They Ubered back to the hotel and walked his mom and sisters to their room. He made breakfast plans with his family and gave a round of hugs. Then the hugs extended to Zahara, and by the time she and Chase started upstairs, she was feeling as warm and gooey as the chocolate lava cake she’d toyed with for dessert.
Once in the stairwell, Chase pulled her in and kissed her. A slow, lingering kiss infused with affection. Zahara leaned into him and sighed.
Chase pulled back. “I’ve been dying to do that for hours.”
“Me too. Your family is amazing.” She scrunched up her nose. “Will your mom hate me when she finds out?”
Chase chuckled, slid his arm low on her waist, and pulled her closer. “Not a chance.” He kissed her forehead. “You feel like shit, don’t you?”
She sighed. “I look that bad?”
“Shaun was right,” he said, referencing their mutual friend from the restaurant. “You look fucking radiant. But I can see it in your eyes. And my mom’s right too. You really do need to eat to keep your energy up.”
“Tell that to the critter making me miserable.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “How could anyone gain weight feeling this shitty?”
“Not all women feel this shitty.”
“And how would you know?”
He pressed another kiss to her lips. “Because I picked something up for you at the store today too.”
Taking her hand, they climbed a set of stairs to the next floor. He checked the hallway before pulling her behind him toward his room. Once they were safely inside, he picked up a package sitting on the dining table. It was wrapped in pretty floral paper, complete with a bow.
“You’re either going to slap me or kiss me,” he said. “I’m not sure which.”
Even though the size and feel of the present was a dead giveaway for a book, she pretended to weigh the gift. “This was really thoughtful of you.”
He bobbed his head side to side. “Unwrap it before you decide.”
Zahara dropped onto the sofa before tearing the paper. At the first rip, an odd feeling trickled through her. Her hands froze before she saw the title as she tried to figure out the complex mix of emotions that made anxiety crawl along her spine.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and looked down at the paper. “I…can’t remember the last time someone gave me a present.”
Zahara jumped through the years and finally landed on a Christmas morning somewhere around the time she was eight.
Eight. No one had given her a present in twenty years.
Her chest tightened, and tears stung her eyes.
Chase sat down next to her. “You don’t have to open it now if—”
“No, no. I want to.” She fanned her face and smiled. “Crazy emotions.”
He stroked her back, slipped a hand beneath her hair, and gave her neck an affectionate squeeze.
Zahara laughed and brushed the tears away with her thumb. “It’s been so long.”
“It won’t be that long ever again if I have anything to say about it.”
She pressed her face to his neck and kissed him there. His scent calmed her. “Thank you.”
Zahara straightened, blew out a steadying breath, and finished unwrapping the book. Her gaze scanned the cover, showing a very pregnant woman.
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” she murmured. “What a cute title.”
He pointed to text above the title. “I figured the number one pregnancy book with nineteen million copies sold was a solid bet.”