wasn’t much, but it meant the world to me, and I hoped it would mean the same for her, too.
Holly had been given a new car stereo, which we’d fitted last night, but the excitement she’d felt over that little piece of machinery was swallowed completely when Jackson hurried off to his room to get “something” and came back pushing a baby cot he’d made and painted himself.
Jackson got a new toolkit and I was the proud new owner of a bottle of Blue Label Johnnie Walker.
Now, I groan and sit back in my seat, waiting for the food coma to take me under. While the rest of us had gone back to bed, Ana had been dashing around the kitchen like a blue-arsed fly. She’d made Christmas lunch for the whole family and still managed to look like a fucking goddess in her little white cherry dress.
Sammy’s sitting beside me shoving asparagus spears up his nose and pretending to be a walrus. Fuck, I love that kid. He’s like six-year-old me with ADHD. He shoots one of the veggies out of his nose and giggles hysterically, and then from out of nowhere he turns to me and asks, “Hey Lighie, do you and Ana Cabana thleep in the thame bed?”
I choke on my beer.
“Sammy!” Ana chastises.
Holly’s laughing her pregnant arse off. Jackson’s shaking his head and Bob’s turned white as a sheet. He’s been eyeing me suspiciously from the head of the table throughout the entire meal, probably because I’ve been staring at Ana like I want to put her over my knee and spank her for making my naughty list this year. I feel my mouth tip up in a crooked smile as Ana’s apologetic gaze meets mine.
“What? I wath just athking if you guyth ever have thleepoverth. When I’m growd up I’m gonna have thleepoverth wif girlth all the time.”
I bump my fist with his tiny one and say, “I don’t doubt that at all, little man.”
“Please do not encourage him. The women of Sugartown are still recovering from you two—” Ana points to me and Jack “—they’re definitely not ready for Sam Belle.”
I laugh. “You just stick with me, mate. When you’re old enough, I’ll teach you everything I know.”
“And the women will run away screaming,” Holly deadpans.
“Ah, but it’s what they’re screaming that counts.”
Ana shoots up out of her chair. “Who wants dessert?”
Everyone mutters their approval and Ana hurries off to the kitchen. I follow after her. Despite the fact that it’s thirty-four degrees outside, she pulls a couple of pies out of the oven and places them on the bench.
“Holy shit, that smells amazing,” I say, breathing in the sweet, homey smell of caramel, pecans and pie crust. “Need some help?”
She just glares at me, so I get to work pulling out bowls and cutlery and the ice-cream from the freezer. As she serves, she sings along to some folky, sweet-sounding song playing from the stereo—thank fuck it’s not Christmassy—and she sounds terrible. Kinda like a cat in heat, but when I look over she’s swaying her hips in a way that makes me want to dance with her. I don’t. Because I’m an Aussie bloke and we don’t fucking dance.
I move closer and she glances up at me. I half expect her to rim me out for not helping but there’s a hint of curiosity in her gaze. “I have something for you.”
“For me?”
I nod. “It’s my real gift to you.”
She arches her brow and twists her lips into a disapproving frown, like she expects me to whip out my cock and dangle it before her. “Okay, I so do not have time for this.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, dirty girl,” I tease and then I make out like I’m going to kiss her as I lean over and hook my hands behind her neck. It takes some effort to get the tiny clasp to open and then close on account of my giant hands, but eventually the necklace complies and I let its weight fall and rest against her chest. I step back and allow her to take in her new gift.
A tiny golden swallow rests on a gold chain, just above the line of her cleavage. It’s just as perfect on her as it was on its previous owner—maybe more perfect, and seeing it again on someone so beautiful makes me smile like the cat that didn’t just get the cream, he got the whole fucking carton.
Ana runs her fingers over the swallow and tests its weight in her hand. “It’s beautiful.”
“It was Lil’s. It’s been taped under the seat of my bike since she died. I had a jeweller clean it up and fit it with a new chain a couple weeks back.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t accept this.”
“Yeah, you can.”
“No, Elijah, it was your sister’s. It’s all you have left of her. I can’t take that away from you.”
I ignore all this. It suits her, and I’d rather see someone as perfect as her wearing it than know it was collecting dirt and dust under my bike. Lil would want that, too. Lil would have loved Ana. She would have idolised her, the same way Sammy idolises me. Hell, one look at Ana and Lil would have asked if she could swap siblings. “You know what they mean?”
She shakes her head, no.
“Love, freedom.” I stick my hand out in front of her and turn my palm up, then I trace my finger around a tiny shape beside the reaper, hidden amongst the rest of my tattoo sleeve. It’s Lil’s swallow. Ana’s swallow, now, I guess. Maybe that tattoo was always intended for her and I just didn’t know it. “Loyalty. A swallow represents the loyalty of a person always returning to them. I’ll always return to you, Ana. There’s never been anyone else for me.”
Ana stares up at me, all doe eyes and sad smiles, but there’s something else in her expression, too, and it’s as clear as the day is fucking hot. She wants me. Right here, in this moment, Ana Belle wants to fuck my brains out. It doesn’t change anything, though. She still won’t allow herself to give into it and I won’t push it upon her because she’s not ready yet, and when I do finally get that woman beneath me I won’t ever be giving her up. Not even if she begs me to.
I pull her in and place a soft kiss to her lips. I hadn’t meant to linger there, but her mouth is so god damned inviting and she doesn’t push me off, so I take the opportunity to draw out the moment I’ve stolen. I don’t force my tongue down her throat, it never even leaves my mouth, but there’s heat all the same because our eyes are open and neither one of us is walking away.
“Ewww, dude,” I hear Sammy whine behind us. He runs back to the dining room complaining, “Dad! Anath’s thucking on Elijath’s face again!”
I place once last kiss against her lips and then I saunter away, feeling satisfied. I’m probably about to be murdered by Ana’s father in the next few minutes, but I don’t care. Every second was worth it.
I’m halfway to the dining room when Ana says, “Elijah?”
“Yeah babe?”
“I love it,” she whispers and gives me a megawatt smile.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Ana
“Hurry up, bitches, or we’re starting this lame-o movie without you,” Holly yells from the lounge room. Elijah and I are in the kitchen; apparently we’re the designated snack providers for our impromptu cinema night. I swear, sometimes being the only person that can cook in a household of constantly hungry boys and cranky pregnant women kinda sucks arse.
“Yeah, and don’t forget the beer.”
“Popcorn and beer? That’s disgusting!” I hear her say, and Jackson rattles off a list of reasons as to why ‘that shit is the fucking bomb’. “My baby is crying right now inside of me, you know that, don’t you? You’re making him cry with your disgusting eating habits and then he’s going to throw a tanty and start kicking my vagina and
