He expected Catarina to ask him where her surprise was, but she didn’t. She tightened her fingers around his, and actually slowed her footsteps to the point of dragging. He could feel a tremor running through her body.

Eli pulled her in tight against him. “This is a good thing, Kitten. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

She turned her face up to his and his heart stuttered in his chest. She looked stripped down, vulnerable. Afraid even. “It’s a big thing, Eli, something sweet, no matter what it is and I don’t know what to do with that.”

He ran his thumb down her cheek, tracing her beautiful bone structure, and then dipped his head to brush a reassuring kiss over her mouth. Her lips were trembling. He couldn’t stop himself from pulling her tight into the shelter of his body. The moment he did, she melted into him, her arms circling around his waist, her hands bunching in his shirt as she held on tight.

“Catarina, listen to me. I love you. Those aren’t just words to me. You matter to me. You matter more than I could ever express in words. I like giving you things. I like letting you know how beautiful and special you are to me. That’s never going to stop.” His palm cupped the back of her head and held her face to him. “This isn’t supposed to distress you.”

“I know. I do know that, Eli,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. She took a breath, straightened her shoulders and stepped back to give him a tentative smile. “Show me. I’m really excited about it, I just got a little emotional for a minute.”

She looked like she was being led to her doom, but he didn’t point that out. She was too adorable, trying to appear matter-of-fact when she clearly was ready to cry.

He took her through the house, not bothering with lights until he came to the back where his office was. The room was large, built in light oak. When he flipped the switch the walls appeared golden. She’d been to his office before, commenting that it looked a little bare with just his desk and computer in it.