The Love Affair(Good Wife Better Mistress)

Our Gift

Nicole sighs. She knows that Alex has made up his mind to make the blue cake, and nothing she says will dissuade him. She bites her lip and smiles.

"Let's make it together," she suggests.

"Together?" Alex teases, "Just what do you want to do with me?"

For a moment she doesn't understand him. When she sees his flirtatious expression, she realizes he's talking about celebrating the baby news with another baby. She glares at him.

"Be serious, there are a lot of people here," she whispers.

"They don't understand," he responds.

Nicole glances at the chefs—they've come from all over the world, and if they do understand they professionally hide it. Then she looks at John who deliberately stares at the ceiling. Nicole ignores Alex's comment and reaches out to take the frosting from him.

She doesn't know how to bake a cake of make frosting flowers either, but she figures she can't be any worse than Alex. Instead of accepting her help, he holds the bag just out of reach and pulled her into his arms. Though the chefs may not understand Alex's words, they clearly understand his actions and they hide their smiles behind their hands.

"How about teaching me?" Alex asks.

He wraps her little hands in his big ones and waits.

"How can I teach you is you're holding my hands?" Nicole objects.

"I won't hold too tight, and I'll follow your lead," Alex whispers.

The four hands begin to move. Nicole knows how to paint, and she finds that frosting isn't terribly different from some of her paints. She quickly makes a series of beautiful blue roses. As they work, John quietly takes out his phone and photographs the warm, romantic scene.

Finally, they finish the cake. Although it's ugly and slightly lopsided, they smile at it because they made it together. Alex takes the icing bag from Nicole to add the finishing touches. He carefully pipes icing into words: I love you.

"Shouldn't you write Happy Birthday?" Nicole asks.

"Nicole," he sighs exasperated, "You're smart enough to know why."

Though she's usually so bright, he kinds she becomes dull and confused whenever he tries to show her his feelings. Nicole bites her lip. At first, she assumed he unthinkingly copied the words from the pattern, but she begins to wonder if he actually means them. Her cheeks flush and her blood begins to boil. Alex looks at her and smiles sadly.

"Don't pretend you don't know that already," he says.

"Know what?" Nicole bites her lip.

She refuses to allow herself to believe it. He gently turns her to face him and stares at her with depth and sincerity.

"I love you," he says, "Every time I see you get hurt, it hurts me more. I want to hide you in a place that only I can find. I love you so much that I want to keep you at my side forever. I can't bear for anyone to take you away from me."

Nicole's mind goes blank. His sudden confession of love overwhelms her. For years he never gave her a second glance, and now he suddenly loves her. She wants to bask at the moment, but the rational part of her brain makes her stop.

"What about Gabriela?" she wonders.

"You don't have to answer me," Alex says with a small smile, "You just need to know how I feel."

He doesn't expect her to answer him or return his feelings, he just needed to express the overwhelming love he's started to feel for her. He looks at her again and kisses her soulfully, sliding his tongue into her mouth. The kiss is hot and lingering, full of all his repressed love. He pulls her firmly against his body and kisses her even more forcefully.

Thoughts whirl in Nicole's head without fully taking form. She feels like she's melting, and she can't tell where her body ends and his begins. When he finally pulls away she realizes that the entire dining room has fallen silent. She can hear her own ragged breath and pounding heartbeat. Embarrassed, she buries her head in his chest, hiding her brightly flushed cheeks.

"Would you like to try the cake we made?" Alex asks.

Nicole nods her head against his chest. Alex cuts a small piece of cake for her, but she doesn't move her head from its place on his chest.

"Do you want the cake or me?" Alex asks teasingly.

With a reluctant sigh, Nicole lifts her head. She immediately feels something cool and slippery on her cheek. Alex has dipped his hands in the icing and he's playfully smearing it on her face.

"You're so childish!" she complains.

"Maturity is for the outside world," Alex says with a playful smile, "Childishness is for my love."

"It sounds about right," Nicole grumbles.

"Only you bring out this side in me," he says.

"What an honor," she jokes.

"No! It's my honor!" he thinks, "If it weren't for you, I would still be serious and miserable. You make me so happy."

She slowly reaches her hand to her face to wipe away the icing, but Alex grabs her wrist.

"Don't wipe it!" he commands.

He quickly grabs his phone from his pocket and snaps a picture of her. She takes his phone and finds that he's written his name on her forehead. The blue letters seem to brand her more deeply than a tattoo.

"Wipe it off!" she demands.

"It's so childish for him to write on my forehead," she thinks, "Does he think I belong to him just because his name is there?"

Alex lifts her face to his and slowly licks the icing from her forehead.

"Ugh, that's dirty," Nicole complains.

She reaches for a napkin and forcefully wipes his saliva from her skin.

"This was my present to you,' Alex says abruptly, "what about your present to me?"

"Your present isn't ready yet," Nicole says, "besides, we made the cake together. It's not exactly the same as a proper present."

"You think the cake is your present?" Alex asks. 

"Well, what else could it?"

"I'm your present," he says, kissing her on the forehead.

She stares at him speechless.

"So when can I receive my present?" he asks lightly.

"Umm, in five days," Nicole responds.

"Why do you need five days?" Alex asks, "You can have one."

"Don't try to bargain with me," Nicole says, "Otherwise I'll ask for ten!"

In five days, she will have her appointment with Conrad.

"How dare you deny your husband like this," he teases.

Nicole tilts her head to the side. She can't understand why he's behaving like this.and now he's acting like they are newlyweds. She wants to believe his confession of love, but she doesn't dare.

"After all, I only bring trouble to the Romano family," she thinks, "The family desperately needs a woman who can continue the family line, but the toxins in my body makes it almost impossible for me to have children. I still don't know if it can be cured, and I have no idea if someone is deliberately poisoning me. I want to tell Alex, but he probably won't believe me. Conrad is the only doctor smart enough to detect it, and now he won't return my calls."

"What's on your mind?" Alex asks.

He straightens her chin and gazes into her eyes as if he wants to read her thoughts.

"I'm thinking about what present I should give you," she lies smoothly.

His eyes are soft and flirtatious and she's scared he'll kiss her again.

"And please don't say you'll like anything I make," she adds, "I want it to be good."

She thinks for a moment.

"What about some paintings?" she suggests, "In five days, I could make five paintings for you."