Chapter 3
Birdie
Winter thinks he can distract me from discussing my move to Melbourne with his body.
He thinks wrong, but I’ll take everything he’s got to give because the man is talented with those hands and that cock of his.
Not to mention his mouth. Soon enough, though, he’ll be using that mouth to tell me what I want to hear: that he’s good with me moving sooner rather than later.
Though, at this point, with everything he’s going through, I’m ready to chance pissing him off by simply making the move without his blessing.
My man needs me; he just refuses to admit it.
“Where’s Winter?” Cleo asks when I call her later that afternoon.
“He’s out buying tiles.” He fucked me in the shower, on the bed, and in the kitchen before leaving me to go get the tiles.
“Oh God, is he angry about that?”
“Surprisingly, no. But I think that’s mostly because he’s got too much else on his mind, which is actually why I’m calling. I need you to talk to him about me moving to Melbourne, and tell him you’re okay with me doing that now.”
“He won’t listen to you?”
“No. He doesn’t want to leave you in the lurch.”
“You married a good man, Birdie. I’ll talk to him.”
“I also have the best friend anyone could ask for.” This really is the truth.
When I broke the news to Cleo that Winter had to move to Melbourne for work, meaning I also had to move, she was nothing but supportive.
The fact our business is still a baby didn’t stop her from giving that support, even though this means she’ll have to handle all the day-to-day stuff on her own.
“Damn right,” she says. “Just remember, though, that when our chain expands worldwide, I get to run the New York studio.”
Cleo dreams much bigger than I do. I used to dream like her, but now I just want my husband and the family we’re going to build. “Babe, you can run whichever studio you want; I just call dibs on the Melbourne one.”
“Deal. Now go get ready for your long weekend with Winter. I don’t want to hear from you until Wednesday when he’s gone. And you let me handle him with this moving business. I’ll set him straight.”
I laugh. Winter doesn’t know what he’s in for. If he thinks I can be a pain in his ass sometimes, Cleo can be far worse when she wants something. And she wants my happiness as much as I do, so I know she’s going to go in guns blazing.
As we end the call, a knock sounds at the front door and I find Carey standing outside, his arms up, hands resting on the doorjamb. “You’re still breathing, I see,” he says before dropping his arms and entering the house.
I follow him into the living room. “Yes. What are you doing here? I mean, besides making sure I’m still alive.”
He cocks a brow. “Sarcasm duly noted, little sister.” Then, glancing around, he says, “Where’s Winter?”
“Nice. I beg you to come over and help me with my tiles and you don’t want to come, but Winter comes home and you’re all over him. Best brother in the world.”
His face remains impassive. Typical laid-back Carey. “So, where is he?”
I throw my hands up. “One of these days, I’m gonna get myself two new brothers. He’s gone out to buy tiles.”
“What’s with the tiles?”
“Nothing.” I’m never going to hear the end of this from either of my brothers once they know how badly I screwed up.
He grins. Asshole. “What did you do, Birdie?” Before I can stop him, he brushes past me out of the living room and heads towards the kitchen. When he says, “Fucking hell,” I really know I’m never going to hear the end of it.
I’m half way to the kitchen when the front screen door bangs and my other brother, Lucas, comes down the hallway. I just love how my brothers act like this is their home.
“Why aren’t you at work?” I ask. “Come to think of it, why aren’t either of you at work?”
Lucas shrugs. “It’s Friday afternoon. Winter’s home for the weekend.”
Understanding crashes into me. “Oh no you don’t. He’s mine for the weekend.”
Carey steps out of the kitchen into the hall. “You’ve already had hours with him.”
“Uh-uh, no. Not happening.”
Carey ignores me and looks at Lucas. “Take a look at the kitchen.”
I move closer to Carey and smack his chest. “Shut up.”
He eyes me with humour. “Did you watch some YouTube videos again?”
I smack him harder. “Screw you, Carey. I was trying to help take the load off Winter.”
“And what, he didn’t like the tiles? Has he gone out to buy new ones?”
I groan. “I didn’t buy enough. He’s gone to buy more, but the supplier doesn’t have any more. Mum gave us the name of another supplier who might have some. Winter’s checking it out. And yes, before you say it, I fucked up and didn’t calculate properly how many we needed.”
Lucas surprises me when he says, “It’s not the end of the world.” He glances around the kitchen. “Good job ripping the cupboards out.”
I practically beam at him. “Thanks, Lucas.” I may have screwed up the tiles, but I did manage to gut the kitchen and dispose of the mess by myself, so I at least feel pride in that.
Before Carey gets another word in, the front door sounds again and a few moments later, Winter joins us.
“Hey man!” Carey says, pulling him into a hug with a slap on the back.
As I watch the three of them catch up, I think about how much I love the friendships they have.
My brothers missed Winter being in their lives almost as much as I did while we were apart for those five years.
They’ve come back together like they were never separated, and I love that for them, so as much as I don’t want to share him this weekend, I will.
“Okay, you guys,” I say, breaking into their reunion, “since we have no kitchen to cook in, I’m ordering pizza for dinner. And although I imagined a night with Winter to myself, I’ll let you two stay to watch the footy with us.”
Winter chuckles and Carey grins while saying, “It’s nice you think you have a say, sis.”
I arch my brows. “Oh, I have all the say, just so you know, because when it comes to getting his dick sucked, my man knows what’s good for him.”
Lucas chuckles this time and lifts his chin at Carey as he exits the kitchen. “She’s got a point, bro.”
Carey grabs some beers and follows Lucas into the lounge room, muttering something I barely hear because Winter is watching me with the kind of intensity that tells me he has something to discuss.
“What?” I ask, grasping a handful of his shirt and moving in close.
He drops his lips to mine. His kiss is intense, too, and he lingers for a beat. When he finally lets my lips go, he says, “Cleo called me.”
Still gripping his shirt, I say, “And?”
He kisses me again. “And you two are fucking tenacious.”
My mouth spreads out in a slow smile. “We really are, and you should listen to what we say.”
“Oh I’m listening, Angel. I’m not in agreement, but I know the chances of me winning this are fucking slim, so I’m listening.”
“So I should pack my bags?”
One of his hands lands on my ass. His other one smooths my hair, his fingers threading through it. His touch is gentle and his expression is sombre. “It’s a fucking shitshow in Melbourne, Birdie. I need you to be prepared for it.”
“What was that thing you said to me once about never being prepared for something until you’ve actually gone through it?
I don’t think I can prepare for this, Winter, but I know I’m going to be okay because I’ll have you by my side.
I can do anything with you there.” I grip his shirt harder and pull myself even closer.
“You need me by your side, too. We make each other stronger.”
His eyes search mine and I see every ounce of hesitation and uncertainty he’s feeling. “Fuck,” he curses softly before saying, “This happens in two weeks. You’ll come back with me next time.”
My heart beats faster with excitement and happiness. I push up onto my toes and kiss him with everything I have in me. He gets all my emotions in this kiss and I know he feels them because when I pull away, he’s as breathless as I am.
I smile, still holding his shirt. I never want to let him go. “What are we going to do about this kitchen?”
He chuckles with a quick shake of his head. “We’re not gonna lay any more of these fucking tiles, that’s for damn sure.”
My smile turns to a frown. “You couldn’t find the same ones?”
“Yeah, I found them alright, but I didn’t buy them.” When my forehead wrinkles more, he adds, “They’re god-awful, Angel. I’m not sure what you were thinking when you bought them. I bought different ones.”
I let go of his shirt and place my hands on my hips. “What’s awful about them?”
“For one, the colour. Who the fuck puts blue tiles in their kitchen?”
“I do! I love the colour.”
“Yeah, but we have to sell this place. We’ve got a helluva lot more chance of doing that with a neutral colour.”
I pout. “Fine. But when we renovate next, I get to choose the tiles.”
He slides his hand around my waist and pulls me back to him.
“Baby, you get a lot of say in a lot of shit when it comes to us, but not when it comes to tiles.” When I open my mouth to protest, he silences me with a finger to my lips.
“And let’s not pretend this means you won’t suck my dick as often as I want.
We both know you couldn’t keep your lips off me even if you tried. ”
I pout again but it’s fake. He’s right. Ugh. “Just shut up and kiss me,” I mutter. His chuckle is the last thing I hear before his lips consume all my attention again.
I talk a good game of running the show when it comes to my husband, but the truth is, I don’t.
He owns me body and soul, and I will give him anything he wants.
Sure, I’ll fight him until I’m blue in the face, but at the end of the day, Winter is my everything so I’ll give everything I have to him, and for him.
Even if that means I don’t get the damn tiles I want.