Chapter 17 #2
“After years on the road, it all became surface-level to me. Besides my band members, none of the people I worked with or partied with were really my friends. They just wanted a piece of whatever I had to give. I got tired of the fakeness and wanted something real in my life, so I came home. I knew I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for if I kept up that lifestyle. ”
“And what exactly are you looking for?”
“What everyone wants deep down, I guess. To find that one person who completes the other half of them.”
Surprise flashes across her features at my honesty. There’s nothing I hate more than to feel vulnerable and not in complete control of my heart, but she needs to know I have a deeper side to me and that I’m not just some player who’s having fun with her.
“I could have settled a long time ago, but I see what my brothers have. I want that someday, and I knew the direction I was headed wasn’t going to lead me there.”
“There’s a lot more to you than you let people see,” she murmurs.
“Don’t tell anyone either, you’ll ruin my reputation,” I grin.
“You look like a walking advertisement for bad boy magazine and come off as a cocky fuckboy who’s out to have a good time…why?”
“I have two brothers who are tattoo artists, so the bad boy look was inevitable,” I laugh.
“Ink is part of who I am. As for the rest, I’m confident in who I am, and I do love to have a good time, so if people want to judge me for that, then so be it.
The right person will see the real me under all of this hotness, and she’ll be the lucky one who gets a total package.
” I laugh at her eye roll, knowing I would get one from her.
“And there’s the cockiness we all know and love.”
“I haven’t heard you complaining about anything that has to do with me and the word cock. If I remember correctly, you very much enjoyed it.” My eyes gleam with mischief as I step closer to her.
“I don’t have much to compare it to lately, except for a vibrator, so don’t flatter yourself.” Her eyes dance with humor as she fights back a grin.
“And there’s that smart mouth again, just begging to be silenced.”
“You’ll have to work a little harder if you want me on my knees for you again.
” Her eyes hold a teasing gleam, but I also know there’s some truth behind it.
A lot got dropped on her tonight, and I sense her hesitation.
I want to give her space to figure out what she wants because the next time I have my lips on her, I’m not letting her walk away.
“I have no problem working hard for something I want.” I step away and call for Gizmo. He comes running over, his tongue flopping in the breeze. Scooping him up, I scratch his ears as he pants hard against my chest.
“The ball is in your court, Olivia,” I say quietly.
“I’m not going to pressure you into moving too fast if that’s not what you want.
To Bee, I’m just Charlotte’s Uncle Miles, and we can keep it that way for as long as you want.
But I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere.
I know what I want at the end of this, and it’s you and Bee.
I just need you to give me a chance to prove to you that I’m nothing like him. ”
“How can you be so sure this is what you want? A child changes your life forever. They are a lot of responsibilities and sacrifices that have to be made.”
“I’m well aware, and that doesn’t scare me in the slightest. I know what I feel when I’m with you, and I know you feel it too. When you are ready to accept it and take a chance on me…on us, I’ll be here.”
I watch so many mixed emotions flash across her hazel eyes, but she doesn’t shut me down completely, so I’ll take that as a win.
I’ve dropped a lot at her feet tonight, but I’ve never been one to beat around the bush.
I want her to know how serious I am about her, and that this isn’t just some meaningless fling for me.
We slowly walk back to the house, and I stop when I get inside. Something's been bugging me, and I might as well take care of it while I’m here .
“Where’s your bedroom?” I ask suddenly.
“It’s over there, why?” She points to the other side of the house, opposite where Bee’s room is.
Not bothering to answer her question, I walk in that direction.
“Miles, what are you doing? I don’t think tonight is…”
“I’m not staying. Unless you want me to?” I ask, teasing her.
“It’s not that I don’t want to…I just need time to think this through.”
“I’m just messing with you. I’m not in here to try and seduce you, as tempting and as fun as that would be,” I wink at her before looking around in search of where it could be.
A queen-size bed sits against the back wall, and I spot two wooden nightstands on either side.
Walking over, I open one of the drawers.
“Ever heard of privacy? What could you possibly be needing out of my nightstand?” She folds her arms across her chest and glares at me.
I pick up a book with a bare-chested guy on the cover and raise my eyebrow at her. “He’s not even as good-looking as me,” I smirk. “Trust me, honey, anything he does in this book I can do a whole hell of a lot better.”
“I don’t know. He’s very swoon-worthy and seems to know exactly what he’s doing in the bedroom,” she bites the inside of her cheek to fight a smile as I narrow my eyes at her.
“I’ve read some parts of my sister’s romance books, and trust me, they could use some pointers.” I throw the book back in the drawer and smile when I spot what I’m looking for. I wave the pink vibrator in the air, and her eyes go wide.
“This is what I’m up against? It’s not even half my size.”
“Size doesn’t matter if you know how to use it correctly.”
“Honey, anyone who says size doesn’t matter is lying to themselves,” I laugh. I stuff the pink thing in my back pocket before Gizmo decides it’s his new chew toy. In fact, I may give it to him later to chew on because she won’t need it anymore.
“What are you doing?” She eyes the tiny dick in my pocket as I walk out the door and head to the front door.
“Taking what little competition I have with me.” I step outside, and she follows me. I would take the damn shower head, too, if I could get away with it.
“You can’t just take that. What if I need it?”
“You won’t. You have me now,” I grin. “You ever feel the itch or need to be a little selfish, I’m only a phone call away.
I’ll put that guy in your book to shame with the filthy words I’ll whisper in your ear while you’re lying naked in that bed of yours, touching yourself and wishing it was me.
Nothing like good phone sex to put a smile on your face the next day. ”
I grin at the look on her face. She has no clue what to think of me, which I find incredibly hilarious. If I’m going to have to wait for her go signal, I might as well have fun with it. When she’s in the mood, I don’t want her to rely on this little toy to make her orgasm. I want her to rely on me.
“I’ll have your jeep back to you in the morning,” I say, walking down the front porch before opening the driver’s door and setting Gizmo inside. He scampers to his usual spot in the passenger seat. “Sweet dreams, Olivia. I know I’ll have them,” I grin, before getting in the jeep and driving away.
“I think she likes us, Gizmo,” I say, as we turn out of the neighborhood. I look over at him, and he cocks his head at me. “We just have to keep being our charming selves. She won’t be able to resist both of us.”
I blink when his mouth turns up.
I swear he just smiled at me again .
Laughing, I rub his messy hair on top. We are quite the pair, and oddly enough, it feels right.
Maybe I am getting everything that’s meant to be for me.
I never pictured a one-eyed dog that snores and has the scariest underbite I’ve ever seen, but Bee seems to think he hung the moon.
She even carries around a tattered puppy that looks just like him, one eye and all.
If that isn’t a sign that we are all meant to be together, then I don’t know what is.