CHAPTER 23
RHODES
I put the last of my woman’s boxes down in my house—our house—and it feels like I can finally really breathe. She’s here. With me. We’re building something real, something solid, something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life and never take for granted.
“You know,” Helen admonishes me with her sweet voice, “you should have let me carry more things.”
It’s been a few weeks since I asked my woman to move in with me, and I finally said the words I was afraid would send her running. She didn’t run; she embraced what I was offering. I don’t think I’ve ever felt gratefulness like I did when she told me she was ready to start building our future.
And now she’s here.
It took a little time for her to tie up some loose ends. As of right now, she’s planning to commute to her job in Dogwood Ridge. She enjoys it and while I believe she does, I also think she wants to still be easily accessible to Jessi. Maybe even her dad.
Her relationship is strained with her dad, and I hate being the reason for it. Or maybe his expectations for his daughter are the real cause. Either way, I know it’s been weighing her down.
I have no doubt that she won’t let it continue much longer. She’ll set it to rights because that’s the kind of woman she is.
As long as it doesn’t cause her pain, then I’ll be there to support her. Now, if Mayor Cowell does anything to make my woman cry, he’ll be dealing with me. Until then, I’ll just be my woman’s strength and silent support.
It’s what she needs from me and I’ll make sure she gets it.
I shoot my woman a look of warning and shake my head slowly. “You carried plenty.”
Helen crosses her arms in front of her chest and pouts.
It’s fucking adorable and it makes my cock twitch behind the fly of my jeans.
As much as I want to carry her off to our bed and deal with the boxes later, I have a surprise for my woman, and I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees it.
“I most certainly did not,” she tries to argue. “I realize I’m just a little woman, but I’m capable of carrying things.”
All I can do is arch an eyebrow at her because she knows me carrying most of her boxes and furniture has nothing to do with her being a woman. It has everything to do with me taking care of her.
Why should she carry things when I’m more than capable of doing it?
I’m certainly not going to let it happen and if she has a problem with it then she’s going to have to simply deal with it. It’s done anyway and the next time I’m put in the same position, I’ll do the same damn thing.
Helen’s narrowed eyes take me in, and I can see the fire burning there. It’s a huge fucking turn on. The glare ramps up on the intensity, but it doesn’t deter me and I put my arms up and flex.
My woman can’t help herself and her eyes flick over my chest and then heat. Yeah, I know what she likes and I’m more than willing to use it to my advantage because I already know there will be times when I screw up.
“You have a big, strong Sheriff at your disposal, Helen,” I point out and watch her eyes sparkle. “Why not use me?”
She steps closer to me, her hips swaying like a damn metronome and I’m fucking watching every step, every sway. And I’m hooked. As if I wasn’t already gone for this woman.
“Use you?” She purrs the question and my dick throbs. “Use you to move my boxes? Are there other ways I should use you?”
Helen stops right in front of me, our toes touching and her brown eyes glittering. I capture the moment; the look on her face, the trust she’s given me along with her heart, and tuck it away to fortify the love and the connection between us. This woman undoes me.
“You can use me however you want. Always. Consider it an open invitation.”
She reaches for me and I can’t help but do the same. My arms band around her waist and pull her until she’s flush against my chest.
“I’ll have to keep that in mind,” there’s sass in her voice that I fucking love, because there is always the sweetness there too.
“I have a surprise for you.” My words land like a grenade and I almost wince but manage an apologetic smile.
She looks around before looking back at me. “Why would you get me a surprise when I’m moving in with you? I mean, don’t you think this is enough? Us doing this together and everything it means?”
I huff out a chuckle at how cute she is. “You’re adorable,” I coo as I kiss the tip of her nose.
“Adorable?”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You already know I’m all in with us, Helen. Normally it would be enough. Having you here is a gift, and I feel the need to repay it.”
“I think you’ve lost your marbles,” she deadpans.
“I want you to feel comfortable here, to see our lives entwined in this space,” my voice is earnest. “You didn’t have to easily agree to move in with me and take the risk, but you, my brave, beautiful woman, did.
That earns a surprise, one which will help you carve out your own space in a place that used to be mine alone but was never a home until today. ”
Helen melts into my arms and shakes her head as she blinks rapidly.
Her voice is soft, “Agreeing to move here, to be with you, was probably the easiest decision I’ve ever made.
And I was able to do it without pressure and only for myself.
This is the first time I’m following my heart in my life and doing something for me, something I truly need.
I don’t need a reward for it. This is the surprise. You. This life.”
Fuck, my woman slays me.
“Well, we’ll agree to disagree on this one,” I drawl while leading her away from the living room and toward where my office used to be.
It’s not my office anymore. I don’t really need one. Especially now because I don’t want my job to invade my home and the life I’m building with my woman. She deserves this place to be a home, a respite, a sanctuary. A place where we can exist and where we can grow a family.
Fuck, we will be growing a family. I’m ready whenever she is. Honestly, I can’t fucking wait.
The thought of her round with my baby? Fuck me. It’s almost too good.
When we’re standing in front of the door leading into the room I put together for my woman while working in stolen moments and long lunches. I kept the door closed so Helen wouldn’t see. I nod toward the door and grin when she shoots me a look that is pure confusion.
“Go ahead,” I gently prompt her.
She opens the door and I guide her into the room. Her jaw drops and she quickly takes a few more steps. After turning one way and then the other, she looks at me with wide eyes.
I’m not able to keep the smug smile off my face. Because she likes it and I got it right. Honestly, I wasn’t sure and was more than a little concerned.
“This is,” Helen pauses and shakes her head before starting again, “I’m not even sure what I’m looking at. I mean,” she starts to babble, “I can see it. I see all the pieces of it, and I think I know what it means, but maybe you should spell it out for me.”
When she spins around again, I sidle up to her and press my front to her back as my hands land on her hips. My mouth finds the curve of her neck and I kiss her there. Her body relaxes against me and her breath hitches.
“This is for me?”
My lips brush against the shell of her ear with every word, “This is your room. Your work room.” I turn her to one side. “I put this entire wall of built in shelves so you can organize your fabric. The shelves are adjustable and I’m more than willing to move them around for you.”
I turn her a quarter turn. “This is a big cutting table or worktable.” I point toward the other side of the wall. “I left that side open because I know you love your set-up. I didn’t want to change it, just give you more options.”
With another turn, we’re looking at another wall.
The top portion is a peg board and ready for her to organize whatever she needs.
The bottom is a console with more storage.
“This is ready for you however you need. You’ll notice that I got you a new speaker and it’s set up for you.
The minifridge is stocked with your favorites, including some snacks. ”
“I can’t,” she starts to say and then her breath hitches as she turns toward me and swallows hard, “you did this for me?”
“Of course,” I tell her easily. “This is your home. You need to have space here to do what you love to do. You deserve it and I want you to always feel comfortable.”
“This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” she whispers the words and my heart soars.
It also pisses me off because she deserves the world. She certainly deserves so much more than what she’s been given. Now she’s mine to care for.
I lift her and a little gasp falls from her lips when I sit her on the big cutting table. My hands skim up her thighs until I grip the waistband of her leggings. As I pull them down over her hips and legs, I feel Helen giving herself over to me.
My fingers skim up the inside of her thighs and spread her legs. When I find her slit, she’s already fucking soaked for me. A growl rumbles from my chest as I plunge two fingers inside of her and pump them a few times.
Her hips jolt and she moans as her hands scramble for my jeans and pops the button. The way she’s touching me has me feeling feral as fuck while she pushes my pants down and frees my cock.
“I need you, Rhodes,” she pleads.
I don’t waste a fucking second. After sliding the tip of my cock up and down her soaked flesh, I find her entrance and plunge deep inside of her in one stroke. We both moan at the contact, and my arms grip her tightly against me.
My hips move hard and fast, chasing something, chasing this connection, chasing bliss. Helen clings to me, her body moving to take every thrust.
“Rhodes,” she gasps when I drive into her harder, but there’s only need lacing through my name coming from her lips. “Yes, please. Don’t stop.”
“I’ll never fucking stop,” I promise her, my words a vow I will keep until my last breath.
Her nails dig into my shoulders, and I realize I didn’t even bother taking my clothes off. Again. I just couldn’t wait. Not now with my woman in our home right where she belongs.
Christening her workroom first feels right. But you better believe we won’t be stopping here.
“You better come on my cock,” I grit out through my teeth, “because I plan to fuck you in every room in the house.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s already happened,” she gaps, her tone sassy.
I slam into her and her eyes roll back into her head. The smile I flash her is wicked and her pussy ripples around my shaft.
“But it’s different now. Now this is our home. We have to start over,” I pant the words, my breathing deepening as my balls draw up and I know I’m teetering on the edge.
Reaching between us, I press my thumb down on her clit and pump into her. It’s all it takes and I feel Helen’s pussy clamp down on me while her limbs tighten around me. I blink as stars dance across my vision and my knees go weak.
I’m only able to pump a few more times before I fill her completely and unload inside of her. As we come together, air is sawing in and out of my lungs as I press our foreheads together. Her eyes open slowly and I get lost in the way the gold flecks seem to dance in her eyes.
“I love you,” I breathe.
Helen chuckles, a breathy sound which hits me right in the chest. Her eyes are clear and her smile is a little shy. “I love you, Rhodes.” She bites her lip and tilts her head slightly as she studies me. “I do want to talk to you about something.”
I can’t help but bark out a laugh. “Is this an appropriate conversation when my dick is still inside you?”
I’m mesmerized by the sight of Helen tipping her head back and laughing. I let out a groan at the way her walls clamp down around me.
“I think we should go see Stella and start talking to Kimball about adopting her.”
My heart fucking stutters in my chest. When I told her about Stella weeks ago, she immediately wanted to meet her. And the love between the two of them was easy to see. While I think Stella does just have a soft heart, there’s more to it than that.
“What?” I blink a few times at my woman, momentarily unable to form any other thought.
Helen nods slowly with a gentle smile on her face. “We’re Stella’s family. I feel it in my bones just like I know that moving in here with you is the right thing for me. Let’s get the ball rolling on getting her home.”
When I kiss Helen, I pour every emotion I have for the amazing woman in my arms into it. I want it to echo around her and flow through her veins in a way that she never questions and can always count on.
“You’re amazing,” I whisper against her lips. “Just know you can’t ever try to get rid of me now. Not now, not ever.”
“Oh?” There’s a challenge in her voice. “Or what, Sheriff?”
“I’d definitely have to arrest you,” I tease her while picking her up and striding toward our room so we can get cleaned up. She gasps when I slip free of her pussy, but I don’t even break stride. “Or maybe just cuff you to the bed.”
“I don’t think I’d mind,” her voice is husky as I freeze.
The thought of us trying it out has my cock twitching. I’m not sure which is hotter—the cuff fantasy, or the thought of her pregnant with my child.
“I can’t wait to build a family with you,” I whisper against her temple.
Helen beams up at me and kisses me softly. “Lets start with Stella. We can talk about babies next.”
Helen laughs as I growl while my heart beats strong and sure in my chest. For her. She owns my heart and will for the rest of our lives.