Queenie
A few weeks had gone by since she’d told her parents about her and Luka’s past. As promised, Boyd had tried to mend things again.
They’d been out for brunch with her parents twice so far.
Her father was relatively cold towards him, but Boyd didn’t seem to take it personally.
Her mother, seeing how Boyd treated her, was more open to fixing the relationship.
Looking down at her bag, she sifted through the piles of clothes to find her phone. She’d grown exhausted trying to decide what to take to Galveston.
It wasn’t long before Jessica answered. “Hi, sweetpea.”
“I need your help deciding what to take to the beach. My bed is covered in clothes but there’s no way I can take all of these for two days.”
“We need the power of three for that.” Silence, then Allison was added to the call. “I think we’ll also need video chat so I hope you’re all decent.”
“Wait! What’s happening?” Allison asked, trying to catch up.
“Our sweet Queenie needs help deciding on outfits for the beach. ”
“Oh! Are you excited?”
“So excited that I can’t decide what to pack.” She switched to video chat to show them the mess on her bed.
“Well let’s start with the basics,” Allison giggled. “The swimsuit needs to be packed, maybe even a second one.”
“Oh, and some sexy lingerie,” Jessica insisted.
“Like it’s going to stay on long enough for him to notice it.” Allision’s grin was contagious, and Queenie felt the corners of her mouth turn up. “Have you seen how he looks at her? I can only imagine what goes on behind closed doors.”
“We see it enough when they have an audience.”
“Alright!” Queenie was grateful to be able to hide her blush behind the camera. “His mom is going to be there,” she defended, trying not to sound too embarrassed.
Jessica shook her head with an ear-to-ear grin. “Oh please. She was your age once too.”
“Can we get back on the task I needed help with?”
“Why? Don’t you want to share what you two have been up to?” Jessica insisted.
“Pretty please spill the tea,” Allison pressed. “And we want to see your face. Less chance of lying that way.”
Queenie relented, falling on top of her clothes and switching the camera. “Fine.”
“Are you two kinky?”
Queenie’s smirk was involuntary, her thighs clenching at the mere thought of all the exciting things she’d already done with Boyd.
Jessica squealed like a schoolgirl. “You are! Oh, my—what have you done?”
“He likes using toys,” Queenie confessed.
“What a gentleman,” Allison swooned. “So he isn’t a selfish pig.”
Queenie avoided her friend’s gazes. “No, he isn’t.”
“Is he a dirty talker? He looks like one.”
“Oh my God, he is!” Jessica chirped at Queenie’s widening smile. “I’m so happy but so jealous. Of both of you!”
The last part made Allison blush too. It wasn’t uncommon for them to share bedroom gossip. Allison and Mikey had been quite experimental too, trying to keep the magic alive once Maggie came along.
All three of them dissolved into laughter, relishing the feeling of their close-knit friendship. They helped her choose a few outfits before they all said their goodnights and parted ways to get their beauty sleep.
The next day, work seemed to drag on and on.
The texts from Boyd didn’t help either, letting her know he and his family had made it to the beach and how beautiful the weather was.
To add to her dismay, traffic was horrendous.
Only once she passed the space centre an hour later did she get the chance to speed up and race towards her man.
The moment she drove into the neighbourhood, she knew she was in for a treat. The houses were gorgeous and a stone’s throw from the beach. When Queenie found the number she was looking for, Boyd was making his way down the grand staircase.
“Should I park under the house?” she asked, getting out of the car.
“Perfect where you are.” And then she was in his arms, drowning in his tight bear hug and melting into his chest. “ How was the drive?”
“Horrible.”
He chuckled, chest vibrating against her cheek. “Well, we’d better get to relaxing then.”
As Boyd moved for the trunk, Queenie hauled him in again by twisting her fingers through his necklace. Boyd latched onto the hair at her nape, holding her into the kiss. He hummed, lips buzzing. “Now you may grab my things,” Queenie permitted, coming up for air.
“A queen who knows what she wants and I’m head over heels for her.” With her bags over his shoulder and his hand on the small of her back he led her upstairs. “Mom already popped open the wine and I’m pretty sure there’s a glass with your name on it.”
“So we’re getting drunk on the beach, huh? Let’s hope I don’t embarrass you.”
With a grin and a kiss to her hair, Boyd opened the door. “I would love to see you try.”
Queenie stepped into the house and stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping when she met a breathtaking view of the ocean.
The vision was clear, sparkling beyond the picture windows at the far end of the open-concept living area.
The space was seamless to the back porch, the windows seemingly non-existent as a nice breeze came in, swooshing through her hair.
“It’s why we come so late in the season. You couldn’t have the windows pushed open like this in the middle of summer. Now it’s just perfect.”
Queenie stared at the ocean for a moment, his words barely registering in her brain. “It’s gorgeous.” With the house being on stilts, they had an unobstructed view of the water. “I might never want to leave. ”
“It was a dream house purchase.” Boyd gave her a gentle nudge, guiding her farther into the room.
As soon as she was able to pull her gaze away from the view, she noticed Beatrice smiling at her from behind the kitchen island. “That was my first reaction too. He didn’t let me see any of it before he finished the renovations.”
Queenie rounded the island and pulled Beatrice into a hug. “How are you?”
“Good and yourself?”
“Feeling much better now,” she admitted, turning back to Boyd. “Don’t I get a private tour?”
“Of course.”
But before she could leave, Beatrice handed her the aforementioned glass of wine.
Boyd proudly showed her around the two guestrooms, then the master which had an equally gorgeous view of the ocean.
As she lost herself in the waves of the water again, he wrapped his arms around her and sucked kisses up her neck.
“I missed you.”
Queenie set her glass aside in favour of scuffing his beard. “I missed you too.” She rolled her head back and nuzzled her cheek against his throat. “The weeks seem much longer now, and the evenings are so much lonelier.”
“It does feel that way.”
“I’ve been thinking about us taking the next step.”
“You have?” he asked, his fingers teasing along her waist. “And what may that be?”
“Us moving in together.”
“I’ve been thinking about it too, but wasn’t sure when to bring it up.”
“It feels right. At least, it does for me.”
“Same here. I would love for us to live together. I know downtown is out of the way for you, so I’m open to finding something that suits both our needs.”
She turned in his embrace, unable to hide her surprise. “You are?”
“Of course. I even considered moving into your place but let’s be honest, a queen-sized bed doesn’t do it for me.”
“No,” Queenie agreed. “It doesn’t.”
Boyd picked her up and carried her to the bed, where he sat down with Queenie in his lap. “When is your lease up?”
“In four months.”
“Enough time to find something new.”
Thinking about finding a new place felt exciting but also daunting. “How would you like to handle financials?”
“As much as I would like to tell you not to worry about it, I know you’d hate that.”
“I would.”
“What percentage of your salary goes into your rent currently?”
Queenie bit her lip, doing the math in her head. “Like fifty? Maybe sixty?”
“We’ll keep it at fifty or below and I’ll make up the difference.”
“‘Below’ doesn’t sound very equal.”
“No, it’s fair. Why should you pay more of your income than I do?”
“Because you’re contributing much more.”
“I don’t see it as such.”
“I don’t want you to think I’m using you.”
“Queenie, I know you are not using me. Why should I punish you by making you pay more than you make? You have built your life and I’m not about to get up in there and ruffle everything up.
Besides, you could spend that money on other things.
How are you going to buy me flowers if I force you to spend all your money on rent? ”
She rested her forehead against his and took a deep breath, fingers roaming through his beard. God, it was the most soothing thing she’d ever found. “As you wish.”
“And if we don’t find anything in time, you can always move in with me for a while.”
“I do love your home.”
“Just not the drive to work.”
Boyd tipped his head back and took her lips in a soft soul-healing kiss. With her arm around his neck and her fingers curled into his beard, she held him captive until she felt dizzy from his love.
After she’d changed into her swimsuit and covered it with a flowy beachy dress, they returned to the living space where Luka had just walked in from the porch. He had one towel tucked around his waist, scrubbing at his hair with a second. When he saw Queenie, he stopped in his tracks.
“H-hi,” he stammered.
“Hi.”
There was a moment of awkward silence before Boyd laid an arm around her waist. “We’ll be out for a walk, don’t start cooking dinner until we get back.” He directed his last words to Beatrice who elegantly ignored him with a smile.
“Have fun.”
“I’m serious, Mom. We cook together.”
Beatrice threw her hands into the air. “I wasn’t aware that my son is allowed to boss me around.”
“What was it you used to tell me growing up? My house, my rules.” And with that Boyd pushed her out onto the porch and down the stairs to the beach. “She’ll have it all done when we return,” he mumbled, lacing their fingers together.
“She only wants to take care of you. And I’m sure she enjoys that gorgeous kitchen.”
With their feet sinking into the wet sand, waves lapping around their ankles, Boyd and Queenie soaked up the sun on the private beach.
“I was thinking of bringing you out here for your birthday.”
She crooked a brow and tilted her head to meet his smile. “You were?”
“Yes, with your family and friends as well. I’m sure the kiddos would love it.”
“I haven’t even thought about my birthday.”
“It’s only three weeks away.”
“I don’t usually do anything major.”
“You don’t have to. It can just be the two of us for a weekend if you want something small.”
Queenie shook her head, resting against his arm. “I like your idea. I would love that very much. And I would like your friends to come too, unless that’s too many people.”
“No, it sounds like a fun day.” Boyd hooked his finger under her chin, turning Queenie’s gaze to his. “I don’t want you to lift a finger for this. You let me do all the planning.”
“If you insist.”
“I do.” And with his brows fused, he added, “That feels too easy.”
“Well, arguing won’t get us anywhere, so I’m just going to let you do you.”
“Good—no going behind my back either!”
Damn it, plan thwarted. “As you wish.”
He stole a kiss before they walked a little farther down the beach. As predicted, Beatrice had already started cooking dinner by the time they returned. Queenie was handed another glass of wine and sent outside to enjoy the sunset.