Page 80 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lily

He tugged me alongbehind him. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Jaxon, I don’t need anything.” I muttered uneasily.

“Stop being difficult.” He stopped short in the hallway and turned me to face him.

“I’m not. I just, I’m not good with surprises.” My mind was overflowing with doubts and fears, but how did I tell him that? I very rarely was surprised and not being in control scared me. The knot in my stomach grew tighter. I hated to admit that getting a gift from him made me worry one day he’d lump me in with the women from his past that had used him.

“You’ll like this one.” He sounded so sure, so confident.

I shoved my distress down. I was being ridiculous, right?

We hurried through the house, entering a section I hadn’t yet explored. When we stopped at a massive set of doors, Jaxon stopped.

“Aren’t we going in?” I asked.

“Soon.” He gave me a seductive smile, the one that made me want to melt. Did he even know how sexy he was? “Close your eyes.”

“Is this going to be something kinky?” I asked with a nervous chuckle. Although, if I was being honest, nerves were only a small part of how I felt. The other part was intrigued and excited that we might try something outside of my comfort zone.

The click of the door opening was the only response.

“Not this time.” His warm breath whispered across my cheek. I shivered as he grasped my hands in his. The roughness of his palms sent little bursts of pleasure through me. I loved the way his hands felt on my skin.

He pulled me forward. I took one tentative step after the other to keep up with him. Suddenly, he stopped. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

I didn’t see any telltale light filtering through my closed lids. Whatever room we were in must have the curtains drawn. His confident steps echoed in the room as he made his way across the floor.

I impatiently waited for Jaxon’s big reveal. To keep myself from peeking, I imagined what type of room we might be in. I was picturing an enormous home movie theater that was more than the overstuffed armchairs and large televisions crammed into a friend’s basement. And there was no doubt a home theater in this house would unarguably look like the real deal. If it wasn’t a movie theater, then maybe it was a bowling alley.

“Can I open my eyes yet?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. Slowly, the anxiety of getting a gift from him had lessened. Jaxon knew me. He had to know I’d never hurt him.

“Not yet.” I heard the excitement in his voice.

In the silence, the scrape of metal curtain rings on their rod filtered to me. Then the darkness behind my lids lightened, and I instinctively turned my face in that direction.

His footsteps were getting closer to me. They sounded quicker, lighter than before. For a second, I worried about his ankle and whether he should be more cautious of it. Before I could call out a gentle reminder, his body was next to mine, his chest pressed into my back, and his lips nuzzling at my neck. His nearness overwhelmed my senses. “Now you can open them.”

A ripple of excitement moved through me. I drew in a breath, and on the exhalation my eyes fluttered open. After complete darkness, it took my sight a second to adjust, and when they did, my hand flew up to cover my mouth.

“Oh, my God, Jaxon.” I stepped away from him, my eyes darting all around the most unbelievable room I’d ever seen.

Walnut wood paneling and bookcases crowded the walls, and an ornately carved fireplace sat against the wall across from me. The two-story room was so long I’d probably get winded running from one end to the other. The gorgeous arched windows were massive and almost reached the ceiling and let in the most amazing amount of natural light. Sunbeams danced around the brightly lit room, as though welcoming me.

If that wasn’t dazzling enough, a painted ceiling rose above us, reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel. A bright blue sky stretched across the dome overhead, with scantily clad men and women lounging on clouds and rocks. There was even a large temple off to one side with angels flying nearby.

“I take it you like it?” The tender expression on his face tugged at my heart.

“Like it? I love it! I think I might have to move into this room full time for the rest of my stay.”

He chuckled. “I don’t see too many places we could comfortably sleep.”

I sucked in a sharp breath at hearing him say ‘we’. The past seven nights, I’d fallen asleep in his room and only headed to mine when it was time to get ready for the day.