23. Oliver #2
It took a while to calm her down. After carrying her inside, I held her close, kissing her face, her head, wherever my lips found a spot to nuzzle.
When she let out a long, shuddering sigh, I pushed her hair back and met her still-teary gaze. “Hey, my lovely.”
“Hi,” she murmured, gripping my arms. “Did you mean it? What you said?”
“I love you. I want a life with you,” I stated firmly. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll figure this out.” I kissed her soft mouth. “Together.”
Her grip tightened. “How long are you back for?”
“A few days. We need to sort some things out, then I’ll head to LA and do what I have to do, pack up my place, and come back. For good.”
“Or until the movie starts shooting.”
“We aren’t going more than two weeks between seeing each other. I’m going to have Annie add that into every contract. If I can’t come to you, you’ll come to me.”
“I see.”
I traced her cheek. She looked exhausted.
“I might take a bit of a break. After all, we’re going to need a honeymoon.”
Her eyes widened. “Honeymoon?”
“That’s the tradition after getting married, isn’t it?”
“Married?” she repeated my words again.
I kissed the end of her pink nose. “We’ve been you and me long enough, Kassie. I want us. I want you to be Mrs. Hart. I want to tell the world you’re mine.” I paused, taking in the stunned look on her face. “Unless you don’t want that?”
“Olly,” she whispered. “Two hours ago, I thought I had lost you again. I didn’t know how I was going to cope. And now you’re talking marriage. Honeymoon.”
I grinned and cupped her face. “Be grateful you haven’t heard my thoughts on a new house and filling it with kids.” I kissed her. “Our kids.”
She blinked. “Um, I thought you didn’t want kids. You said so in interviews.”
“I didn’t. But I realized I didn’t want them with anyone else. But I want them with you.”
“Oh.”
“At least two,” I added. “Maybe three. I would really like a little girl.”
“You’re crazy.”
“About you, yes. Totally.” I pulled her to my chest and held her close. “We lost all those years. I’m not wasting another single day with you. As long as you tell me you love me, then we’re together. A done deal.”
“I love you, Oliver Hart,” she murmured into my ear. “I never stopped.”
“Then buckle up, lovely. We’ve got a lot to do.”
“Can we just stay like this for a while?”
I pulled tighter and tucked her head under my chin. “Yeah, we can.” I pressed a kiss to her hair. “For as long as you like.”
We went for a walk later, stopping at the Wong Man. I hadn’t eaten all day, and I was starved. Kassie watched me inhale the food I ordered, her eyes wide.
“Wow,” she mouthed.
I pushed her plate closer. “Eat up. You need your strength. We have a lot of plans to make.”
“I’m not sure I can keep up.”
“You can, I know it. Can I have your spring roll?”
She handed it to me, and I bit into the crispy shell. “Awesome. I get to eat here anytime I want now.”
She nodded, her bottom lip trembling. I set down my fork and reached for her hand. “Hey, lovely. Everything is okay.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I’m just being a girl.”
“My girl,” I replied and picked up her hand, kissing the knuckles. “Mine.”
“Yours.”
“Finish eating. I need to take you home and claim you.”
She muttered about me being a caveman, and she was right. I felt like one. I wanted to beat my chest and announce to the world she was mine. Throw her over my shoulder and take her home and have my wicked way with her until she screamed my name.
But I would settle for feeding her, walking hand in hand with her, and holding her all night if that was what she needed.
Because she came first. Today, tomorrow, and always.
It was a perfect evening. After dinner, we strolled through one of the neighborhoods adjacent to Kassie’s.
The streets were a little wider, the homes set back from the road.
The street had many older Victorian houses, built when the town was first settled.
We didn’t talk much, content to hold hands and be together.
As we came close to the end of a street, I stopped, looking at a house.
“Wow,” I muttered. “I remember this place.”
She chuckled. “You should. This was another house whose garden you liked to raid on a regular basis.”
“The Harrisons.”
She sighed. “It was always the prettiest house in town. I saw inside once with my mom. It was incredible. All wood and stained glass. Such a shame it’s empty.”
“Have the owners passed?”
“Mr. Harrison passed about four years ago. She lives with their daughter outside of Ottawa.” She smiled sadly.
“They leased it to a company for a while, then a family was in it, but it’s sat empty the last year.
It was on the market, but there isn’t much call for giant houses like this one.
I heard they’re trying to sell it for the land.
” She paused. “Shame—a developer will probably buy it and throw up a bunch of townhomes. Tear down a beautiful home and build boxes.”
“They’ll look out of place in the neighborhood,” I replied with a frown.
She shrugged. “Progress, I suppose.” She tugged my hand. “Let’s go home. Looking at this makes me sad.” She yawned. “And I’m tired.”
I slid my arm around her waist and tucked her close. “Okay, let’s go.”
Though I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder at the house again.
The next morning, I was up early. Kassie was still sleeping, curled on her side, a small smile on her lips. I bent close and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “I have a meeting,” I murmured. “I’ll be back.”
“It’s six a.m.,” she protested.
“I have a lot to do, woman. Go back to sleep.”
She pouted, looking adorable. “No sleepy sexy times today,” she muttered.
I glanced at the clock and tugged my shirt over my head, then kicked off my pants. “I can be a little late,” I assured her, sliding back into bed.
Her giggles soon became the low whimpers and moans I liked so much. I took my time, enjoying feeling her wrapped around me as I moved in long, leisurely thrusts, whispering all sorts of dirty promises into her ear and kissing her neck.
She didn’t stir when I got up again, and I left her sleeping. I was all for starting every day that way. I was sure she would agree.
John smirked at me when I sat across from him at the Dill. “I thought you were standing me up,” he commented. “But I think I can see why you’re late. You look, ah, pleased with yourself.”
Laughing, I shrugged, not really caring. It couldn’t be that bad.
“So what was so important you offered to buy me breakfast?” he asked, winking at Quinn as she poured coffee for me. She wasn’t as friendly as she usually was, so I decided I needed to set the record straight.
“First, two of whatever is on special, please,” I asked Quinn. “And second, I’m moving to Richton, and Kassie and I are getting married.”