Chapter 37
brIGGS
Iworked on her feet for another ten minutes before she was practically purring with contentment. Her eyes were half-closed, a blissful expression on her face.
“You’re really good at that,” she murmured.
“I’ve been told I have skilled hands.”
“Is that what you tell all the girls?”
“Just my wife.” I gave her foot one last squeeze before setting them gently on the couch. “Stay there. Don’t move.”
“Where are you going?”
“To make you dinner.”
“Briggs, it’s almost one in the morning. I can just grab something tomorrow.”
“Have you eaten today?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
She thought about it. “I had coffee this morning. And I think I ate half a granola bar around noon.”
“That’s what I thought.” I headed to her kitchen, already opening the fridge to see what she had. “You can’t run on empty like that.”
“I was busy.”
“I know you were.” I pulled out sandwich ingredients, some turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes. Her bread was fresh, which meant she’d actually been to the grocery store recently. Progress. “But you still need to eat.”
I heard her get up from the couch and pad into the kitchen. She hopped up onto the counter, watching me work. “You know, when I pictured you coming to visit, I didn’t imagine you making me sandwiches at one in the morning,” she said.
“What did you picture?”
“I don’t know. Something more romantic. Maybe dinner at a nice restaurant. A moonlit walk on the beach.”
“We can do all that tomorrow.” I sliced tomatoes, impressed she actually had fresh vegetables in her fridge. “Tonight, you need food and sleep. In that order.”
“So bossy.”
“Someone has to take care of you.”
She smiled at that, and I felt something warm settle in my chest. This was what I wanted. Taking care of her. Being here when she needed me. Making sure she ate actual meals instead of surviving on coffee and granola bars.
I assembled two sandwiches—one for her, one for me.
“Here.” I handed her the plate. “Eat.”
She took a bite and moaned. Actually moaned. “Oh my God. Why does this taste so good?”
“Because you’re starving.”
“No, it’s more than that.” She took another bite. “You put something on this. What is it?”
“Just a little mayo, mustard, and a touch of olive oil. Plus I seasoned the tomatoes with salt and pepper.”
“You seasoned the tomatoes.”
“It makes a difference.”
She shook her head, smiling. “Of course you did. Mr. Attention to Detail strikes again.”
“I think any sandwich that’s made for you tastes better than if you made it yourself.”
“I’ll remember that for tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll make you a sandwich.”
We ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
I leaned against the counter opposite her, watching her devour the sandwich like she hadn’t eaten in days.
Which, given her schedule, she probably hadn’t.
Not properly, anyway. She needed someone to take care of her.
I wanted to be that someone. But she was an independent woman.
I wasn’t sure if she’d appreciate me wanting to take care of her.
“I put Bucky to sleep the other night,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
“Adrian and Elizabeth were exhausted. Buck was fussing. Elizabeth pushed him into my arms and I think I scared him to sleep. He’d been crying and then next thing I knew, he was out.”
“Briggs Blackwell, Super Uncle.” She grinned. “Who would have thought?”
“Certainly not me.” I grabbed a chip from my plate. “But it was nice. Holding him. Feeling him relax against my chest. I never really thought about kids before, but he’s changing my mind.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s made me think about what that would be like. To have that. A family.”
The kitchen went quiet. I said too much. Pushed too hard. We’d only been together a few weeks, and here I was talking about kids like we were some settled married couple instead of two people who’d drunkenly stumbled into a Vegas chapel.
“Sorry,” I said. “That was too much. Too fast.”
“No.” She hopped down from the counter and crossed to me. “It wasn’t. It’s good to know where your head’s at. I’ve thought about kids.”
“You have?”
“Of course I have.”
“And what do you see?”
“I see us. Happy. Making it work somehow.” She placed her hands on my chest. “I see you coming home after a long day and me cooking you dinner. Well, ordering you dinner, because we both know I can’t cook all that well.
I see pancakes on Sunday mornings and maybe, eventually, a baby that looks like you. ”
“Or one that looks like you,” I countered.
I laughed and pulled her against me. “I think we’d make beautiful babies. Stubborn, tone-deaf babies, but beautiful nonetheless.”
She laughed, burying her face in my chest. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
“I can’t either.” I kissed the top of her head. “But I’m glad we are.”
We stood there for a moment, just holding each other. Then she pulled back and looked up at me.
“How long did you say you could stay?” she asked.
“A week. I managed to clear my schedule through next Friday.”
Her face fell slightly. “Only a week?”
“Possibly two to three weeks. I’ll find out on Monday if one of the contract disputes is resolved.”
“Really?”
“If you’ll have me.”
“If I’ll have you?” She threw her arms around my neck. “Briggs, I’d keep you here forever if I could.”
“Careful. I might hold you to that.”
I kissed her, the weeks apart were suddenly making themselves known.
“Bedroom,” she breathed against my lips.
“You sure? You’re exhausted.”
“I’m not that exhausted. I’ve been miserable without you. I need you. Right now.”
Who was I to argue with that?
I lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist, her arms around my neck. I walked her to her bedroom and carefully laid her on the bed.
I took a moment just to look at her. Her hair was a mess from the long day. Her makeup was smudged. She looked exhausted and easily the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
“I love you,” I said.
The words came out before I could stop them. I hadn’t planned to say them. I thought about telling her in some big moment, but there they were. Just hanging out there.
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“I love you.” Now that I said it once, I couldn’t stop. “I’m in love with you, Mandy. Completely, stupidly in love with you. I know it’s too soon, and I know we’re the odd couple, but I can’t keep pretending I don’t feel it. I love you.”
She stared at me for what felt like an eternity. My heart was racing. Had I fucked this up? Was it too much, too fast?
Then her face broke into the biggest smile I’d ever seen.
“I love you too,” she said. “God, Briggs, I love you so much it terrifies me. I’ve been trying not to say it because I thought you’d think I was crazy, but I’ve been in love with you.”
Relief flooded through me so intensely I nearly collapsed. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer. “Now stop talking and make love to your wife.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
I kissed her slowly this time, savoring it.
I worked the zipper on her dress, sliding it down her back. The fabric pooled at her feet, leaving her in just her bra and underwear. I took my time removing those too, kissing every inch of newly exposed skin.
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” she breathed, tugging at my shirt.
I helped her, shrugging out of my shirt and undoing my belt. She pushed my pants down, and I kicked them aside along with my boxers.
Then we were skin to skin, and nothing had ever felt more right.
Her hands roaming over my back, my shoulders, my ass.
“I missed this,” she murmured. “Missed you. Missed us.”
“Me too.” I kissed down her neck, over her collarbone, taking my time. “I’m going to take care of you tonight. Make you feel good.”
“You always make me feel good.”
“Tonight’s going to be better.”
I kissed down her body, paying attention to all the spots I’d learned she liked. The curve of her neck. The underside of her breast. The soft skin of her inner thigh.
By the time I settled between her legs, she was already trembling.
“Briggs,” she gasped. “Please.”
I didn’t make her wait. I used my mouth on her, my tongue finding that perfect spot that made her cry out. I built her up slowly, backing off whenever she got too close, making it last. The taste of her was the best dessert I’d ever had. I wanted more. I could feast on her for days.
“Stop teasing,” she whimpered, her hands fisting in my hair.
“I’m not teasing. I’m savoring.”
“I’m going to die.”
“No, you’re not.” I sucked gently on her clit, and she nearly came off the bed. “But you are going to come. Hard.”
I kept going, adding my fingers, curling them inside her the way she liked. Her thighs started trembling on either side of my head. Her breathing got ragged.
“Oh God,” she moaned. “Oh God, Briggs! “
She came with a cry, her whole body tensing before going limp. I worked her through it, gentling my touch as she came down.
When I finally crawled back up her body, she looked dazed.
“Oh, sweet Jesus. “
“Good?”
“Incredible.” She pulled me down for a kiss.
She wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me closer. I could feel how wet she still was against me.
“I need you inside me,” she whispered. “Now.”
I didn’t need any more encouragement. I positioned myself at her entrance and pushed inside. The feeling of her wrapped around me without any barrier between us was indescribable.
“Fuck,” I groaned. “You feel so good.”
“So do you.” Her nails dug into my back. “Move. Please move.”
I started slow, deep thrusts that had both of us gasping. The way she felt beneath me and those glorious sounds she made were music to my ears. It heightened the experience.
“I love you,” I said again, because now that I’d said it once, I couldn’t stop. “God, Mandy, I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Her eyes locked on mine, and I saw everything I felt reflected back at me. “Don’t stop.”
I had no intention of stopping. I picked up the pace, rocking hard and fast to the point her headboard was bouncing against the wall. Her legs tightened around me, heels digging into my ass.
“Right there,” she moaned. “Oh God, right there.”
I kept the angle, driving into her harder. The bed was creaking beneath us, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the woman in my arms and making her feel as good as she made me feel.
“Touch yourself,” I commanded. “I want to feel you come around me.”
She slipped her hand between us, her fingers finding her clit. I could feel her hand moving, feel the way it made her clench around me.
“That’s it,” I encouraged. “Just like that.”
Her breathing got more ragged. I could tell she was close. I was close too, but I wanted her to come first. I needed to feel it.
“Briggs,” she gasped.
“Baby, now!”
She cried out, her whole body tensing as she came.
I felt her pulsing around me, felt the way she clenched and released.
It was too much. I followed her over the edge, burying myself deep as I came harder than I ever had in my life.
I felt like my head was going to explode.
My eyes rolled back, and for a second, I was sure I blacked out.
I collapsed on top of her, both of us breathing hard. After a moment, I rolled to the side, pulling her with me so she was draped across my chest.
“Holy shit,” she breathed.
“You’re going to be the death of me, but if a man has to go, that’s the way to do it.”
She laughed. “Sleep. It’s practically time for you to get up in New York.”
“We’re sleeping in, right?”
“Absolutely,” she murmured.
I could feel her body relax over mine. She’d be asleep in no time. I didn’t think I was going to be able to leave in two weeks.