Promise

'Nope. Let's go,' he said firmly, extricating himself from my arms, while still holding me upright.

'Please?' I pouted, trying to look at him through my eyelashes. I probably looked like a fool. He shook his head. 'Why?'

'Because I won't take advantage of you like this.'

'You wouldn't be taking advantage of me. I promise.' I smiled, trying to be seductive.

'As tempting as that sounds, ma lykita , I will not do anything with you that I may regret.'

The smile fell off my face and unexpected tears pooled in my eyes. Okay, self, wine makes me emotional… and stupid. 'You would regret it? You'd regret being with me?'

He rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, you must be drunk if you think I'd regret being with you.'

'But that's what you just said.'

He sighed, but his expression looked amused. 'What I meant is I'm not going to do something that I'd always have to wonder if you really wanted it or if it was the wine. Okay?'

I sighed. 'No, it's not okay.'

'I think you'll get over it. Come on, I'm taking you home.' He took my hand and pulled gently.

I reluctantly followed him downstairs and naturally headed to the motorcycle.

'Oh, no. I don't think you're in any shape for that,' he said, pulling me over to the cars.

'Oooh, can we take the Ferrari? Let's be obnoxious!'

He laughed. 'No, that's for going fast… very fast. You're not in any condition for that either and I'm not about to take the chance you'll puke all over it.'

'I'm not that drunk, silly.' I giggled again as he held the Mercedes door open for me. 'Can we put the top down? I love driving topless.'

He raised an eyebrow and that brought me to tears with laughter as he lowered the car's roof and pulled out of the garage. The cool December air blew on my face and sobered me quite a bit by the time we drove the two miles to my house. I shivered as we pulled in front of the cottage.

'Sorry,' I said, as we headed inside. 'I don't think I should mix you and wine. It's too much for my system.'

He gave me a squeeze. 'I thought it was just you who intoxicates me .'

* * *

The following week flew by as we managed the Christmas rush at the bookstore. Owen had gone home for the holidays, so Mom needed the extra help. Because we'd kept the store open until six on Christmas Eve, Mom and I didn't have much time to bake birthday cakes—the first part of our tradition. So we went over to Tristan's house to take advantage of his kitchen and all three of us made one at the same time.

While the cakes baked in the oven, we exchanged gifts, leaving Christmas Day for a birthday celebration. My stomach tightened with apprehension. Mom was easy and I knew she would love the CD I compiled for her. It was something she'd be able to play in the store and she was excited when she opened it. She gave me an emerald green blouse I'd seen her wear once and had told her how gorgeous it was on her. I didn't fill it out like she did, but I loved it…and so did Tristan when I modeled it.

It was his present I worried about. He wanted to read my unfinished book, but I wasn't nearly ready for anyone to read it, especially him. So I wrote him a poem about my love for him and had it framed with a small picture of me. The poem came directly from my heart, so it was, admittedly, pretty sappy. I didn't know if he'd like it or laugh at it. I sat on the couch next to him with my knees to my chest, tugging and twisting my hair as he opened and then read it. I held my breath the entire time.

He looked up at me and his eyes sparkled and…glistened. He bent over and kissed me on the cheek, murmuring, 'It's perfect. Thank you.'

I sighed hugely with relief and let myself relax.

'Your turn.' He handed me a flat box. My hands trembled as I opened it.

I sucked in my breath. 'Tristan, it's exquisite,' I breathed. I couldn't take my eyes off it. 'But I can't accept this. You cheated!'

Inside the box lay a silver chain with a beautiful pendant—two spaghetti-thick strands of silver entwined around each other and shaped into a circle with a triangular ruby dangling in the center. I'd never seen anything like it. When I looked up at him, his expression was pained and guilt stabbed my heart.

'Oh, I'm so sorry !' I said sincerely. I threw myself into his lap, put my arms around his neck and looked directly into his eyes. 'I absolutely love it! And, even though you broke the rules, I'll keep it forever.'

He swallowed. 'But I didn't break the rules. The chain is new, but I designed and made the pendant myself.'

I looked at the pendant and back at him. 'You designed this?'

'Just for you. It's symbolic.' He lowered his voice. 'Two lives intertwined around one love.'

'Oh. My .' I studied the pendant and happy tears filled my eyes. I treasured it more than anything I'd ever owned. I lifted my hair. 'Put it on me. I'm never taking it off.'

He clasped the chain and kissed my neck before I dropped my hair.

'Tristan…?' Mom asked, her voice mixed with concern and wonder as she eyed the pendant against my chest. 'Is that what I think it is?'

'Yes.'

I looked at him questioningly.

'The stone is unique and very precious,' he explained.

'Does it mean anything?' I asked. 'I mean, besides the symbolism?'

'It's the closest I can come to giving you a piece of my heart.' He shrugged it off, but his eyes told me it meant a lot.

'Thank you,' I whispered, fingering the ruby. It felt strangely warm to the touch. 'I'll wear it forever.'

'Thank you for your love,' he said, indicating the poem. 'I'll keep it forever.'

'I might let you have it that long,' I teased.

He pulled me against his chest. 'You don't have a choice because I'll never let it go. And I'm much stronger than you.'

Christmas Day was the best Mom and I ever had. After delivering the cakes to a homeless shelter and nursing homes, we drove around, scoping out opportunities for random acts of kindness. The first one came when we saw a lady and four small children clambering out of a car. She tried to unload gifts from her old station wagon, while keeping the kids out of the street. Tristan and I carried the gifts to the house for her while Mom helped her with the kids. Tristan slipped her something as we left and she stared after us, her mouth hanging open with shock. He did the same thing each time we helped someone. I didn't ask about it because that was the point of the day, but I knew when we stopped at a convenience store.

We'd just bought drinks and the man behind us argued with the clerk about why his credit card didn't work at the pump. He carried on about how he needed to get to Miami to see his kids for Christmas. Tristan tucked something into my hand, nodded at the man and strode out of the store. I looked at the folded one-hundred-dollar bill in my hand, smiled and stepped over to the man at the counter.

'Here, go see your kids,' I whispered. I placed the bill in his hand and hurried out the door before he could stop me. We took off as soon as I was in the car. When I looked back, both the man and the clerk stood outside, watching after us.

Chapter 14

As December slipped into January and January disappeared into February, I spent as much time as I could on the book…when I wasn't in class or with Tristan. I was surprised at how easily most of it came to me, almost like it wrote itself and I was just a tool. The book would be better than I expected and I nearly finished the first draft by the middle of February. Then I got sick.

Valentine's Day and my birthday five days later were both miserable. I caught a horrible cold that fell into my chest and became bronchitis. I felt even worse because Tristan had planned a weekend in Orlando for my