Chapter 15 #2
He ran his hands through his hair, taking a deep breath before saying, “The house you went to?”
I nodded.
“That’s a rental, but we’ve been there for the past six years.
It’s the best place we’ve had—the ones before that were rough, to say the least.” His eyes were downcast, focused on the counter.
“My mom got a call last week from the landlord about selling the place, so they’re not going to renew her lease. ”
“Can she make an offer?”
Atty shook his head. “The guy asked if she wanted to, but she doesn’t have the funds.
The hospital’s cutting down on her shifts, and she’s got other debts.
She texted me a little while ago to say the bank rejected her loan.
That’s what’s bothering me,” he explained, finally meeting my gaze for a second before looking away again.
He scratched the back of his neck. “I could try to apply for one myself, but my credit score is nonexistent. I’d need someone to cosign, and my mom can’t do that either.”
“How about your dad?”
His lips twisted in a pained expression. “He’s not good for it. Probably even more fucked up in debt at this point.”
I stared down at my lap. “I know you don’t like me offering, but…”
“I can’t ask you to cosign a loan with me.”
I met his gaze, the familiar wall of stubborn pride already going up. “I don’t want to cosign a loan with you.”
His eyebrows arched.
“The terms you’d get on your own are probably shit,” I said, tone gentle but firm. “High interest, variable rates, penalties tucked in the fine print. If your credit history is thin, the bank’s going to slap on whatever they want, and you’ll end up paying back double or more over time.”
He shifted in place, crossing his arms again. “So then what?”
“I could loan you the money,” I said, straightforward.
Atty let out a rough breath through his nose, jaw tight as he shook his head and stepped away.
I reached out and caught his wrists, guiding him closer until he stood between my legs. I cupped his face, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones, but his eyes stayed low.
“Before you say no, just hear me out, okay?”
He bit the inside of his cheek, silent.
“I’m not just throwing money at you. If you need it to be a loan, it’s a loan. No strings, no interest, no payment schedule. You start paying me back when you’re in a place to do so. No pressure.”
He shook his head again, voice low. “I can’t ask—”
“You’re not asking,” I interrupted softly.
“I’m offering. I’m doing it because I can, and because I want to.
My dad always said that money should be used to build something—stability, security, a life.
Not hoarded until it rots. And this feels like something worth building. ” I hesitated, then added, “Besides…”
“What?” he asked, voice softer now.
“I’m selling the apartment.”
That got his attention. His blue eyes snapped to mine. “What?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while.
I even have a Realtor already looking at listings.
Every place I’ve seen so far is under this one’s value.
I was planning to invest the rest, put it in something long-term—index funds, maybe even something fixed if the return made sense.
But honestly? Helping you get your mom a stable place feels like a better investment. ”
He was visibly thrown. “That’s…a lot to unpack.”
I smiled, brushing a thumb under his eye. “What do you want to go over first?”
“You’re selling your place?”
“Yeah, Atty. Look, I’ve been thinking about it since the first time you set foot in there after we got back together. You hate it.”
“That can’t be a reason—”
“It can absolutely be a reason—a really big one too. It’s not like I have the most pleasant memories of it either.
The only good ones are the ones I have of you, and we can make new ones in a place that doesn’t make your eyes glaze over every time you look at my bathroom door,” I told him.
“Plus, I never chose that place. It never felt like mine.”
“What about Ezra?”
My lips twitched. “I could take him to a park and leave him there, but I’m sure he’d find his way back home.”
“Noah,” he whined.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. The strongest contender I have is close to the beach and has four bedrooms. One for me, a gym, maybe a soundproof space, and a room for Ezra. I’m not going to kick him out.”
He looked like he was thinking it over. “Near the beach?”
“Near the beach. It’s a house too—no elevators, just ocean sounds in the morning and creaky wooden floors.”
“That does sound perfect for you.”
For us, hopefully.
I didn’t say it, but I meant it. I wanted to live in a place where he could picture a future with me. Not now, not yet—but someday. Atty, me, maybe a cat. Ezra rolling his eyes at us from the fridge.
“But back to the main thing.” I tugged at his shirt. “Let me help you with this. If our situations were reversed, you wouldn’t hesitate for a second, would you?”
His expression shifted, growing serious. “It’s too much.”
“I know it is. But these are different circumstances. And if you’re worried about things going sideways between us, we can draft a contract with the same terms. You don’t have to decide right now.
We’ll look at the numbers—I’ll show you the returns I’ve made from investments, and why they made sense.
My dad used to say if your money isn’t working for you, you’re doing it wrong.
I can help you do the same with your savings.
We’ll get your credit score on track too. ”
He blinked, clearly processing.
“I told you I was good at this stuff,” I said with a soft laugh.
“I can see that.”
“Just think about it. Don’t overthink it, though—your mom deserves to rest a little easier. Grab your laptop, and I’ll show you. We’ll go through it line by line, see what actually makes sense.”
I pushed gently off his shoulders, but he caught me with a quiet, “Hey.”
I turned to face him. “What is it?”
“Thank you.”
I smiled and kissed him. “Anything I can do to help, Atty. We’re a team, right?”
His whole face lit up. “That’s right,” he said, pressing his forehead to mine. “Thanks for the apartment too. It’ll be nice not having to avoid it anymore.”
“No problem. You want to look at the numbers?”
Instead of answering, he leaned in, kissing the side of my neck. “In a little bit. Actually…”
“Yeah?”
“I wanted to jump in the shower.”
“Okay, I’ll—”
“Jump in with me?”
“Really?” I asked with a small smile.
He nodded against my neck, still pressing soft kisses into my skin.
Then he pulled back, cupping my face in both hands and meeting my gaze. “Really. And in case things escalate…”
A grin tugged at my lips. “Yeah?” God, I loved him so fucking much.
“I just want you. Not avoiding. Not scared. How about you?”
“Not avoiding,” I said, “and not scared either.”
He kissed me, soft and lingering, and I melted into him. His hands slid from my neck to my waist, then under my thighs, all while his tongue played havoc with my sanity.
He nudged me forward. “Hop on.”
Smiling, I looped my arms around his neck and laughed as he lifted me off the counter. My legs locked around his hips, and he navigated us on instinct alone—we never broke the kiss.
Atty undressed while I got the water running. Once we stepped under the spray—somewhat—we both sighed. He felt so good in there. Then he started washing me, his fingers in my hair, rubbing smooth circles. Next came the shower gel, and he didn’t miss a single spot, and I do mean not a single spot.
“You’re taking this showering-together thing very seriously.” I moaned when his soapy fingers slid between my cheeks.
“It’s a good excuse.” His voice was rough with want.
I grabbed the body wash behind me. “For what?”
“To touch you.” He cupped my balls, rolling them in his palm before wrapping his hand around my already steel-hard dick.
Well, I mean, if that was what we were doing…
I slicked his lower back and let my hands roam, smiling as the muscles in his ass flexed beneath my touch. His whole body was a fucking masterpiece, but this part—this part was something else.
When we had first started dating, he’d looked more like a soccer player—lean, strong, legs built for speed. But now? He’d thickened in all the right places, bordering on rugby territory, and I was so fucking into it.
I palmed his firm ass and marveled that even with my fingers spread wide, I couldn’t cover the whole thing. I wanted to sink my teeth into it.
“Turn around,” he whispered against my temple.
I reluctantly let go and stepped out of the spray, leaning my forehead against the cool tiles. “Just in case this is where this is going—bath products are a poor substitute for lube.”
Atty chuckled, pressing himself against my back, his body heat sinking into my skin. “That’s not going to be an issue.”
“Wh—”
He dropped into a crouch behind me, his thighs bracketing mine. “Push your hips out.”
I did as he asked. “Don’t you mean my—oh fuck.” I groaned as his mouth closed over the tight ring of muscle. He licked once, then followed with a slow suck.
“Oh my fucking g-god.”
It was relentless. Lick. Suck. Start again.
His mouth was hot, insistent, almost reverent.
My thighs were already trembling, pleasure winding tight in my gut.
He spread me wider, his thumbs anchoring me, and leaned in deeper.
The tip of his tongue pressed with intent.
The pressure, the way his breath ghosted over me—it was fucking torture. Gorgeous, glorious torture.
He cupped my balls and gave them a slow, teasing pull. My toes curled against the tile as I scrambled for balance, and then his hand wrapped around my cock again.
He didn’t stop—his mouth, his tongue, his fingers, everything worked in tandem, and I was unraveling fast. Moans slipped out without my permission. Curses too.
I braced one arm against the wall and reached back with the other, fisting his hair. I didn’t even know what I wanted—whether to push him away or pull him closer. Probably both.