was not going to get into this discussion again.
“Sorry.” Dev stepped back and reached into her pocket. She pulled out two carefully wrapped jewelry cases and offered them both to Lauren with a hopeful look on her face. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
The writer shook her head, correctly guessing that the boxes contained gifts that were far more extravagant than those she could give Devlyn in return. “You’re going to spoil me.”
“I hope so.” Dev followed Lauren to one of the two sofas that flanked a cherrywood coffee table. Proudly displayed on the table were the two dozen fragrant, very fresh, blood-red roses the President had ordered that morning. Dev grunted her approval. “The White House florist does a hell of a job.”
“They’re beautiful as always.” Lauren leaned over and inhaled a deep nose-full of their spicy, gentle scent. “Mmm…” She sat next to Dev and shook the smaller of the two boxes next to her ear.
Dev rolled her eyes and grinned. “Just open them already.”
“Don’t rush me. I like the anticipation.” She slipped her nail under the tape and lifted the flap, going at a snail’s pace just to tease Devlyn. It was a method of playful torture each employed with the other in a variety of scenarios that often included the bedroom.
“You’re making me crazy!”
“Well, duh.” Lauren winked. “Good crazy or bad crazy?”
“Yes.” Dev watched as Lauren opened the small box to reveal a pair of solitaire diamond earrings.
Lauren’s eyes widened a little as the stones glittered elegantly in the soft light of her room. Jesus. “Oh, Devlyn, they’re beautiful.”
Devlyn was glad she was sitting because her knees went watery with relief. “I’m glad you like them.” She gestured with her chin towards the other package. “This one is just a little something to go with them.”
The second box revealed a diamond tennis bracelet. Lauren looked to her fiancé. “You shouldn’t have.”
“Sure I should have. I love you. You deserve beautiful things.”
“I love you, too.” Lauren removed the bracelet and wrapped it around her wrist. “It’s beautiful, Devlyn.” She held it up and the light caught the precious stones, causing them to sparkle happily and both women to smile in frank appreciation. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She carefully put on the bracelet and placed the other piece of jewelry back in the box, setting it on the table. “I have something for you too. It’s not quite as grand as this, but—”
“I love it already,” Dev told her sincerely.
Inexplicably, Lauren felt her throat close at the simple words. She nodded a few times, then pushed to her feet. She pointed at Dev. “Can you stay here for a moment? I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
“But—”
“Hush and wait for me to call you. No peeking.”
Dev huffed. “Fine. Waiting right here.”
Lauren headed for the bathroom and Dev sighed. Her sitting still on the sofa lasted all of one minute before she was on her feet pacing around the room. She stopped her restless roaming when she spotted two new photographs on Lauren’s desk. Photography was a hobby Lauren took seriously, many of her photographs ending up in the biographies she penned. And she was just as likely to follow Dev around with an old-fashioned 35mm camera as she was with a pen or recorder.
Dev lifted one of the new, silver-framed photos, the metal feeling cool against her hand. It was a close-up black-and-white shot of her sitting at her desk in the Oval Office as she gazed down at a stack of papers. One hand was pushing her obsidian hair from her face while the other was tightly clenching a fountain pen. Her expression was that of a serious, very intense woman puzzling something out. Dev wasn’t sure if she liked the photo or not. It was almost disconcerting the way the lens and Lauren had captured her completely, the picture easily conveying emotion she was aware ran close to the surface.
The second
“Sorry.” Dev stepped back and reached into her pocket. She pulled out two carefully wrapped jewelry cases and offered them both to Lauren with a hopeful look on her face. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
The writer shook her head, correctly guessing that the boxes contained gifts that were far more extravagant than those she could give Devlyn in return. “You’re going to spoil me.”
“I hope so.” Dev followed Lauren to one of the two sofas that flanked a cherrywood coffee table. Proudly displayed on the table were the two dozen fragrant, very fresh, blood-red roses the President had ordered that morning. Dev grunted her approval. “The White House florist does a hell of a job.”
“They’re beautiful as always.” Lauren leaned over and inhaled a deep nose-full of their spicy, gentle scent. “Mmm…” She sat next to Dev and shook the smaller of the two boxes next to her ear.
Dev rolled her eyes and grinned. “Just open them already.”
“Don’t rush me. I like the anticipation.” She slipped her nail under the tape and lifted the flap, going at a snail’s pace just to tease Devlyn. It was a method of playful torture each employed with the other in a variety of scenarios that often included the bedroom.
“You’re making me crazy!”
“Well, duh.” Lauren winked. “Good crazy or bad crazy?”
“Yes.” Dev watched as Lauren opened the small box to reveal a pair of solitaire diamond earrings.
Lauren’s eyes widened a little as the stones glittered elegantly in the soft light of her room. Jesus. “Oh, Devlyn, they’re beautiful.”
Devlyn was glad she was sitting because her knees went watery with relief. “I’m glad you like them.” She gestured with her chin towards the other package. “This one is just a little something to go with them.”
The second box revealed a diamond tennis bracelet. Lauren looked to her fiancé. “You shouldn’t have.”
“Sure I should have. I love you. You deserve beautiful things.”
“I love you, too.” Lauren removed the bracelet and wrapped it around her wrist. “It’s beautiful, Devlyn.” She held it up and the light caught the precious stones, causing them to sparkle happily and both women to smile in frank appreciation. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She carefully put on the bracelet and placed the other piece of jewelry back in the box, setting it on the table. “I have something for you too. It’s not quite as grand as this, but—”
“I love it already,” Dev told her sincerely.
Inexplicably, Lauren felt her throat close at the simple words. She nodded a few times, then pushed to her feet. She pointed at Dev. “Can you stay here for a moment? I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
“But—”
“Hush and wait for me to call you. No peeking.”
Dev huffed. “Fine. Waiting right here.”
Lauren headed for the bathroom and Dev sighed. Her sitting still on the sofa lasted all of one minute before she was on her feet pacing around the room. She stopped her restless roaming when she spotted two new photographs on Lauren’s desk. Photography was a hobby Lauren took seriously, many of her photographs ending up in the biographies she penned. And she was just as likely to follow Dev around with an old-fashioned 35mm camera as she was with a pen or recorder.
Dev lifted one of the new, silver-framed photos, the metal feeling cool against her hand. It was a close-up black-and-white shot of her sitting at her desk in the Oval Office as she gazed down at a stack of papers. One hand was pushing her obsidian hair from her face while the other was tightly clenching a fountain pen. Her expression was that of a serious, very intense woman puzzling something out. Dev wasn’t sure if she liked the photo or not. It was almost disconcerting the way the lens and Lauren had captured her completely, the picture easily conveying emotion she was aware ran close to the surface.
The second
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