Page 93 of The Wrong Game

“There would be lots of lube required.”

I laughed again, but my throat tightened when she grabbed the box, tearing into it just as fast as the first one, although this time with a slightly less excited and slightly more terrified expression on her face. I was equally freaking out, but I hid it with a tight smile, my heart ticking up without Gemma being any the wiser.

The first gift had been a gag, a joke, but this one was real.

And I desperately wanted her to like it.

When the paper was gone, she shoved it out of the way, eyes widening when she popped the lid on the box to see what was inside.

“Zach,” she breathed, her hands disappearing into the box before she pulled out the first item. It was a custom-made, chrome fountain pen, with an elegant G inscribed at the head. The chrome was a navy blue, the inscription silver, and she rolled the pen in her hand like it was a diamond necklace.

“It’s beautiful.”

“There’s more.”

She still held the pen, but reached inside the box again, this time pulling out the small stack of notebooks. There were three of them, all different sizes, with high-quality paper and leather binding. They were inscribed, too, each labeled with all capital letters.

LISTS.

PLANS.

RANDOM SHIT.

She laughed when she read the last one, shaking her head as she took it all in. “You got me stationery.”

“I did.” I let out a breath, hoping the idea wasn’t stupid instead of romantic, which was what I’d been going for. “One for your lists, one for your plans, and one for whatever you want it to be. And I saw you had a few of those kind of pens around, I figured they were your favorite.”

“They are,” she said, still staring at the gift. “I hate typing. I love the feel of pen and paper, of having a physical document to hold.”

I swallowed. “Well, there you go. I just… I felt like when you first told me about this part of you, you were ashamed, or embarrassed. But, just know you shouldn’t be. Because it’s part of what makes you the most unique and amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

She looked up at me with a smile then. “Don’t get all heavy on me now.”

I hooked a hand behind my neck, nodding to the notebook labeledLISTS. “I started that one for you, by the way.”

“You did, huh?” she asked, and she was still grinning as she flipped open the leather binding. I watched her eyes dance over the letters on that first page, and she closed her eyes, shaking her head.

“What?” I asked innocently.

“Sex Positions I Want to Try with Zach Bowen?”

“I thought it was a perfect list to start with.”

She looked back down at the page. “Number one: doggy-style.”

I waggled my brows. “Classic.”

“You even illustrated with stick figures,” she mused. “Thank goodness, because I had no idea what doggy style was.”

“I like to be thorough.”

Gemma laughed, closing the binding and sliding off her barstool. She slipped into my arms, wrapping her own around my neck. “Thank you. Seriously, I love it.” She shifted her weight to one side, fingers playing with the neck of my sweater. “Honestly, this is the most thoughtful gift I’ve been given in a very long time.”

My throat was tight again, but I swallowed the knot down. “Well, I’m glad you like it.”

We stood there a moment, her eyes on mine, my hands resting on her hips, and then she cleared her throat. “Can I use your restroom real quick?”

“Of course, it’s right back there,” I said, pointing back into my bedroom. “I’ll put on some music.”