Page 98 of Perfect Assumption

She closes her eyes. “Will you put it on me?”

I smile tenderly. “Do you want to look at it first?”

She shakes her head vigorously. Another wisp of hair falls. “No, because it doesn’t matter if there’s cartoon characters, beads, or sparkly things in that box. You bought a gift thinking of me, not because you had to but because you wanted to make me happy.”

“If you’ll give me all of you, I’ll spend my life doing just that,” I vow as I remove the sapphire hoop earrings from the box. Carefully, I undo the ones she’s wearing and slip these in. I tuck the pearls away in the box before turning her toward the mirror. With my hands on her shoulders, I whisper, “Go ahead. Open your eyes.”

When she does, she finds my eyes in the mirror. “I love them. Thank you.”

“You haven’t looked at your present,” I chastise her.

“You’re wrong. I already am.”

My heart stretched full to bursting, I slide a hand beneath her arm. I reach around her waist until I can rest it on my favorite part of her body—her heart. “They match your eyes—sparkling and blue.”

“They match your heart—generous and overwhelming. I never stood a chance. I never wanted to,” she whispers.

I tuck my face against the bare skin of her back and just breathe in her scent. I want to preserve this moment in my mind forever.

We do just that until the alarm on my phone goes off. “It’s time to go. Are you ready?”

“Just about.”

Moments later, we leave our room to head to Kristoffer Wilde’s holiday party.

Thirty-Eight

Angela

Tag, you’re it! Photos from Kristoffer Wilde’s annual holiday get-together are starting to surface and my, oh, my. The guest list was as sexy as it always is. But the shocker was Ward Burke’s mysterious redhead. Although no one snapped a photo of her face, there’s no doubt she’s the same woman he’s been seen with in New York.

@PRyanPOfficial

“It’s good to see you again, Angela.” Kristoffer Wilde shakes my hand warmly.

I choke on my cola. Ward thumps me on the back several times before I shoot him a dirty look. Returning my attention to our host, I say, “It’s good to see you, sir, though I’m surprised you remember more than my voice.”

“Nonsense. Anyone who helped keep Burke and David from killing each other during those final days was a genuine asset to Wildcard. Are you certain I couldn’t tempt you back now that the two of them have worked out their differences?”

I’m flattered. “No, sir. My services are still needed, as I’m sure you can imagine. Just because they’re married doesn’t mean they’re never at war.”

“Then how about taking a circle around the room with an old man. I’d like to catch up a bit.”

Ward’s arm, comfortably around my waist, tightens protectively. “I’d enjoy that, Mr. Wilde.”

“See, Ward, the lady shows respect when she speaks to me. Why didn’t you ever learn that trait?” He scowls at the man I love.

The man I love.

Oh, my God.

“Because you’re a constant pain?” Ward says mildly.

“Angela, were you ever unhappy working for me?”

“Umm…” I can’t answer that question truthfully because I was completely miserable, but it has nothing to do with the man with the enormous personality in front of me.

Ward narrows his eyes at Kristoffer. “She’s happy, Kris.”