The Other Man [Book One]

Chapter 26 - Treat You Better

When Harry left the room, I got up and decided to get ready for our evening together. I touched up my makeup, tidied my hair, and put on one of the many lingerie sets I'd brought along with me before covering it up with silk pyjamas. For the first time in a long time, I felt cute and sexy. I knew that what I was wearing would be appreciated, and that made my stomach bubble with excitement.

I was hanging up our dressing gowns when the bedroom door opened and Harry reappeared. He was grinning but trying to suppress it, lips tight and almost smug. He looked me up and down but didn't stray from whatever he was up to, though I saw him mentally bookmark his reaction for later.

"All sorted?"

"Yep, come here." Staring at his outstretched hand, I frowned with puzzlement but did as he instructed.

As I walked over to where he stood, his smile broke and I mirrored it. I put my hand in his and for a moment we stayed like that, holding hands and grinning at each other like idiots. His palm was warm on mine, and the size of his hand made mine look almost childlike. Suddenly, he spun me around so my back was to him, then grabbed my wrists and covered my eyes with our hands.

"Close your eyes, and no peeking."

"Har-"

"Can you see anything?"

"Not a bloody thing. What are you doing?"

Harry's only reply was a low chuckle to himself, and a kiss on the top of my head. Slowly, he led me into the living room, both of us giggling as I took cautious steps and he used his body to guide me in the right direction. When we came to a sudden stop, his hands moved and I opened my eyes.

"I'm sorry," he spoke, breath caressing my ear as a warm light filled my blurred vision, "but it's all I could do in an hour."

If it was all he could manage in an hour, my mind boggled at what he could do with more notice. The room was filled with large bouquets of pink roses and pink foil balloons with '30' emblazoned in silver glitter. Everything flickered from the candles placed everywhere; I was gobsmacked. My throat constricted as I tried to swallow the lump of emotion swelling in my chest. It blew my mind that in an hour, the guy I was only having casual sex with had done more for my birthday than my husband had ever done in the six years we'd been married.

Other than the first couple of years where we weren't even married yet, not a single birthday of mine had been celebrated with Will. I considered it a touching gesture when he bothered to even casually toss a card across the breakfast table at me as he left for work. Other than those rare moments, my day of birth went entirely ignored, and it was left to Rose and me do our own thing.

"Is it okay?" Harry asked, taking my thoughtful silence as disappointment. "I would have do-"

Throwing my arms around his neck, I silenced him with a kiss. I couldn't speak for fear of bursting into tears, so I hoped that my actions expressed how much I loved what he had done. Will couldn't even put the effort into saying the words 'Happy Birthday,' but Harry had spoiled me the moment he'd known what day it was.