Once that was done, I hopped into the shower since I desperately needed to wash off after all the lovemaking we’d done over the past day. It turned out to be a great decision because I was just rinsing off when my sexy daywalker stepped into the stall with me and blew my mind again. So much so that I’d almost forgotten it was Christmas Day until I spotted the festive sweaters he’d laid out for me. Not that I would’ve been able to miss the significance of the day after he led me downstairs. The Christmas tree nestled in the corner of the room was more beautiful than any I’d ever seen before, and a ton of wrapped presents were stacked beneath it.
I tugged Liam down beside me and climbed onto his lap. Twining my arms around his neck, I whispered, “You didn’t need to do so much. I already have the one thing I really wanted—you.”
“It’s my privilege to dote on you, my darling.” He brushed his lips against mine. “I couldn’t let our first holiday pass without spoiling you a little.”
I jerked my chin toward the tree and giggled. “More like a lot. Nothing about that pile of presents is little.”
Liam tapped his finger against his chin with a chuckle. “I’m willing to admit that I may have gone slightly overboard.”
“Just remember, as a human, I don’t have any magic. So I couldn’t pull a bunch of gifts for you out of thin air.” I pressed my lips together to stop myself from spilling the beans about Jareth coming over soon, figuring it would be a great surprise.
He slid his hands behind my back and tugged me against his chest. His breath was hot against my ear as he murmured, “Like you said, you’ve already given me everything I could ever want just by being here, my darling.”
Butterflies swarmed in my belly at how sweet he was being, and I mentally offered up my gratitude to the fates for pairing me with such a wonderful man. “Please keep in mind that turnabout is fair play when I have the opportunity to dote on you, too.”
“Feel free to spoil me whenever you want. I’ll treasure any gift you want to give me. But in the meantime”—he swept his arm out to gesture toward the Christmas tree—“I’ll take immense pleasure from watching you open your presents.”
“Well, if you insist,” I drawled, pressing my lips against his in a quick kiss before I climbed off his lap to start making a dent in the ridiculously tall pile of wrapped packages. There were more clothes—sweaters, leggings, and fuzzy socks galore. Several items of lingerie made me blush...and sent my pulse skyrocketing as I pictured him tearing them from my body.
When I opened a frame without a picture in it, I turned it around so he could see the front. “I think you forgot something.”
“I left it empty on purpose. We’ll take a photo in front of the tree later, and it can be the first of many to go up on the walls.” The wink he aimed my way sent shivers down my spine. “You never know, it might be our only chance to snag a holiday photo of just the two of us before the pitter-patter of little feet fills our home.”
The amount of thought and effort that he put into my gifts brought tears to my eyes, and that was before I realized he’d saved the best for last. Getting up and striding over to the fireplace, he retrieved a jewelry box that I hadn’t noticed before. Then he dropped to his knees next to me and flicked the lid open with his thumb. “Amaia, my darling, would you do me the honor of wearing this ring to symbolize our bond?”
The ring was beautiful and unique, the luminosity of the pearl capturing my gaze. Holding out my hand, I whispered, “Yes, please.”
With the worst timing in the world, Jareth popped into the room as Liam slid the ring into place on my finger. “Great choice, brother. Nana’s ring looks perfect on Amaia.”
Liam didn’t look thrilled at the interruption, but I couldn’t be too angry since he was here at my request. Jumping up, I grabbed a few of the presents from the stack in his arms. “And now it’s my turn to spoil you, Liam.”
I moved closer to Jareth and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you so much for helping me surprise your brother.”
A growl rumbled up Liam’s chest as he yanked me back and glared at Jareth, making me giggle and blush.
Unbothered by his brother’s flash of jealousy, Jareth patted his stomach and smiled. “I was more than happy to help, but now I must be off. I’m beyond famished, and there’s bound to be a feast laid out at our parents’ house by now.”