Chapter Nineteen
Everly
My head is spinning, my mind in a whirl.
He’s made so many changes to his life – for me, and for River – I’m struggling to take it all in. Sure, I was dubious when he first started telling me about his plans, but I think anyone would agree they sounded crazy at the start. Now I understand what he’s got in mind, I like the sound of it. I like the sound of looking after River together, rather than doing it all by myself. I love the idea of being able to spend more time with her, and knowing Seth will cover for me downstairs… and that he’s not having to give up his dreams to do it.
It’s just the living arrangements I’m not so sure about.
No. That’s not true.
I’m absolutely certain about them, and they’re terrible.
I hate the sound of what he’s suggesting. I want him here… all the time, not living somewhere else, and staying over occasionally. The very last thing I want is a half life with him, but I think this is one of those times when showing will mean more than telling and I sit forward on his lap and look up into his eyes.
“Do you mind if we take our first step right now?” I ask.
“Sure,” he says, smiling. “What do you wanna do?”
“Would you take me to bed?”
His smile widens, and he sits forward, grabbing his phone and putting it in his pocket, then holding on to me as he stands. “I thought you’d never ask.”
I chuckle as he carries me through to the bedroom, kicking the door closed before he walks forward and drops me onto the mattress. I’ve barely had time to right myself and lay back on the pillows before he’s opened the drawer of my nightstand, and I turn to see him holding up my vibrator.
“Have you been using this in my absence?” he asks, studying it, as he climbs up on the bed, kneeling beside me.
“No.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you had.”
“I know, but I’ve been too tired.”
He lowers the vibrator and looks down at me. “Are you too tired now?”
“What for?” I ask, wondering if I need to remind him that I invited him in here.
“A demonstration,” he says and I smile, shaking my head.
“If that’s what you want.”
He sighs. “I’ve been thinking about it while I’ve been away,” he says. “Trust me, it’s made for some interesting dreams.”
I lean up on my elbows, gazing at him. “Have those dreams led to anything even more interesting?” I ask and he chuckles.
“Fuck… yeah.”
I reach out, rubbing my fingers over the bulge at the front of his jeans, and he sucks in a breath, letting it out slowly, his eyes closing for a moment before he grabs my hand.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he says, putting down the vibrator as he leans over to unbutton my blouse. I lie back, letting him, and although he releases my hand, I keep still, watching his every move.
Once all the buttons are undone, he pulls my blouse from my shoulders, then sits me up slightly, removing it completely before he quickly unfastens my bra, disposing of that as well, and laying me back down, feasting his eyes on my naked breasts. He licks his lips, but doesn’t do anything, other than undo my jeans, tugging them down, along with my panties.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he murmurs, gathering up my clothes and dropping them to the floor behind him before he hands me the vibrator.
I take it from him, smiling as he lies beside me, leaning up on one elbow to get a better view.
“I’d like a demonstration, too,” I say, staring up at him.
“What of?”
“Of whatever it is you’ve been doing while you’ve been away.” I nod towards the bulge in his jeans, and he smiles.
“You wanna watch me jerk off?”
“Yes, please.”
He kneels up again, pulling his shirt off over his head, without bothering to unbutton it, and then he unfastens his jeans, yanking them down, along with his trunks, standing to complete the task, and removing his shoes and socks at the same time. I keep my eyes fixed on his magnificent erection, and as he lies back down again, I focus on his hand and the way he grips his shaft, turning on the vibrator, and touching it to my clit.
“Oh…” I moan, convulsing into the jolt of pleasure.
“Fuck, that’s good, babe,” he murmurs.
“Is it how you imagined it would be?”
“Better,” he says, stroking himself a little faster. “Does it make your clit throb?”
“Yeah.” I press a little harder, making my body shudder.
“I had such amazing dreams about watching you come,” he says.
“Just watching?”
“Most of the time. There was one where I got a little more involved.”
“In what way?”
He kneels up. “Like this,” he says, shifting up the bed slightly, so he’s right above me, giving me the best possible view of his straining arousal. Before I have a chance to say a word of admiration, he reaches down, inserting a finger inside me.
“Oh… yes.”
“You like that?”
“I love it.”
He adds a second finger, somehow focusing on pleasuring both of us at the same time.
“You’re so f—fucking hot,” he whispers, struggling to speak, and I wonder if that means he’s close. I know I am.
“Please… Please give me your come.”
“Where?”
“All over me.”
He closes his eyes, groaning, his face a picture of contented satisfaction as he comes over my breasts, hot spurts of liquid settling on me. That’s more than I can take, and I fall from a great height into realms of star-filled joy. My orgasm continues to build, though, becoming almost too much, my body struggling against wave after wave of pleasure, which threaten to overpower me.
“Seth… Help me. I can’t… Please, stop it.”
He pulls the vibrator away from me, switching it off and removing his fingers at the same time. I feel the instant release, letting out a sigh of relief, although my body is still shuddering through the dying moments of my climax.
“Are you okay?” he says, lying beside me.
I nod my head, looking up into his concerned eyes… his beautiful face, and I reach up, caressing his cheek.
“I love you,” I whisper, my heart bursting as he smiles down at me.
“You mean that?”
“Of course.”
“Then thank you,” he says, letting out a long sigh. “Thank you for saying it.”
“It’s taken me too long.”
He shakes his head. “I knew you had to wait until it felt right.”
“It does,” I say. “It feels absolutely right.”
“I love you so much,” he whispers, leaning in to kiss me, his lips brushing over mine before he pulls back. “And while we’re thanking each other, I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude for the demonstration.”
I shake my head. “I should be the one thanking you… for rescuing me from that orgasm.”
“It seemed like a good idea. You were about to spontaneously combust.”
I giggle. “You’re not kidding.”
“The intensity of that hasn’t put you off, has it?”
“No.”
“So you’d do it again?”
“As long as you promise to rescue me, if I need you.”
“I’ll always rescue you,” he says, kissing me again, just briefly before he gets up and wanders to the end of the bed, opening the box and pulling out a towel, which he brings back with him, kneeling beside me, and cleaning me up.
Once he’s done, he lies beside me again, tracing circles around my nipples with his fingertips. I think that’s his way of making it clear we’re not done yet, and I don’t mind in the slightest. There’s something very relaxing about this… about taking our time, and I gaze up at him and whisper, “I love you,” relishing the sound of the words, and the smile that touches his lips.
“I love you too.”
“No. I mean, I love you.”
He frowns, just slightly, like he’s confused… confused enough that his fingers still, which is a shame… although I think we both need to concentrate for a moment. “I know,” he says.
“Do you? Do you understand that loving you means I don’t want you to move into a rented place? I want you to live here, with us.” He smiles and opens his mouth to say something, but I reach out and place my fingertips over his lips, stopping him. “I—I was gonna ask you to move in here before you left,” I say, smiling as his eyes widen.
He pulls my hand away. “You were?”
“Yeah, but then you went.”
“I’m back now,” he says.
“I know, and that’s the point. I want you to be back properly. Living apart isn’t the same as being together, and that’s what I want. I want you here… like it used to be.”
He shakes his head, and I chill to the bone, pulling away from him. “Where are you going?” he says, sounding scared.
“You don’t want this, do you?” I’ve read it all wrong… although I don’t know how.
He grabs me, pulling me back. “Yes, I do. I want this more than anything… except you. I’d have moved into a rented place if that was what you needed, but if you want me here, then I’m here. This is where I belong, babe.”
“Then why did you just shake your head?”
“Because I was gonna say I want it to be better than it used to be…” His voice fades and, with a twinkle in his eyes, he rolls over on top of me. “I like it here,” he whispers, parting my legs with his, and bending his head to kiss me.
“Right here?” I ask, smiling up at him, grateful that moment of misunderstanding has passed and we can get back to normal.
“Right here is pretty damn perfect,” he says, flexing his hips, his arousal pressing into me. “But anywhere you are is just fine with me.” He kisses me once more, although he doesn’t linger, and instead, he leans over the edge of the bed, grabbing his jeans and pulling out his phone.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Showing you something.” He turns us both, so we’re lying face-to-face, wrapped in each other, and he looks down at his phone, tapping on the screen a few times before he turns it to face me.
“What am I looking at?” I say, glancing down to see a list of properties on the screen. They’re bigger than the ones he showed me earlier and I raise my eyes to find he’s smiling down at me, trying not to laugh.
“As well as looking at places I could rent, but which I honestly hoped I’d never have to move into,” he says, putting his arms around me and holding me close to him, “I also searched for these.”
He nods toward the phone and I look back at it, studying the list more closely.
“These are for sale, not for rent,” I say, frowning and shaking my head.
“I know.”
I scroll down. “They’re all here in Hart’s Creek.”
“I know that, too. It wouldn’t be logical for us to live anywhere else.”
“You’re suggesting we buy one of these?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“But I thought we’d just agreed that you’d move in here.”
“We did. And in the short-term, that’s fine. In the long-term, it’s not very practical.”
“Why not?”
“I have two excellent reasons.”
“Okay. What are they?”
“First, I don’t think we should rule out giving River a brother or sister one day, do you?” I can’t help smiling, and he smiles back. “Do you?” he says, clearly wanting an answer.
“No,” I whisper. “Just give my body a chance to recover from having her… and maybe let us both get used to sleeping all night for a while.”
“Whatever you say,” he murmurs, leaning in to kiss me.
“What’s the second reason?” I ask.
“I need somewhere to work,” he says, taking the phone from me and turning it so he can see the screen. “I toyed with the idea of renting an office somewhere close by, but I don’t think that’s very sensible, especially not if I’m gonna be looking after River, and maybe her brother or sister, too… one day.”
“No, probably not.”
He glances up at me, smiling, before returning his attention to his phone. “So, once I’d dismissed that idea, I looked at other options.”
“Such as?”
“Such as buying somewhere like this.”
He turns the phone again, showing me a house which I know to be in Cedar Street, even before I look at the address. I recognize the style, and take a moment to study the photographs, showing an open plan first floor, with a beautiful kitchen, and space for a dining table, which leads to a large living area. There’s a terrace out back, and more than enough space to park both of our cars. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, two of which have adjoining bathrooms, and there’s more closet space than even River could fill.
“It’s lovely,” I say, looking up at him again.
“You like it?”
“Who wouldn’t?”
He moves closer, turning the phone in my hand so we can both see the screen, and he pulls up a floor plan, pointing to the smallest of the bedrooms.
“I was thinking this would make a good home office,” he says. “It wouldn’t take too much work, and the rest of the house is in excellent condition.”
“It is.”
He nods his head, taking the phone back again, and taps on the screen a few times. “The other alternative would be something like this,” he says, turning it back around again, and showing me a second property, in Maple Street.
This time, everything is all on one level, with the front door entering straight into the open-plan living and dining space. The kitchen is slightly separate, through an archway, and there are three bedrooms at the back of the property, sharing two bathrooms between them.
“I like this one, too,” I say, looking up at him. “Although there’s nowhere for you to put your office… not if we’re gonna allow for a brother or sister for River.”
He smiles, using his legs to pull me closer. “No, but the house is a lot less expensive.”
“I noticed.”
He smiles. “I thought you might.” He takes his phone back again. “Do you want a third option?”
“I’m not sure I can handle it.”
He chuckles, tapping on the phone again, before handing it back to me. This time, I’m faced with a property in Beech Street. It’s significantly smaller than either of the other two, with a price tag to match. There are only two bedrooms this time, and one bathroom, and while it’s nice enough, I’m not sure I can see the point.
“Would we be gaining anything?” I ask him, looking up from the floor plan. “It looks like it’s roughly the same size as this place.”
“It is, but it’s on a fairly big plot of land, so there’s scope to extend it. We could add another bedroom, and a home office, and at least one more bathroom.”
I’m not sure how I feel about that, but before I voice my doubts, I offer him the phone. “Are there any more?”
“Not that I’ve found.” He tilts his head slightly. “So… what do you think?”
“They’re all lovely houses, but I’m not sure about that last one.”
“No?” he says, glancing down at the screen again, where I imagine it’s still on display. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing. But I don’t like the idea of living somewhere while we have construction work done… not when River’s so little.”
“We could live here while it’s done, you know?”
“Hmm…” I’m still not convinced and I think it must show, because he swipes to the right on his phone and smiles up at me.
“We can dismiss that idea, if you like?”
“It might be for the best. I mean, how would we pay for the work?”
“The cost of the house and all the work wouldn’t be any more than buying the place in Cedar Street.”
“Which is a lot of money. How would we finance it?”
“We’d get a mortgage, like most people, and to help with the cost of that, we could rent this place out.” He puts his phone down. “Obviously, if we were fixing up the house in Beech Street, we’d have to stay on here until it was done, but after that we could find a tenant. It wouldn’t be hard. There aren’t that many two-bedroom places to rent around here.”
“I’m assuming you checked that?”
“Of course,” he says, chuckling.
“What about the place in Maple Street, though? It doesn’t have a home office for you, and I know none of the properties down there have enough space to extend.”
“No, but we wouldn’t need to.”
“Why not?”
“Because that house is affordable, so we could keep this place, and I could work from here.”
“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”
He smiles. “I’ve thought of nothing but you and River since I left here on Tuesday morning.”
I lean in and kiss him. “I’ve thought of nothing but you, too… only all I’ve done is miss you, and dream about you coming home, while you’ve given me so much to think about.”
“It’s good to know I filled your dreams,” he says, grinning.
“Of course you did, but…”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to decide about any of this straight away. There’s no need to panic.”
“But you said you’ve got work to do… those projects for Aiden.”
“I know, and I’m sure I can set up something here and work on my laptop for the time being.”
“That doesn’t sound ideal.”
“What are you saying?” He sits up slightly, pulling me with him, and holds me in his arms. “It’s perfect.”
“It is?”
“Of course it is. We’ll be together, and there’s nothing more perfect than that.”