27. Chloe
TWENTY-SEVEN
CHLOE
Now
“I think I want to leave Auburn Hills,” I tell Tyler just moments after he returns to bed from the bathroom.
“Whoa, wait, what? Where is this coming from?”
“I don’t mean like, right now. I’m quite attached to the cottage, and the ducks, and you,” I say, blushing. “But, like at some point in the near future. I think I want to experience life where I’m not tied to anything or anyone,” I declare.
He nods, and I bite my lip, nervous of my confession. “Where do you want to go?”
I smile. “Anywhere.”
“For how long?”
I think it over. I’m not sure how long. I don’t think forever; I want to come back if I want to, but I also want freedom to go wherever. “However long I want,” I decide.
He nods, thinking over what I’ve just said.
I wait for him to convince me otherwise and tell me it is unwise.
I was hesitant to say anything to him, especially now.
But something about Tyler doesn’t make me fearful that I’ll lose him.
I know, in my soul, he’ll be there, always. He’s just that kind of person.
“Well, do you need a travel companion?” he asks, and I feel my eyes bug out.
“What? What about the ranch?”
He shrugs. “I’ll rent it out.”
“But, what about Scooter?”
“He loves car rides.”
“What about Lucy? Or the ducks?”
“My neighbor just got an alpaca that I think Lucy would enjoy hanging out with, and the ducks take care of themselves.”
“But, but, what about your job?”
“What about your job?” he retorts, and I purse my lips.
“Touché. I mean, I hadn’t figured that part out yet. I also don’t really have a timeline. Just a thought.”
“I think it’s a great idea. And if you’ll have me, I’ll go wherever you go. Whenever you decide to go.”
I stare at his face; his glasses are set on the nightstand, so I see the freckles that pepper his cheeks and forehead. His dark-red eyebrows are scrunched ever so slightly, as he waits for my response. His hair is deliciously disheveled. I want to wake up to his face every day.
“Only if you give me a shoulder rub every day.”
“Deal,” he says, scooping me up and pulling my front closer to his.
We are both still naked from my early morning wake-up call.
Tyler kisses my neck and reaches down to my backside, squeezing and rubbing.
He snakes a hand between my center and presses two fingers inside me while rubbing me with his thumb, and I release a yelp.
“Oh god, you’re so wet already. Is this all for me? ” he asks.
I arch my body toward his and bend back, mumbling a string of nonsense words. He catches one of my breasts in his mouth, and I release a long moan. His touch electrifies my whole body, my whole soul. My heart beats and yearns for him.
“Chloe, you’re so perfect,” he whispers against my skin, still trailing kisses along my skin and pumping his fingers inside me. I lift his head to mine and kiss him hard. I grind against his hand, chasing the sparks dancing in my core.
“I love the way you make me feel,” I say against his lips.
I want to say more, but that little voice inside of me from my past creates doubt.
It’s warning me, pushing to the surface images of those I’ve loved and how they let me down—telling me I’ve opened myself up to people who tore apart my vulnerabilities.
Tyler kisses the corners of my mouth and brushes my hair out of my face.
He removes his fingers, sheaths himself with a condom and slides into me.
I feel his fullness so sharply, and my eyes open to meet his warm brown eyes.
He looks at me so fiercely, yet gently, and rocks into me.
It feels different from before. Before it was intense and nearly desperate, and now, it’s filled with longing.
He’s taking his time, savoring me. He kisses my chest, my neck, and the edge of my jaw.
He kisses my lips and bucks into me firmly.
He pulls his head back and looks at me in the eyes as if he’s searching for something. Validation. Truth. What’s in my heart.
“I love you, Chloe,” Tyler says and kisses me quickly before I can reply.
He looks at me again, continuing, “I’ll love you for as long as you’ll let me.
I will do whatever I can to bring out your best self, and I’ll show you every day how much love you deserve.
Because you are incredible and I’m so lucky to have you, if you’ll let me.
” He kisses each of my cheeks and wipes away the tears I didn’t realize were falling.
The little voice in my head goes silent.
No one has ever treated me with such love and respect as Tyler. My heart grows and bursts at his words.
I reach up to his head, kissing him so deeply. “I love you too. I think I always have,” I whisper to him and wrap my legs around his back.
He grabs the back of my thighs and pulls them up so they are resting on his chest as he increases speed, firing into me and sending a screaming orgasm through me.
“Again,” I plead.
He doesn’t stop pumping and bends my legs farther.
I can feel every inch of him in me. Every bit of his hardness is going deeper and deeper.
He lifts my butt and enters me at a different angle, and I erupt again.
I try to reach for anything to grab—my pillow, the headboard, a fistful of sheets—as delight, love, and euphoria scatter throughout my body.
Tyler grunts and pushes into me. I can feel his erection pulsing inside of me as he comes.
He eases my legs back down and brackets my body with his arms. I love the way he fucks me.
He doesn’t let anything between us. He breaks all barriers.
He lives off my commands to seek deeper pleasure. He fucks me like he loves me.
He stays inside of me while he rests his head next to mine, kissing the top of my shoulder. “I love you,” he says again, and I smile.
“I love you more.” I nuzzle into him, wriggling at where we are connected.
“Impossible.” He lets out a little grunt, squeezing my hip to still me.
I gasp. “You don’t know the depth of my love for you! It could be more than what you feel for me.”
“I knew I was a goner the first moment I laid eyes on you.” He kisses the top of my head.
“I think we both knew that when we met at the pub.”
“No, I saw you before then.”
“What? When? Why didn’t you tell me?” I turn to meet his face.
“I don’t know. I never thought to bring it up.
But I saw you at the farmers’ market,” Tyler says and eases out of me, discarding the condom and then joining me back in bed, cuddling me under the comforter.
“It must’ve been a week before we officially met.
You had your hair half pulled up, and you had this pink-and-green sundress on, where the neckline looked like the top of a heart.
Your absolutely perfect breasts were pushed up in delicious mounds.
” His calloused hands grab my breasts at this, and he leans and kisses a nipple and a whimper escapes from me.
He continues his story while his fingers caress the spot on the side of my breast, “You were at a honey stall—or maybe it was jam; I don’t remember.
But I do remember stopping in my tracks when I saw you.
I knew everyone in town, but I had never seen you before.
You seemed to stand out, like you were the sun.
I was drawn to you, but then your friend with straight black hair and a scowl”—Anni, of course; we both laugh—“approached you and pulled you away. My neighbor had distracted me, and when I looked for you again, you were gone. I figured you were someone from another town. Until I saw you at the pub that first Friday evening. I saw you sitting at that booth in the corner, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. Like it was all meant to be.”
His lips graze my jaw then moves to my mouth, locking with his in a searing kiss. His hands return to my breasts, his thumbs rubbing my already sensitive nipples.
“These are perfect, you are perfect.” He leans down lapping each peak with a sucking and subtle bite. I moan and groan into him. I don’t know if we’re ever going to leave this room.
He snakes his hands around to my back and pulls me to his chest, kissing my cheek sweetly. I lay my head on his chest, drawing idle circles with my finger.
“I’ll never forget seeing you the first time,” I confess, looking at him. “The man who would change my life.”
He smiles softly, then gets a far away look in his eyes.
“It’s hard for me to find the silver lining in things, especially after I lost my parents.
You know, people say, things happen for a reason.
But I didn’t want to believe it. What was the reason my parents had to be ripped away from me?
” He turns his gaze on me. “What was the reason for you to be abandoned by your parents? Or for all the other shitty stuff that’s happened in our lives.
But when I walked into that pub and I saw you, sitting there and looking over at me with your bright eyes, I started to believe it. That all those moments led me to you.”
“Okay, yeah, you love me more,” I say, and we both chuckle. I kiss him again. Just as I’m about to climb on top of him, my stomach lets out a noise that urges me to eat something.
“Oh no, I need to feed my girl,” Tyler says and flings the comforter off of us, leaping out of bed.
“Wait, don’t you have work today?” I ask, sitting upright. “Don’t I have work today?” I search for my phone and see several missed texts from Annika.
Annika
Heyyy, How’s your neck?
We kept you up for 12 hours like the doctor’s orders, so you better not have a brain injury.
I’m going to guess you forgot to charge your phone.
Hey, what was that nut I tried from that salad that I didn’t like? I think Pam made a whole pie of it.
Hey!!! REID JUST TOLD ME THAT TYLER AND YOU ARE TOGETHER
WHY IS REID TELLING ME THIS?!
(you go girl)
I’M SO MAD AT YOU FOR NOT TELLING ME
“Tyler, what the heck? You already told Reid?” I get out of bed, put on some sweats, and go into the small cottage kitchen, where Tyler is cooking. “When did you even get the chance to tell him?”
“Reid texted me saying he was going to come over yesterday to get something, but I didn’t want him to barge in on us, so I just told him we were spending time together. That’s it.” I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m serious! Look at my phone, the passcode is 1989.”
I don’t bother looking because I believe him.
Also, Reid and Annika would find out eventually.
I think they both suspected things would lead here soon.
Especially since Annika gave me a talk about how she’s always here for me and that Reid’s parents have a spare bedroom if I need a place to crash.
They are both so incredibly dramatic. I reply to Anni, telling her I’ll catch her up soon, and then check my work schedule.
Thankfully, Sam is working the morning and I’m working the closing shift.
“I have a PT appointment in the late afternoon, but otherwise, my morning is open for you,” he says, setting a plate of breakfast food down in front of me at the small, round table by the front bay window of the cottage.
This little place is quickly becoming my sanctuary.
It is cozy and quiet. I had to move some furniture to make room for my art supplies, but I’ve managed to make it work.
“So,” Tyler starts and takes a bite of scrambled eggs.
“So,” I reply.
“Where are we going on our world tour first?”
I break out a laugh, “Canada,” I say with a big smile, and he barks out a laugh.
“How exotic.”
“I’m warming myself up! I’ve only ever been to California and Oregon. The world is a big, scary place.”
“To be fair, I’ve also only ever been to those states too. I want to check out Yosemite.”
“That’s still in California.”
“Yes, but I want to climb there. My buddy Griffin climbs there often and has invited me to join him. I usually decline, but I think I’ll reach out and ask if he has any climbs coming up. Also, Italy.”
“Italy would be so fun. The scenery would be so inspiring to paint.” I let myself daydream for a moment before pulling myself back to reality. I feel Dandy rubbing her little body along my ankles. “It’s fun to dream.”
“We can make it happen,” Tyler says confidently, and for some reason, I believe him.