The place looked amazing with contemporary pieces for the kitchen, living room, and dining room, accent tables, a media center, and even bookcases, soon to be filled with Kiona’s extensive book collection back home. The walls remained bare at the moment because she had more than enough canvases to cover the larger spots, and where she needed smaller paintings, well, that was all the more reason to get her studio up and running.
“Hey, you with us?” Ridge tugged lightly on a lock of her hair.
“I’m with you.” She met his gaze, and they stared at each other for a long time. The flutters that invaded her belly made it feel as if they had just fallen in love, with all its accompanying nervous excitement.
Alex grabbed a few trucks in his short little arms and stacked them in the space between the couch and the loveseat. He came back to the tree for more, and steadily grew his stockpile.
“Now that he’s unwrapped everything, he’s decided it’s time to take inventory,” Ridge commented.
Kiona shook her head. “I guess so. The boy’s a nut.”
Ridge nabbed one last package from beneath the tree and sat back. He patted the space between his legs. “Come sit here, baby.”
Kiona settled where he wanted her and leaned on his chest. Ridge brought his arms around her and held up the tiny package, wrapped in red shimmery paper and gold ribbon. “This is for you.”
She glanced back at him. “I thought I’d opened everything.”
“This one I hid until we laid all the rest out. I wanted to surprise you.”
Moisture gathered in her eyes. “Ridge, you didn’t have to get me anything else. After you actually followed through with selling your business, even though I tried to stop you—you bought me so many gifts, I can’t use them all. Well, except for the paints and brushes. You know I’ll rip into those quick. But, baby, that’s enough.”
“It’s never enough.” He lifted her hand and placed the small box in her palm. “Take it, and open it.”
Trembling for some reason, she did as he asked and gasped when she saw the diamond ring. Emotions choked her, and the tears flowed down her cheeks. Last year, she’d yanked the rings he gave her off her fingers and threw them at his head. Ridge hadn’t moved a muscle. He didn’t flinch or duck, and as far as she knew he’d left the rings on the ground because he never mentioned them again. She had turned on her heel and walked away from him.
“This is my engagement ring,” she whispered when she could get words out. “You kept it.”
“Of course. I have the other one too.” He raised her chin and captured her in the heat of his gaze. “Kiona Foster, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
A sob escaped her, and she covered her mouth. She nodded over and over, and when she got a grip, answered, “Yes, I will—without a doubt in my mind—yes, Ridge Foster, I will marry you.”
Ridge took the ring from her and slipped it onto her finger. A perfect fit, she stared at it and touched the huge diamond. Ridge always was one for going all out. He turned her head from the ring and raised her chin toward him then slanted his mouth over hers and pushed his tongue between her lips. Kiona arched into him. She twisted to face him and ran her hands over his chest. When her fingertips skimmed his nipples, she paused to tease them, pinching and circling the flat buds until he moaned.
Ridge broke off their kiss and stilled her hands, his breathing ragged. “Baby, if you start that…” He glanced over at their son.
“Who started it?” she teased and dropped a hand between his legs to cup his swelling erection.
Her husband’s eyes narrowed. “Ah I see you’re determined to be naughty again. Wait until a certain someone is down for a nap. You’re going to get it.”
Ridge didn’t know who he was messing with. Kiona gave him a sweet smile, which brought a curious expression to her man’s face. “I’ll get this place cleaned up. You put
“Hey, you with us?” Ridge tugged lightly on a lock of her hair.
“I’m with you.” She met his gaze, and they stared at each other for a long time. The flutters that invaded her belly made it feel as if they had just fallen in love, with all its accompanying nervous excitement.
Alex grabbed a few trucks in his short little arms and stacked them in the space between the couch and the loveseat. He came back to the tree for more, and steadily grew his stockpile.
“Now that he’s unwrapped everything, he’s decided it’s time to take inventory,” Ridge commented.
Kiona shook her head. “I guess so. The boy’s a nut.”
Ridge nabbed one last package from beneath the tree and sat back. He patted the space between his legs. “Come sit here, baby.”
Kiona settled where he wanted her and leaned on his chest. Ridge brought his arms around her and held up the tiny package, wrapped in red shimmery paper and gold ribbon. “This is for you.”
She glanced back at him. “I thought I’d opened everything.”
“This one I hid until we laid all the rest out. I wanted to surprise you.”
Moisture gathered in her eyes. “Ridge, you didn’t have to get me anything else. After you actually followed through with selling your business, even though I tried to stop you—you bought me so many gifts, I can’t use them all. Well, except for the paints and brushes. You know I’ll rip into those quick. But, baby, that’s enough.”
“It’s never enough.” He lifted her hand and placed the small box in her palm. “Take it, and open it.”
Trembling for some reason, she did as he asked and gasped when she saw the diamond ring. Emotions choked her, and the tears flowed down her cheeks. Last year, she’d yanked the rings he gave her off her fingers and threw them at his head. Ridge hadn’t moved a muscle. He didn’t flinch or duck, and as far as she knew he’d left the rings on the ground because he never mentioned them again. She had turned on her heel and walked away from him.
“This is my engagement ring,” she whispered when she could get words out. “You kept it.”
“Of course. I have the other one too.” He raised her chin and captured her in the heat of his gaze. “Kiona Foster, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
A sob escaped her, and she covered her mouth. She nodded over and over, and when she got a grip, answered, “Yes, I will—without a doubt in my mind—yes, Ridge Foster, I will marry you.”
Ridge took the ring from her and slipped it onto her finger. A perfect fit, she stared at it and touched the huge diamond. Ridge always was one for going all out. He turned her head from the ring and raised her chin toward him then slanted his mouth over hers and pushed his tongue between her lips. Kiona arched into him. She twisted to face him and ran her hands over his chest. When her fingertips skimmed his nipples, she paused to tease them, pinching and circling the flat buds until he moaned.
Ridge broke off their kiss and stilled her hands, his breathing ragged. “Baby, if you start that…” He glanced over at their son.
“Who started it?” she teased and dropped a hand between his legs to cup his swelling erection.
Her husband’s eyes narrowed. “Ah I see you’re determined to be naughty again. Wait until a certain someone is down for a nap. You’re going to get it.”
Ridge didn’t know who he was messing with. Kiona gave him a sweet smile, which brought a curious expression to her man’s face. “I’ll get this place cleaned up. You put
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