Chapter 29

The moment the car pulled up to Judy’s house, Chrissy was out the door. She grabbed Kiera’s hand and practically dragged her inside.

“Hurry, Aunt Kiera!” she squealed, her young voice filled with anticipation.

The moment Kiera stepped through the door, Kyle and Roy shouted in unison, “Surprise!”

Kiera’s eyes swept over the room, taking in the balloons, birthday decorations, and a cake sitting on the coffee table, surrounded by wrapped gifts. Her eyes welled up with tears as she turned to look at Kyle.

She was at a loss for words. How did they know it was her birthday? She hadn’t told anyone, not even the man she was about to marry.

Kyle moved towards her, wrapping his arms around her. “Happy birthday, baby.”

She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “How did you know?” she asked.

He chuckled. “I saw your birth date when you were getting your paperwork for a new birth certificate and social security number. Are you surprised?”

She nodded, turning to the others. “Thank you all so much. I’ve never celebrated my birthday before. This is such a wonderful surprise.”

She buried her face in his chest, too emotional to say anything else.

He held her close, looking over at the others. They stayed like that for a few moments before Chrissy broke the silence.

“Come on, Aunt Kiera. Blow out your candles so you can open your presents.”

Kyle guided her to the sofa, his arm around her waist. She sat down and admired the cake. “What a beautiful cake,” she said before blowing out the candles.

Once she did, Chrissy handed her a present. “This is from Mommy and Daddy.”

She accepted the gift, her heart pounding as she tore off the wrapping paper. The others watched with smiles on their faces as she revealed a pink cashmere sweater.

“Oh, this is so beautiful. Thank you so much,” she said, her voice choked with emotion as she rubbed the soft material against her cheek.

“This one is from me,” Chrissy said, handing her a small box.

She opened it and pulled Chrissy into a hug. “I love it. Thank you, sweetheart.” It was a matching cashmere scarf and a small black wallet.

“You all shouldn’t have. But thank you so much. I love the gifts.”

“There’s some from Uncle Kyle,” Chrissy said, handing her a box wrapped in pink paper.

Kiera was taken aback when she pulled out a black Saint Laurent Cabas purse.

“Oh Kyle, you shouldn’t have.” She knew the bag was expensive, and she felt overwhelmed.

He sat down next to her. “If you don’t like it, you can return it and get the one you want.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I love it. Thank you,” she said, leaning over to give him a kiss.

“There’s one more for you from Uncle Kyle,” Chrissy said, pulling a smaller box from under the table and handing it to her.

“You’ve already given me so much.”

“Open it,” he said, grinning.

With trembling hands, she opened it. It was a new phone. Not just any phone, but the top of the line. “I love it,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

He put his arm around her shoulder. “There’s a place inside the purse for you to put it in. See if it’ll fit.” He watched her anxiously as she opened the purse and found another small wrapped gift inside.

“What’s this?” she asked, looking at him.

“Open it and find out.” He was enjoying spoiling her. His heart was full of love for her.

She was overcome with emotion when she saw the diamond necklace. It was all too much for her. She excused herself and went into the kitchen.

She heard footsteps behind her and knew it was Kyle. She felt his hands on her shoulders as he turned her around to face him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his eyes filled with concern when he saw her tears.

“I love all the gifts, and I love you. I’m just not used to getting gifts, especially ones so expensive.

“I don’t want you to think you have to buy me things. You’re paying for everything, the wedding, the honeymoon. I’ve got nothing to give you.”

He looked deep into her eyes. “Are you crazy? You’ve given me so much already, your love, and the best gift ever, which is priceless.”

He placed his hand over her stomach. “You are giving me the best gift ever, our baby.” He turned her around and placed the necklace around her neck.

“I hope you like this. I tried finding one that would match your earrings. This was the best I could find.”

“This is perfect. I love it. Thank you.”

“Let’s get one thing straight. You’re going to be my wife, so what is mine will also be yours, and I plan on spoiling you. I hope you can live with that.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

“Oh, that’s so gross.”

They broke their kiss when they heard Chrissy’s comment. They laughed and pulled away from each other.

“Come cut the cake, Aunt Kiera. I want cake and ice cream,” Chrissy said, pulling her back into the living room.

Hand in hand, they followed Chrissy back into the living room. Kiera cut the cake into slices, giving Chrissy the first piece.

For the next couple of hours, they sat around, talking about the wedding plans.

Kyle and Roy went outside to drink beer while the women gave Chrissy her bath and got her ready for bed. She went and kissed the guys before going back inside and getting into bed.

The women joined the men outside. Kiera sat on Kyle’s lap. “I really want to thank you all for the party and gifts.”

“My older brother let it slip that you’ve never had a birthday party or presents, so we all decided to surprise you. Chrissy almost gave it away earlier.”

“I knew you two were acting weird all day,” she said, her smile lighting up the room.

She was wearing the new sweater she’d been gifted, her fingers constantly brushing against the fabric. “I adore this. It’s so soft. I’ve never owned anything like it.”

“I’m a fan of soft things too,” Kyle said, his hand resting on her leg and slowly inching upwards.

She blushed, grabbing his hand before it could wander too far. “Behave,” she chided, her cheeks burning. She was mortified by his boldness in front of his family.

She expected them to be shocked, but when she glanced their way, they were all grinning.

An hour later, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m getting sleepy. Can we head home soon?”

He loved when she looked at him with those pleading eyes. And she did seem tired. “Yes, it’s getting late and you’ve had a full day.”

They collected her presents and a generous slice of birthday cake, said their goodbyes, and headed home. Once there, she went straight to the bedroom to prepare for bed.

Dressed in her nightgown, she stood in front of the mirror, removing her necklace, when she saw him approach in the reflection. His arms encircled her waist, his lips finding her neck.

“I can’t wait until we’re married. I love you so much,” he murmured, his kisses trailing down her neck as his hand slid down her body.

He lifted her gown and slipped his hand inside her panties, his fingers teasing her sensitive folds.

She was already wet for him, and when she began to moan, he turned her around, sliding her gown straps down her shoulders.

His lips moved from her neck, over her soft shoulder, to her breasts. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her to the bed.

As she sat on the edge of the bed, she unbuckled his pants and pulled them down along with his briefs. Her lips curled into a seductive smile at the sight of his arousal.

“I see you have another birthday present for me.”

He grinned as he lowered her onto the bed. “It’s more of a gift for me.”

Two hours later, they lay side by side, spent and breathless.

“Happy birthday, baby,” he said, intertwining his fingers with hers.

He woke up in the middle of the night to find her side of the bed empty. It was unusual for her to wake up during the night, so he got up to find her.

The kitchen light was on, so he headed there, stopping in the doorway. She was sitting at the table, a guilty look on her face and icing smeared on her cheek.

“I had a craving for something sweet,” she confessed, a fork in her hand and the cake in front of her.

Smirking, he walked over to the drawer, grabbed a fork, and sat across from her. He took a bite of the cake. “I did too. But since I already had my sweet treat earlier, I’ll settle for some cake.”

“Kyle, I want us to always be honest with each other. I’ve seen so many relationships crumble because of secrets. When the truth comes out, it’s always a disaster.

“No matter what it is, I want you to tell me, even if it might upset me.”

“I completely agree. Let’s also promise to never go to bed angry, to always kiss goodnight, and to say ‘I love you’ every day.

“That was my parents' secret to a successful marriage, and I want us to have the same kind of relationship, built on love and trust.”

She pushed the cake away. “I need to stop eating like this, or I’ll balloon up.”

“You’re eating for two,” he reminded her, setting his fork down. “You’re beautiful, and it’s me who needs to watch my weight. I need to keep in shape for my young wife.”

“It’s not your body I love. It’s you,” she said, moving to sit on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“This scar on my chest, does it bother you?”

She traced the scar with her fingertips. “No, I wouldn’t care if you were covered in scars. I would still love you no matter what. Don’t ever doubt my love for you.”

“Let’s go back to bed,” he suggested. Lifting her up, he carried her back to the bedroom.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. She loved when he carried her to bed. There was something incredibly sexy about a man who could easily carry a woman. It turned her on, making her want him even more.

The following weeks were a whirlwind. The church and reception hall were booked, everyone had their outfits, and Kyle had reserved the same suite in Italy where they had stayed during their last visit.

Roy was going to be Kyle’s best man. Judy was the maid of honor. Chrissy was the flower girl, of course. And Roy’s partner, William, was going to walk Kiera down the aisle.