Chapter 44
“ Y ou know, one of these days you’re going to have to take me out on a real date.” I'm giving Reid shit. We're at the pub for James’s “old-man birthday,” as Reid called it.
“Is that so? And why is that?” he mocks.
“All of our dates have been at someone’s birthday party, at The Flying Pig, or a combination of the two.” I go to count the examples off on my fingers, but Reid efficiently shuts me up by pulling me in for a punishing kiss.
“Oh, I’ll date the shit out of you. I’ll date you so hard you see stars. You’ll be so dated out you'll be sick of being spoiled. You’ll whine, No! I can’t even look at another lobster! You’ve taken me out for surf-and-turf ten times this month already! and hold your stomach in agony.”
I fruitlessly pound my fists against his brick-wall chest feigning outrage. He quickly shuts that down, trapping my arms between us and sucking my tongue into his mouth.
I have negative one thousand and sixty-nine reasons to complain. Reid has shown up for me every day since we got back from the Dreamhouse. He proves his devotion to me day after day, fully committed to making this work. I’ve never been happier.
Reid grabs my ass, making me yelp. He leans into my ear to say, “I need to go cut James off. Fucker’s on top of the bar. I’m surprised Frank hasn’t shot him yet. If he drinks any more, it’s going to take more than me and Grey to haul his drunk ass home.”
And with a kiss to my temple, he swaggers away.
Look. At. That. Ass. He got grade A stock. “A” for Andersen. I giggle.
“Hi Sissy,” Delilah sings, her soft arm slips into the crook of mine.
“Hi Twinie,” I reply. We snuggle in close and find an empty booth. “Where's Liv?”
As the birthday boy’s best friend’s gorgeous little sister, of course she’d be here creating a path of complete destruction. Destruction meaning men falling all over themselves, tripping over each other, scrambling to get a chance to talk to her.
“Hmm.” Delilah pops up to peer over the crowd and plops back down beside me. “I don’t know. She’s been attached at the hip to James and her brother all night. The last time I saw her she was taking shots with James and convincing him to dance on the bar.”
“That tracks.” Not surprised. At all. Olivia is a hurricane. Lord help whatever man she sets her sights on.
My sister studies me for a long while. “What?” I ask nervously.
“You look really happy. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you this happy. You’re glowing.” She tucks my hair behind my ear.
“Your hair is growing,” she says wistfully, knowing what it means to me.
“I’ll never be able to repay Reid for giving me my sister back.” I frown, disliking the implications. She gives me a sweet, but clear “give me a break” look.
“You know what I mean. You’ve always been my Izzy.
My big sissy. But we both know high school was not kind to you—I know the reasons, babe.
I’m not blaming you, because you did nothing wrong.
But you hid yourself away. You hid your light beneath a mask.
You’ve been so guarded and angry for so long.
I love seeing you smile and hearing you laugh, filled with hope for the first time in a very long time. ”
She's right. Reid gave me the push I needed to break free from my cage and fly free again. She’s always seen right through me but has never judged me or tried to steer me in any direction—only unconditional love and support. The same unconditional love and support I feel from Reid.
“No, of course I know what you mean. I’m not offended.”
My chest tightens. Sitting here with her makes me realize how little time I’ve spent with her since we got back from the Dreamhouse.
At first, I popped home every day, but I’ve been staying at the ranch for two and three day stretches.
Adjusting to ranch life has been easier than I thought.
I grew up where everything felt cramped, noisy, and chaotic—the ranch is blissfully calm and quiet.
Reid’s long days have been hard to get used to, but I’m finding my place.
Maybe I’m not quite at home yet, but I can feel myself settling into Reid’s life, one day at a time.
I don’t know how to broach the subject of moving out. I'd happily slam the front door and never look back, if it weren’t for leaving Delilah behind—the thought makes me sick to my stomach.
Her twintuition has always been above reproach. Those all-seeing eyes that look just like mine. “Stop that right now.”
My eyes rocket to hers. “What?”
“Stop spiraling. I need you to listen to me, sissy. It’s about time that the sun shined on you again. You deserve to find your happiness more than anyone—and I think you’ve found it in him.”
I search and immediately find Reid across the bar. He must see the emotion in my face because he frowns deeply in concern, and I can see his jaw clench from here.
Delilah follows my gaze to Reid stalking through the crowd towards us. “I know he asked you to move in. You don’t have to decide right away.” She squeezes my hand. “But know that I support you, I want you to have the world. And I think he can give it to you.”
A kiss to my cheek, and she slides out of the booth, leaving me sitting alone, boiling under the heat of Reid’s scrutiny.
He traps me in the booth, looking over me for any injury or distress. “Everything ok? You look like you’re about to cry, sugar.”
I can’t help but smile. This man. This incredible man who I have the privilege to love.
“I’m fine. Delilah was just pointing out all the obvious things that I’ve been hiding from.” He frowns again and cocks his head to the side, compelling me to continue.
Say the thing. Just say the thing.
I take a deep breath and take him by his hands. “I love you. So much. More than I ever imagined possible. More than I thought I deserved.” His hands squeeze mine, disliking my veiled insult against myself. “Delilah simply pointed out how different I am with you.”
“Good different?”
I smile softly at him. “Good different,” I assure. “You brought me back to life. You gave me a safe space to find myself again.”
“Just like you did for me, baby.”
I swallow hard. “Is your offer still good?”
Confused, he asks, “Offer? Anything you want is yours, sugar.”
I know this—I don’t know why I’m so nervous to ask for what I want.
“Your offer for me to live with you at the ranch?”
He lights up like the Fourth of July. “Permanently? You saying you’re ready to move in with me?”
“Is that ok?” I barely get out the words before he's peppering kisses all over my face and neck. “Is that a yes?” I giggle.
“Hell yes! When can we get your things? Now? Let’s go now.” He starts to stand from the booth, but I pull him back down.
“Are you ready for this? Because there's no pressure—I'm fine living at home. Moving in together is huge, Reid. Are you ready to have me invade your space? Move around all your things? A pink bomb is going to detonate in your sanctuary.”
“Take all my space. Move all my shit. Hell, I’ll buy you all new shit. And you know pink is my favorite color.” His eyes drop between my legs, his voice pure sex.
My entire body flushes with heat. I went from twenty-five-year-old-virgin to coming so many times a day I’ve had to double my water consumption, so I don’t pass out.
“It doesn’t bother you that I’m so much younger than you? What people might say about us? What people already think about me?” My insecurity is bubbling to the surface, and recognizing my clear distress, he softens and takes me seriously.
“Nothing about you bothers me. Not a damn thing. I couldn’t give a fuck what these assholes think or say. You're my woman, and you’re mine to take care of. Mine to cherish. Next person who even looks at you wrong is liable to get their nose broken.”
He dips his head down, searching my eyes for understanding. I'm so choked with emotion, all I can do is nod like his bobblehead armadillo.
“Ok, then. Now I have some questions for you. Because you’re right, moving in together is a big deal, and I'll never pressure you. I'll always give you a choice. I’ll never take your autonomy from you.”
My. Heart.
I sit taller and give my butt a little wiggle in the seat. “Ok, shoot.”
“It doesn’t bother you that I’m nearly a decade older than you?
You don’t want a carefree young buck to flit around with who only fucks you in the back of his truck?
You aren’t concerned about my past? Because you’re right.
People are going to talk, and the women in town are going to have a lot to say.
It means dick to me, but it matters to me if it hurts you. ”
I tap my chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. I get to be worshiped by a sinfully hot older man. I get to have all my firsts with you. I get to learn how to please you exactly the way you like. I get to come whenever I want from your skilled mouth, fingers, and—” He cuts me off with a chaste kiss.
“I get to be taken care of by the most incredible man I’ve ever met. Poor little me.”
He seals our agreement with a burning kiss melting me into the old vinyl booth.
Drunk on him, and turned all the way on, I tease, “I should’ve known a handyman would be…skilled with his fingers.”
Desire blankets his features. “Must be all those nuts I have to screw on with my fingertips, to bolts tucked away in tight, hot places.”
“Down boy.” I chuckle. “I'd like you to fuck me in the back of your truck though.”
“Oh, I’ll fuck you in the back of my truck, don’t you worry about that.
I’ll let you ride my dick while I recline in the driver’s seat.
I’ll fuck you from behind over the center console.
I’ll fuck you in the backseat until the windows fog up.
I'll worship your body like the goddess you are, even if you’re also a dirty little sex kitten with a taste for public indecency. ”
“Show me the dotted line so I can sign up for all of that, like, yesterday. But first, we need to be good partygoers and go find the birthday boy. Then you can take me home and have your wicked way with me. Maybe we won’t even make it home and you’ll make good on your promise to christen your truck. ”
He bites the curve between my neck and my shoulder, growling his approval. In his haste to make good on my offer, he tosses me over his shoulder, and we disappear, laughing, into the crowded bar.