cracks Duet #2)(52)

There was affection in his laugh, then his voice turned husky. “Well, if you happen to find yourself wandering the hallways again tonight, just know my door is always open.”

I shivered and grabbed my coffee, then went to join the others at the table. The devilish look in Dylan’s eyes would be my undoing.

The next few hours passed in a lazy fashion. I helped Dylan prepare the food, same as yesterday. And just like yesterday he drove me to the height of distraction with his little flirtations and subtle touches.

Just before dinner, my phone pinged. I casually pulled it out to check and saw a message from Mam.

Merry Christmas, Evelyn. Xxx

She sent the same text each year, and each year I didn’t respond. It was petty and maybe a little selfish, I knew, but it wasn’t as selfish as abandoning your own daughter when she was just fourteen years old. For some reason though, this year I felt different. We were never going to be close, but maybe I didn’t need to punish her anymore. I was finding happiness in my life now, and perhaps sending Mam a simple response would help her find happiness in hers. I typed out a simple, yet meaningful reply.

Merry Christmas, Mam.

After we finished eating, we exchanged gifts. Yvonne had gotten me a red leather Guess handbag, which I just adored, and she loved her Gucci perfume set. I bought Conor a tie and Dylan a set of engraved cufflinks. I was nervous when he opened the box, hoping he liked them. It was just so hard to think of a gift. I mean, what do you buy the man who has everything?

His eyes crinkled at the edges when he saw them. We sat next to each other and I bit my lip. “Do you like them?”

He reached out and clasped my neck, surprising me when he pulled my mouth to his for quick, chaste kiss. “I love them. Thank you,” he whispered.

After that I sat back and watched as everybody opened their presents, filled with a sense of belonging. It was the first time in a long time that I’d felt at peace. Like my life was going somewhere good.

Quietly, while everyone else was distracted, Dylan took my hand and led me out into the study across the hall. He closed the door and went to grab something from a drawer by the desk.

He came back with a small wrapped box and held it out to me. I took it and sat on the leather armchair in the corner. Something about this gift felt important. Dylan’s eyes were full of anticipation as he watched me pull away the wrapping. Inside was a little black velvet box. I opened it up and found a pretty white gold necklace. The pendant was a circle of glass, and pressed inside the glass was a tiny dried jasmine flower.

“It beautiful,” I breathed, hands shaking as I tried to undo the clasp.

Dylan knelt before me and took it from my hands. Carefully, he unclasped the latch and brought it around my neck.

“I kept this flower from when were teenagers,” he said and my breath caught. I thought it was just an ordinary jasmine flower, chosen perhaps because they used to be my favourite, but it wasn’t. It was special.

“Seriously?” I asked, peering down in awe. The glass pendent rested in the centre of my chest, its cool surface grazing my skin.

“I took it from the ones I picked to make my perfume when we were at school, then I put it inside some crepe paper for safekeeping. I had the pendant made at a jewellery store here in New York.”

Tears sprung in my eyes. The gift was just so thoughtful, and I couldn’t believe he’d kept this one flower all this time. It obviously meant something to him. And now he was giving it to me.

“I don’t know what to say.”

I only realised I was crying when Dylan reached out to wipe a tear from my cheek. “You don’t have to say anything. Your reaction is all I need.”

I studied the pendant again, taking it in my fingers and turning it over. I hadn’t even noticed the engraving on the back. It read, For Evelyn, my one true love, my muse. Yours always, Dylan.

I inhaled sharply, unable to stop the onslaught of tears now. They ran freely down my face. Dylan made soothing noises.

“Don’t cry. I gave you this to make you happy,” he said, taking my face in his hands.

I blinked away some of the tears and looked at him. “I am happy. It’s just . . . you’re so perfect. I don’t deserve you.”

He gave a tender laugh. “First of all, that’s not true. And second of all, that’s too bad, because I’m irrevocably, hopelessly in love with you.”

Before I could even digest his statement, he caught my lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He kissed me like it had to last him a lifetime. He kissed me like I was oxygen and he was gasping for breath.

I shifted forward, opening my legs so he could settle between my thighs, then wrapped my arms around his neck. He groaned, lost to our kiss, and pushed me back into the chair. He pulled my legs around his hips and held himself above me.

I moaned when I felt him harden, his thick erection pressing between my legs. He lowered his mouth to my neck, kissing my sensitive skin before he grazed his lips over the tops of my breasts. I sighed in pleasure and a base needfulness came over me. It had been weeks since I’d had him like this, and I couldn’t get enough. I needed all of him, needed to touch him everywhere and have him touch me.

He hissed sharply when I reached for his belt buckle. “Careful, Ev.”

“I need you,” I breathed, nibbling on his lips as I stared into his eyes. “I love you, and I need you, Dylan. I feel like I’ve needed you forever.”