I am so going to lose this argument.

“Nope. I happen to have a clear calendar.” She smiles.

“Great. Will you please take my girlfriend shopping? And I think the spa is in order too.”

The spa too? My jaw drops.

“It would be an honor and a pleasure, generous boyfriend-in-law.” Jules laughs at her quip and Luke joins her, and all I can do is look back and forth between them.

“I’m in the Goddamn room, people!”

“I know, baby, I’m just planning a little something for your birthday.” He flashes a wolfish smile and winks and I don’t know whether to smack him or really kiss him.

“I like your boyfriend, Nat.” Jules smiles at me sweetly and I know I’m sunk.

“Fine,” I mutter.

“Your enthusiasm is inspiring.”

Luke’s eyes are shining in humor.

“We’ll go to the spa, but no shopping.” I’m really hoping he’ll accept the compromise, but I can see by the set of his jaw that there’s no use in arguing.

“You will shop. Buy whatever you want. There’s no limit on the card.”

I shake my head at him. “Talk about stubborn.”

He shrugs and kisses me hard, then pulls away abruptly, leaving me off balance.

“Will you come to my place when your sessions are over?”

“Yeah, I’ll text you when I’m done.” I sigh, resigned to my fate tomorrow. I know that Jules will make me follow Luke’s instructions.

Traitor.

“Good. I’ll see you later.” He kisses me again and rests his forehead on mine. “I love you, beautiful.”

And just like that my world is set right again, and in this moment I’d do just about anything he wanted.

“I love you too, bossy man.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“Jules, I don’t want to spend his money.” I hear the whine in my voice, but I don’t care.

“Sweetie, he wants to do something nice for you. It’s your birthday.”

We are wandering through Neiman Marcus in downtown Seattle. The crowds are light today given that it’s the middle of the week. The perfectly-coiffed saleswomen are very attentive and over eager to make a mid-week commission.

“I feel like a gold digger.”

Jules laughs as she pulls a blue blouse off a rack, then quickly dismisses it.

“You are no gold digger. Here, try this.”

She hands me a black blouse and we continue wandering.

We’ve already been to the spa this morning. We both had facials, massages, pedicures and manicures, and had our bits and pieces freshly waxed. I have to say, it felt fantastic. “The spa was enough. It was generous and relaxing and perfect.”

“Nat, stop fighting this. Luke is being incredibly generous and wants – wants –us to enjoy ourselves today. I agree that there’s no need to go ape-shit crazy, but humor the man and get a few nice things.

You’ll probably need a few formal dresses if he continues to plan things like the other night, which, by the way, holy shit. Plus, you may have to go to a movie premiere or something sometime, and you have to look the part.”

Holy shit is right.

I’d never considered that. Does he go to the premiers of the movies he works on now?

Hell.

Two hours, and a few thousand dollars later, we leave the store loaded down with bags and boxes. I can’t believe she talked me into all of this.

I’m happy that she also managed to snag a few things for herself. Luke would approve.

I have purchased three new evening dresses

and

the

appropriate

undergarments for them, a few blouses and jeans, two new pairs of shoes –Manolo Blahniks! – and a new Gucci handbag.

I might chicken out and return it all tomorrow.

Jules also scored a new pair of Louboutins and a handbag. She looks beautiful as we leave the store and head to the car. She’s the happiest I’ve seen her since her tryst with her boss; smiling, carefree and relaxed.

Three hours at the spa and two hours of spending someone else’s money at Neiman’s will do that to a girl.

We head back to our house to get ready for the party tonight. I’m really excited to see Jules’ family and to meet her new niece, little Sophie.

Luke will be here in an hour.

“Are you going to wear that pretty new red top with the new jeans?” Jules pulls her new Louis Vuitton handbag out of its brown dust cover and makes quick work of moving all her things into it.

“Yeah, I think so. That’s an awesome handbag.” Aside from shoes, handbags are my weakness, and I can’t help but ooh and aah over my pretty new Gucci bag.

“Have I mentioned that I like your boyfriend?” Jules smirks.

“He is an over the top guy, that’s for sure.”

“He really loves you, Nat. I can see it written all over him. He just wants you to be happy.”

My heart goes a little gooey at her statement. She’s right. And if spoiling me with some new things makes him happy, who am I to complain?

“Did you warn your family about him? I don’t want them to go fan crazy on him today.”

“Yeah, I did. They’ve had plenty of time to go fan crazy in private. You know they’ll be cool. Besides, I have brothers. They don’t care that he’s sexy.”

“Good point.” We smile at each other and then head upstairs to primp for tonight.

***

“Hello, gorgeous.” Luke pulls me in his arms and kisses me soundly.