Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Carly
It’s Sunday night, and I’m grading pop quizzes while Ava is coloring something for a school project, which seems elaborate for a first grader.
I can’t believe she’s going to be six soon.
She’s the youngest kid in her class, but her teacher assures me she’s one of the smartest. Bray walks in and sits down at the table after kissing Ava on the head. I frown and look at the time.
“You’re up early,” I say with a raised eyebrow.
He shrugs. “I’ve been thinking that I might try the day shift for a while,” he says, and my mouth falls open.
“You…w-what?” I stammer because this man lives for the night shift. I never thought I’d ever hear him say he wants to work a normal nine-to-five shift, although I think it’s actually an eight-to-four shift, but whatever.
He smiles and leans forward, whispering, “I want to be able to see you more, and I can’t do that if I work nights and you work days.”
I glance over at Ava, who is at the coffee table with a movie playing in the background. She’s humming along to a song, so I know she’s not paying attention.
“I…are you sure?” I ask. I hate the idea that Bray would change something so important just to spend time with me.
I don’t want him doing things unless he wants to do them.
Memories of Chad getting mad at me every time we had to change plans because I needed something.
One time, I got my period, and according to Chad, it ruined the vacation because he didn’t get sex and had to stop for tampons.
Another time, I really wanted cheeseburgers and stopped by the burger place to get them, but that caused me to be late in starting the dishwasher for him so that he could have his favorite mug with coffee in the morning. How I ever loved that man is beyond me.
“What?” Bray asks as he studies my face.
I shake my head. “Nothing, just…are you sure?”
He nods and smiles, reaching his hand across the table to grip mine. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” he says in a low, gravelly voice that has my lady parts immediately perking up and wondering if he’s talking about more than just the shift change at work.
Our gazes lock, and I swear this man is making me feel like a teenager who just got her first massive crush. I’m not a mom or a teacher in this moment; I’m just a woman in love with a man. I half want to proclaim my feelings for him right now, but I feel like it’s too soon. Will I scare him away?
His thumb rubs the back of my hand in slow, seductive circles. My face heats under the memory of that thumb doing the same thing to my clit last night. He’s killing me. His gaze drops to my lips, and I swear to God, I’m about to self-combust.
“Mom, where’s my green marker?” Ava calls out from the living room.
“Your bedroom,” I say without turning toward her. I can hear her take off running toward her room. Bray wastes no time. He gets up, walks around the table, pulls me to my feet, and kisses the fuck out of me, leaving me breathless as he steps back and sits down just in time for Ava to reappear.
“Found it,” she says, and then I hear her go back to coloring with the squeaking of the marker against the paper.
My lips are swollen from our kiss, and my body tingles and vibrates with need. “Great,” I manage as I lick my lips. Bray’s heated gaze watches my tongue dart out, and he reaches under the table, presumably to adjust himself.
“Almost done,” Ava declares.
“That’s great, Peanut,” I say as I forget to turn and look because Bray is seemingly eye-fucking me right now, and I can’t stop watching him as he watches me.
“Mom!” Ava scolds. I turn and look at her drawing.
“It’s very good,” I say. “We should get you to bed, young lady.”
Ava groans. “Can Unca Bray read me a story?”
“Sure. Brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, and I will be in in a second,” he says.
“Yes!” Ava exclaims before running to the bathroom.
“Wow, someone’s a sucker,” I tease.
Bray walks around the table again and pulls me to my feet. “I’d do anything for my girls,” he whispers as he leans down and gives me another searing kiss. “Now, finish these grades because I need you naked in the bedroom once Ava’s asleep,” he whispers.
I sit back down and struggle to finish my work. I hear Bray’s murmured voice in Ava’s room, and I know he’s reading to her.
I sail through the last few quizzes before closing my laptop and heading into my bedroom. I decide to jump in the shower. I’m washing my hair when Bray steps into the room completely naked. And holy hell, how did I get such a hot boyfriend? Boyfriend?
He steps into my tiny shower with me, and the two of us press together to make room.
“What?” he asks.
“Are we…what are we?” I ask him. It’s nearly three weeks since Italy, and I have no idea what we are.
“You’re my girlfriend,” Bray says as his lips ghost mine.
“I am?” I squeak.
Bray pulls back. “I need to take you on a proper date.”
“We did that, sort of,” I say.
“We need more of it,” he says. “Tomorrow, we’ll get someone to babysit, and we can go to that Italian place around the corner.”
“OK,” I say with a growing smile. “Boyfriend,” I add.
He grins like a fool. “Come here, girlfriend, I need to make you scream my name…silently, of course,” he adds as we both glance toward the door.
“I can’t eat another bite,” I moan as I shove the plate away. I swear I’ve eaten two pounds of spaghetti and meatballs.
“I could eat some more,” Bray croons as he looks at me with that heated gaze again. I don’t think I could ever tire of him looking at me like he wants to eat me.
“Stop,” I laugh.
He smirks. “No dessert?” he asks.
I roll my eyes. “Of course, we have to get the cannoli.”
“Oh?” he adds because he knows exactly what I’m going to say.
“Dessert stomach,” I reply, and he laughs.
“I swear, you and the dessert stomach,” he says.
“The stomach wants what the stomach wants,” I answer. I rub my stomach. “Actually, I’m really full. I feel a little like I want to throw up. I shouldn’t have eaten so much. In fact, you need to stop bringing home so much takeout, or I won’t fit into my pants anymore.”
He leans forward. “You eat as much as you want. I’ll buy you bigger pants,” he growls as his hand squeezes my thigh.
I sigh. “Let’s get the check, so I can walk off some of this fullness. I really do feel a little sick.”
He places a hand on my head as a look of concern overtakes his facial features. Here it comes, Dr. Bray. Sometimes, I actually forget he’s a real doctor.
Bray gets the check and insists on paying. We walk down the street hand in hand. “You feeling any better?” he asks.
I nod. “A little. The fresh air is helping.”
“Good,” he replies. He leads us to the park bench, and we sit down. Cliff is out eating food from her automatic bird feeder.
I lean my head on Bray’s shoulder. “Promise me this won’t ever end,” I say.
“What won’t end?” he asks.
“Us,” I reply.
He uses a single finger to tilt my head up to look at me, his eyes searching mine.
“I meant what I said the other day, Carly. I…fuck it. I love you. I’m not going to leave you.
I’ve been seeing a therapist for the past few weeks.
I…well, I have a long way to go, but it’s helping.
I don’t want a future without you and Ava in it,” he explains as his eyes search mine.
I feel tears prick my eyes. “You don’t?”
His hand caresses my cheek, and I lean into it. “Of course I don’t.”
I let out a shaky breath. “I love you, too.”
He smiles and presses his lips to mine, and the world melts away for a beat. Holy shit! I’m in love again!
I pull back, and we grin at each other. “This is real, then?” I ask.
“Baby, this was always real. It just took us a while to figure it out,” he says, and I want to freeze-frame this moment forever.
“Why were we so blind to it?” I wonder.
He laughs, and I grin. “’Cause we’re two broken pieces that needed to be pushed together to figure out we were the perfect fit.”
“I wish we had figured it out sooner,” I say with a sigh.
“We were saving the best for last,” he replies as he presses another kiss to my lips. I don’t think anything could get better than right now.