Sommersgate House (Ghosts and Reincarnation #2)(90)
Author: Kristen Ashley

It was nowhere near a diamond watch. Not only not in the same ballpark, not even in the same galaxy.

Obliging Lizzie, he opened it and Julia closed her eyes in embarrassment as he pulled out a midnight blue tie. It did happen to be very smart tie and the most unbelievably expensive tie she’d ever purchased. She had also purchased it at Harrods which was the most unbelievably posh store in the history of time.

But it was also just a tie.

“You bought him a tie?” Lizzie blurted, turning accusing eyes to Julia, obviously disgusted.

“It’s a nice tie,” Douglas said, gently but sternly, reprimanding Lizzie’s outburst.

“It’s still a tie,” Lizzie wailed, ignoring Douglas’s soft rebuke.

Feeling the need to defend herself, and not wanting either Lizzie or Douglas to think her ungenerous she explained to the girl, “It matches his eyes.” Her own eyes swept to Douglas, wanting him to understand, actually somehow desperate that he would understand. “It exactly matches your eyes.”

And it did, especially then, when they darkened and became the exact, inky, midnight blue of the tie. At that look, her stomach didn’t just pitch, it plummeted deliciously.

“It does match his eyes!” Ruby squealed and the moment was, thankfully, broken.

There was no time for anything further. Presents unwrapped, Julia left the room (or, more appropriately, escaped) and quickly dressed, cooked and served breakfast. After she cleared away the breakfast dishes, she went to work on the piles of used wrapping paper and arranged the opened presents under the tree while the children had scattered to play with new toys (Ruby), new computer games (Willie) or to try on new clothes (Lizzie) with Douglas called here and there to help assemble something or deal with some computer dilemma. Then Julia was off to begin dinner.

Ronnie arrived at noon, followed closely by Nick and Mr. and Mrs. K. As they were guests at Sommersgate House for the first time ever, they didn’t know what to do with themselves (save Nick who leapt into the fray, telling amusing, though somewhat frightening, anecdotes that left Julia to wonder if Douglas had any involvement in them).

For his part, Douglas played the attentive host, pressing drinks into hands and drawing out conversation. The company relaxed, starting to enjoy themselves when the children handed out gifts, including ones they had specifically chosen for each person (causing Mrs. K to dab at her eyes with her hanky and Ronnie to escape the room altogether for fifteen minutes).

Mrs. K finally could stand it no longer and when Julia left the room to check the turkey, she followed, nudged Julia out of the way and took over. Lizzie and Ronnie set the table, giving Julia time to shower and get ready.

Tammy and Gav had been resolutely casual for Christmas so Julia followed suit and put on a pair of her jeans and a bright red, fitted long-sleeved t-shirt that had a square neck so wide, it was cut nearly all the way to her shoulders and sleeves that were intentionally long and she had to bunch them artfully at her wrists. Regardless of the fact that they were too elegant for her outfit, she wore her new watch, her emerald studs and the emerald pendant Douglas had given her.

Sherry had turned to wine and dinner, Christmas crackers (Nick manfully put on his paper crown but Mr. K and Douglas demurred), good food and good company (company that had long-since turned into a makeshift family for the children) made the table downright joyous and Julia was beside herself with delight that she pulled off this first Christmas without Tammy and Gav.

When the flaming pudding was consumed and the trifle was dished out, everyone was drinking coffee and the children were itching to get back to their presents, Julia gave her mumbled apologies, pulled her paper crown off her head, whispered in Ruby’s ear and they both left the room hand-in-hand.

In her rooms, Julia unearthed the presents she had put there the night before and gave Ruby careful instructions. They both re-entered the dining room with arms loaded with the last presents of the day. Everyone stared at them in surprise as Ruby, acting as if this was the most important task of her entire life (which it probably was), handed out her gifts to the assemblage and Julia announced while she handed out hers, “Douglas told me last night there was a Christmas tradition in the Ashton family that I thought it appropriate to resurrect. When he was a boy, they had their presents at dinner. So, last night, Ruby and I saved a few and here we are!”

Nick, the Kilpatricks and Ronnie glanced surreptitiously at Douglas and meaningfully amongst themselves as Julia reseated herself next to Douglas.

Ruby handed Douglas his last gift and Julia couldn’t stop herself from watching him openly (she had not saved a present for herself as she wanted to watch the others).

His face was a picture of astonishment then his eyes became immediately shuttered.

All the presents Julia saved were from her. For Douglas it was a bottle of Lalique men’s cologne. An extraordinary scent that she fell in love with when she smelled it and it was presented in an exquisite bottle with the head of a horse carved intricately in the front.

What it was not was a stock certificate.

He took it out of the box and moved it around in his hands as Julia leaned over to him. “I hope you like it. It isn’t a diamond watch –”

His eyes lifted to hers and his were blazing so fiercely that her breath went out of her in a rush.

“I don’t want a diamond watch,” he said, his voice both terse and strangely hoarse, the combination of tone and the look in his eyes made her believe that she’d made him angry.

“The horse reminded me of you… not that you look like a horse…” she explained clumsily but she stopped he stood abruptly.

“Excuse us,” he declared to the table at large and Julia noticed that everyone was watching them with avid interest.

To her stunned surprise, he put the cologne on the table, grabbed Julia’s hand, pulled her none-too-gently out of her chair and walked out of the room, tugging her along behind him, his strides so long and fast she had to run to keep up with him.

He headed to the study, yanked her inside and slammed the door.

She misread his response and rushed to calm him. “Douglas, I’m so sorry, I wanted to do something –”

He grabbed her and in actions that were violent yet controlled, at the same time strangely gentle, he threw her against the door and pressed his body into hers. His hands came to either side of her jaw, tilting her face to his, his mouth descended and took hers in a kiss that was so devastatingly thorough she was panting when he lifted his head.