Chapter 16
Reagan
Something has changed between Tiago and me, and I don’t like the idea of being dropped off at home one bit.
We’re like a sappy couple no one would want to be around.
Well, no regular person. Ryder and Claire don’t mind.
They’re just as sappy. Dallas makes a gagging noise every time he comes near us, but I’ve seen evidence that he’s just as bad as Ryder and Tiago. Lord help the woman he falls for.
When we arrive at my house, Tiago helps me out of the car and walks me to the door as he normally does. I’m still wearing the white dress with nothing under it, praying my grandfather doesn’t figure that out.
As usual, my grandfather mutes the TV and invites Tiago to stay a while. Sometimes, Tiago sits across from him on the couch, and the two of them chat about the town and the past while I fidget.
I don’t know why their relationship makes me nervous. It shouldn’t. Tiago is a total gentleman in front of my grandfather, and it’s obvious Grandpa loves him.
Instead of taking the offered seat tonight, Tiago sets his palm on my lower back and says, “I can’t stay for too long tonight, Dwane.
I’ve got to get back and help at the estate.
It’s in tremendous disrepair from years of neglect.
I’ve actually asked Reagan to help us out when she’s not working.
I hope you won’t mind if she gets home later some nights. ”
I want to roll my eyes. My manipulative boyfriend is at it again.
He’s never spoken to me about staying later or helping around the estate.
That’s not what this is about. It’s about spending more time with me.
And I’m not opposed to that at all. In fact, I feel lighter, knowing he’s making it happen.
I’m still going to growl at him for not asking me first.
My grandfather grins. “Reagan is a grown woman. She can come and go as she pleases.”
Tiago nods. “I understand, but she lives under your roof. I want to be respectful. I promise not to keep her too late. I want her to get plenty of sleep.”
My grandfather is beaming.
I grab Tiago’s hand and tug as I glance at my grandfather. “I want to show Tiago a few things in my room. We’ll be back in a minute.”
Tiago chuckles as we enter my small bedroom. He’s been in here a few times before, but we never stay long. When I try to shut the door, he sets a palm on it and shakes his head. “Door stays open, Reagan,” he whispers.
Now I do roll my eyes. “I’m not a teenager, Tiago. My grandfather doesn’t care if I make out with my boyfriend.”
He smirks. “Well, I care about being respectful in his home.”
Grrr. The man is so frustrating. In his home, he strips me down, cuffs me to the bed, eats my pussy, and spanks my ass, but in mine, we can’t shut the bedroom door. He’s maddening.
He’s also chuckling because he knows I’m frustrated. He wanders in farther and opens the top drawer of my dresser before glancing at me. “You don’t have to live here, baby. As soon as you’re ready to move in with me, all you have to do is say the word.”
I cross my arms and glare at him. “You mean agree to marry you.”
“Of course. That’s a mandatory side benefit. Do you have a bag of some sort I can use to put some of your things in?”
His one-eighty is making my head spin. “What for?”
“So you’ll have some clothes at my house. Next time you need to change, you’ll have more than a dress and some minuscule shorts.” He starts pulling things out of my drawers, gathering them, and making a pile on the bed without my permission.
I stare at him while he heads to the closet next. He doesn’t need or want my input. He finds a backpack and starts filling it. When he’s done, he zips it up and settles it on one shoulder. “What time do you work tomorrow, baby?”
I blow out a breath. We’ve apparently moved on from the clothes. That discussion was never really up for debate anyway. He took what he wanted and changed the subject. “I have to meet a group at nine and pass them off to Doug. Then I’m leading a hiking group from ten to noon.”
He frowns. “Why didn’t you mention that before?”
“Before what? It’s just a hiking group. It’s what I do, Tiago. It’s my job. What’s to mention?” I brace myself. My caveman has steam coming out of his nostrils. It’s almost comical. I’m pretty sure I know why, too. He doesn’t like the idea of me doing something without him.
Finally, he inhales deeply. “I’ll pick you up here at eight-thirty.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m a big girl, remember? I’ve been working on my own for years. I’ve owned my business for a long time. You can’t manhandle me when I’m at work.”
“I’m not going to manhandle you. I just don’t like the idea of my woman out hiking in the middle of nowhere with strangers. What if something happens to you or they aren’t good people?”
I roll my eyes. “Tiago, I’ve never once had a problem with a customer. Wilde isn’t the kind of town that sees drama like that. I’ll be fine.”
“Yep. You’ll be better than fine. You’ll have me with you.”
This is a conundrum. On the one hand, I want to make it clear that Tiago cannot take over my life and run every single aspect of it. He cannot interfere with my company. He cannot micromanage me.
On the other hand, he can do all of that because I like his control. My heart races when he dominates me so deeply. The intense look in his eyes makes me shiver. I squeeze my arms tighter around me, pressing against my hard, aching nipples.
He lowers his gaze to my chest, and the commanding glare turns into his usual smirk. “I’ll pick you up at eight-thirty,” he repeats.
There is no sense arguing with this man. I’ve never won a single debate, and I doubt I ever will. Mr. Bossy turns to leave the room, expecting me to follow, so I do.
When we get to the front door, he gives me a chaste kiss before smiling at my grandfather. “Have a nice night, Dwane.”
“You, too, Tiago.”
I open the door and watch as my bossy man returns to his car, puts my bag in the passenger seat, and rounds to the other side. He smiles at me before climbing in and pulling away.
I watch until I can’t see the car anymore. He’s still driving Old Man Wilde’s Cadillac, which is comical, but buying a car around here is a big deal. It takes an entire day because we have to drive to a larger city to do so.
When I step back inside and shut the door, my grandfather is watching me. He’s grinning. He points toward the sofa. “Sit.”
Now he’s going to boss me around, too? I drag over and drop onto my butt before thinking about the fact that I’m not wearing panties and that my ass is sore from being spanked a few hours ago.
I stifle a wince, hoping my grandfather doesn’t notice, and quickly make sure my dress is tucked under me.
The coffee table is between us. He can’t see up my skirt. Thank goodness.
He leans back and rubs his chin, scrutinizing me with that odd grin. “You’re in love.”
I can’t help but smile in return. “Yeah.” It feels awkward talking to my grandfather about my love life. We’ve never been in this situation. We’ve lived in our own little bubble for years.
“I’ve told you before that I don’t mind if you sleep at his place. I hope you’re not coming home every night because you’re worried about my sensitivities. I may be old, but I’m not dumb.” He grins.
I swallow. “It’s not my doing, Grandpa. I promise. I told you—Tiago is maddeningly old-fashioned. He won’t…” I lick my lips. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with my grandfather, but he’s always been my best friend. He raised me on his own. He’s the man I’ve come to for everything.
This thing is awkward, though. I don’t talk to my grandfather about my sex life because until now, it’s been non-existent. And fuck, in a way, it still is.
I need to spit this out so Grandpa understands. “He won’t sleep with me before our wedding night.”
My grandfather’s eyes widen, and then he starts chuckling. His body shakes from the effort to stifle his reaction. He covers his mouth with one hand, but he can’t stop.
It’s contagious. I start laughing, too.
“You’re serious?” he finally asks. “You’re not just saying that to make me like him? Because I do like him, Ray. He makes it impossible not to like him. But he’s forty-four years old. I struggle to grasp him not wanting to, uh, have sex.”
I sigh, containing my giggles. “I’m not saying he’s never had sex. He just won’t sleep with me . He’s actually kind of using sex as a bargaining chip to get me to marry him.” I might as well be blunt. Besides, I could use some advice.
There have been a few times when I’ve been alone with Claire, but not for long. The men always barge in eventually. I like Claire, and I know we will be close like sisters. In the coming months and years, we’ll get to know each other better and share stories about our maddeningly bossy brothers.
But Claire is newly pregnant, and Ryder won’t leave her side for long, so I can’t pick her brain. Not to mention, she might not be any help anyway. After all, she married Ryder two weeks after she met him. How could she advise me to wait a while?
My grandfather looks shocked for a moment, but then he relaxes a bit and rubs his chin. “He’s said that?”
“A hundred times.”
“You’ve known him a week.”
“I’m super aware of that. It seems like years sometimes. I’ve been with him non-stop.”
“And you love him?”
I slowly smile. I can feel my face heating. “Yeah. I do.”
My grandfather smiles, too. “I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told you before.”
I cock my head to one side. He has a secret?
“I married your grandmother four days after we met.”
I gasp.