After a few seconds of silently standing there while I process all what just happened, I finally put my phone in my pocket and make my way over to Millie. My mind is still spinning on what Miles said. I'm feeling more protective of her than ever. I sit down next to her on the couch and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her into my lap.
"who was that?" I keep my eyes fixed on her face as I keep my hands wrapped around her, pulling her closer and closer against my chest. I pause for a moment before I answer her question, trying to control my expression so she doesn't get suspicious.
"who do you think it was?"
"your boss? mom? dad? Madison?" I scoff as I raise my eyebrows surprised that she listed a whole bunch of people.
"no....none of it was them. wanna try again?"
"no I don't know, wait its 11pm??" I let out a small chuckle.
"yeah baby, its 11pm. how are you just noticing?"
"its almost 12." I feel a pang of affection when she tells me that its almost 12. its adorable how she always keeps track of time so well.
"why don't we go to bed, babe?"
"babe... we didn't do anything for my birthday."
my heart clenches at her words. seeing her remind me that I didn't do anything for her birthday.
"I thought your preparing a surprise but its already 12."
I'm still hiding the surprise from her when she obviously doesn't have a clue. I just keep staring at her in silence, completely flabbergasted by her reaction.
"babe your seriously not gonna say a thing??"
"uhhh.... yeah... I'm I'm still preparing it."
"so there's a surprise??"
"yeah... there's a surprise but... you cant see it until tomorrow." I'm completely taken off guard when she suddenly wraps her arms around me tightly. I'm not expecting her to suddenly jump on me so I cant hold back my surprised scoff that comes out when she suddenly hugs me. I let out a small laugh as I feel her body press against mine, my arms wrapping around her automatically to keep her secure in my lap.
"I love you so much." hearing those beautiful three words from her mouth feels like music to my ears. I hold her closer, tightening my grip around her so I'm almost squeezing her against myself. I lean down and bury my face into her neck, nuzzling my nose against her skin and breathing in the familiar sweet scent that is the scent of her body. I press my lips against the soft skin of her neck and let out a shaky exhale before I respond.
"I love you more, baby."
"what's the timing of the surprise and what do I wear??" I smirk slightly against her neck when I hear the excitement in her voice. I've never heard her sound this excited before. I pull away from the crook of her neck and sit back up straight so I'm facing her. I'm keeping a sly smile on my face as I look at her, my gaze locked on her face as I speak.
"oh, now you want to know everything? do you really want to ruin the surprise??"
"these are necessary questions." I cant help the chuckles that escapes my lips when I hear her response. I love her stubbornness and I love that she's so insistent on knowing everything. I love it but I still want it to be a surprise.
"mmm... these are necessary questions indeed.... fine babe, ill give you an answer but i swear to god you'll have to stop there otherwise its going to ruin the surprise." I raise my brows as I look at her expectantly waiting for her to agree to my terms.
"deal." I give her a smug grin as I hear her agree to my deal. I lift one hand up to her face and gently tap her nose before answering her.
"you're such a little cheat... okay, here's your answers... the surprise is around 6pm. just wear whatever comfy clothes you can find." I pause for a moment, watching her carefully as I wait for her reaction.
"no dresses??" A smirk comes up to my face at her question. I knew she'd be asking something about the outfit and I was completely right.
"no, no dresses. its something simple, just wear whatever you're the most comfortable in. I promise you'll be fine."
"I swear if its a public dinner. I'm gonna kill you." I start laughing when she suddenly threatens to kill me. it was so cute how she just threatened my life so easily. I reach my hand up and pat her shoulder gently as I respond with a smirk on my face.
"oh yeah, are you going to really kill me, baby? that's a bold statement coming from someone who's sitting in my lap and at my mercy right now."
"uhh..." I continue to smirk as I watch her sputter and struggle to find her words. I love how speechless she is right now. I keep my hand on her shoulder and start gently circling it with my fingers.
"awww, my little baby is speechless now."
"no." I cant stop myself from laughing out when I hear her denial.
"aww, yes you are... you're so cute when you're speechless."
I cant help notice the big yawn that escapes her mouth and I notice that her eyes are drooping a bit. I raise my brows slightly when I realise she's clearly feeling sleepy.
"you tired, baby?" I smile gently when I see her eyes closing slowly. She looks so adorable when she's sleepy. I start gently rubbing my fingers along her back to soothe her, encouraging her to fall asleep.
"go to sleep, baby. its late."
"I'll go back to my apartment." I frown when I hear her say that, slightly taken aback by her words. I wasn't expecting her to want to go back home at this hour. even though its across the hall. I don't want her to leave. I want her to stay here with me. I keep massaging her back as I respond.
"again?? I've already slept 4 times this week. besides its just across the hall." I let out a scoff at her words. four times this week... that is definitely not enough. I wrap my arms around her tighter, determined to stop her from leaving.
"you're not going anywhere, baby. just stay the night with me."
"yes, again. and I don't care that its across the hall. you're not leaving. stay the night with me.... please."
"mhm." I smile gently when I see her slowly start to doze off on my lap. I keep my hands on her body, my arms wrapped securely around her, holding her in my lap. I watch her face as her eyes slowly close and I can see her drifting off to sleep. I stay in this position for a few minutes longer, watching her sleep while I listen to the sound of her quiet breathing.
I had just settled into a comfortable position while she was sleeping on my lap when I suddenly felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I slowly slide my phone out of my pocket, careful not to wake Millie up as I look at the screen to read the text.
by the way Millie has been having nightmares so comfort her if she wakes up in the middle of the night ~Miles.
my brows raise slightly when I read your Miles' message. I feel a pang of sympathy when I read the words "nightmares" and "comfort her" in the same sentence. my heart aches at the thought of Millie being plagued with nightmares. I look down at Millie's sleeping face, softly stroking her hair before I quickly typed out a response to Miles.
got it. thanks for telling me. ~Jackson
YOU ARE READING
flames of passion (Book 1 Series 1)
Romancefirefighter Jackson Everglow is known for his bravery and dedication. When ambitious news reporter Millie Cresswell is determined to make her mark despite the chilly reception from Jackson. Assigned to cover the fire department's daily operations, M...
