62. Darcy

CHAPTER 62

DARCY

On the morning of my birthday, Hayden wakes me up with slow, lazy kisses down my body before he makes me beg for release with his head between my legs.

"Do you want your present now or later?" he asks after, lounging on the bed beside me, looking like a Greek god in the morning light.

"Is it that we can finally have sex?"

He chuckles. "No. Not yet."

I groan with frustration. His tongue on my clit is heaven, but I need so much more from him. I want to feel connected in the ultimate way. A little part of me is grumpy—he's slept with every girl in town, but not me?

What's going on?

I shove the thoughts from my head. "I'd like the present now, please."

He moves closer, pressing a kiss between my breasts, nipping the sensitive skin. "Are you sure?"

I laugh, squirming away from him. "Yes, now."

"Okay, okay." He slides off the bed and I get to admire his magnificent ass as he heads into his closet. He returns a moment later with a small package .

"What could it be?" I muse, narrowing my eyes at him where he's settling against the headboard as I slide my fingernail under the tape. "It's clearly a book. Dating for Total Losers , maybe?"

His gaze is steady and warm. "You're not a loser."

" How to Pick Up Guys, Bring Them Home, and Bang Their Brains Out ?"

His grin widens. "You don't have any trouble getting me into bed."

I laugh, pulling off the remaining wrapping. "Kama Sutra, maybe—oh."

My jaw drops. The Emerald Queen by A.R. Haddington. It's the next book in The Northern Sword series, due to be released later this year.

It can't be.

"How did—" I give Hayden a searching look, but he just smiles wider. "Hayden. How?"

It's impossible to get an early copy. A.R. Haddington's publisher doesn't send out early copies for fear of spoilers leaking. Tickets to the midnight release parties for her new books are sold out the day they go on sale.

"Who did you kill to get this?"

He lets out a tight laugh, and there's something in his expression that catches my attention, like he's nervous. "Is it too much?"

"No." I shake my head hard. "I love it." I flip the cover open to check the print date, and my pulse halts at the loopy signature on the title page. "Oh my god."

For Darcy, brave like The Northern Sword .

- A.R. Haddingto n

I blink at it, stunned.

"Hayden." My voice sounds strange. She's notoriously reclusive. No social media, no public appearances. No one knows what she looks like, what her initials stand for, or even what country she lives in, and she definitely doesn't sign books. "Seriously. How did you get this?"

He lifts his big shoulder in a casual shrug, but a pleased smile toys at his mouth. "I pulled a couple strings."

"This is The Devil Wears Prada level of pulling strings. What did you do?"

"I had the Storm PR team reach out to the publisher. I told her about you."

"Who?"

He tilts his chin at the book. "A.R. Haddington."

"No."

He laughs. "Yes. I told her how we met in school and bonded over the book series, and how we've been friends for years. I told her about you finally leaving your boring insurance job for an analytics job with the Storm and how you're the only woman in the room at work but you're brave and smart and passionate about what you do." He glances away, and it feels like there's a part he isn't telling me. "I made a donation to her favorite charity, too."

"How much?"

He just shrugs, smiling.

"Hayden." I lean forward and give him a hard look, but I'm smiling. " How much ?"

He squints. "I don't remember."

"You are such a liar," I whisper, heart beating out of my chest with affection and warmth and big, intense feelings for Hayden Owens.

I try to say words, but I have none. My heart pounds as I run my fingertip over the signature.

It's the best gift I've ever gotten. It's the best gift I could have even imagined. Only Hayden would get me something like this, something I didn't even know I wanted.

Only Hayden sees me like this.

"Thank you," I manage, and my eyes sting, sharp and sudden. "Sorry." I turn away, blinking away the tears.

Immediately, he reaches for me, turning me back to him with strong, warm hands. "Hey, hey." His voice is gentle, calming, making it so much worse. "It's okay. Come here."

He pulls me against his chest, his comforting scent and the warm planes of his torso flooding my senses. He trails slow strokes against my back while I lean into him.

"So I guess you like it?"

I huff a laugh. "Yes, Hayden. I like it. I think I like it more than anything else I own." I glance at my wrist, at the bracelet I only take off to shower. "Or just as much as the bracelet."

A low, pleased noise rumbles against my cheek. "Good."

We lie there for a long moment, looking out the window in comfortable silence.

"We're going for dinner tonight," Hayden says, "but how do you want to spend the rest of the day?"

"With you."

He makes a low noise of appreciation and presses a kiss to my forehead. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"And Daniel, of course."

"Sure, I'll find a bag of rocks and we can take him for a swim in the ocean."

We laugh, and I can feel his grin against my hairline. My lips linger on his warm stubble before I press a trail of kisses along his jaw and down his neck to his collarbones. His breathing turns ragged, and a moment later, his hand twines in my hair .

"What are you up to, Andersen?" he asks in a low, teasing voice.

I smile at him, climbing on top of him so I'm straddling his hips. His erection presses between my legs and his eyes darken. I begin my own trail of kisses down his chest and stomach, and his breathing turns ragged.

"I want to thank you properly."