Chapter 40 Beckett #2
The first bag is gloves.
The second bag is a black leather jacket.
“This part is my favorite,” Sloane says, picking up the leather jacket. She walks behind me and helps me put it on. She smooths out the material and bites her lip as she looks me up and down.
“Yeah, I was right. You look hot as fuck,” She says, making me roll my eyes and pulling her flush against me. I can’t fight the smile that graces my lips. Which seems to be what this day is going to be all about.
I don’t even know how to form a proper statement of gratitude, so I just cup her cheeks and kiss her. One hand slides to the back of her neck to keep her close to me.
The kiss starts soft, just me trying to show her with my mouth how grateful I am for her and her kindness. She’s the one who deepens the kiss by sliding her tongue along the seam of my lips. I accept and part my lips for her, sucking her tongue into my mouth.
The other hand that was on her cheek grips her waist to keep her closer to me. Her hands tangle in my hair, and the kiss quickly gets heated.
Our tongues dance together as I back us up against her car. This is where I belong, with her. There’s nowhere else that I would rather be.
After a few minutes. I pull away and rest my forehead against hers. We take deep breathes of air, and I can’t help but think about how fucking beautiful she is.
Her cheeks flush, her lips swollen from my kisses, her eyes dilated with desire. She’s a fucking angel, and I can’t help but feel like all I do is taint her.
But God help me, I can’t let her go. Not now, not ever.
She’s buried herself under my skin. She’s in my soul, and I can’t ever give her away.
Even though I should. Our relationship will never be normal.
I don’t know how many things I’ll be taking from her if she decides that she actually wants to be mine.
I’ve only got twenty years before I retire, whereas she has her whole entire life in front of her.
But I’d do anything for her, no matter what the cost. If she wants a family, I’ll give her as many kids as she wants.
If she wants to travel across the world, I’ll go with her.
If she wants me to follow her back to Georgia, I’d quit my job tomorrow and go with her.
I think that’s the scariest part of all. I would do anything for her. My whole life has been here. I’ve only ever lived outside of Timberline when I was in active duty. But I would follow her anywhere and do anything for her. I don’t think she realizes that.
She has no idea what I would do for her. I have no idea what I would do for her, and I think that’s what terrifies me most of all.
“You’re so perfect, baby,” I whisper, kissing her nose, her cheeks, and using the hand in her hair to tilt her head back so I can kiss down her neck. Both my hands find her waist, and I pull her as close to me as I can, my lips leaving a trail of wet, warm kisses down her throat.
“Beck,” she gasps, her head tilting back to give me better access. I take advantage of the movement. Letting my lips dance across her smooth skin.
I’ve never been one to want to mark someone before, but I want to brand myself into her skin. I want to be there so that she can never get me out, so that if she leaves next week, she will still feel me on her skin and in her veins.
“Baby, I want to mark you,” I whisper against her neck, and she lets out a little whimper. The noise stirs something deep in my gut. Something primal that I never thought I would ever experience.
When she doesn’t object, I let my teeth nip at the skin at the base of her neck. It leaves a small red mark.
“I’ve never had a hickey before,” she admits. I pull my head away from her, and my eyes lock with hers.
“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think that I’ve given a hickey since I was your age,” I reply.
“Mark me,” she begs. Her hands run up and down my chest.
I bite my lip before burying my face back into her neck and let my lips and teeth explore her pretty skin.
My teeth pull at the skin as my lips suck.
She lets out a moan that has me getting more and more turned on by the second.
All I can think about is how she moved and pleasured me this morning, and how all I want to do right now is drop to my knees and hike her leg over my shoulder to devour her until she’s screaming my name for all my neighbors to hear.
Before I do that, I pull away. I pick her up, walk us back into the shop, and I sit down in one of the chairs, Sloane safely in my embrace.
“Thank you for all of this, baby. I meant it when I said this was the best gift anyone has ever given to me,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
“I actually have two more gifts,” She whispers.
“What? Baby, you’ve already done so much, I don’t even want to know what kind of small fortune you spend on all of this.”
“Well, too bad, and I’m not telling you, but you deserve it,” she says, kissing my cheeks before untangling herself from my arms. She goes over to the bike, reaches into one of the leather saddle bags, and pulls out a small bag. She goes around to the other side and grabs a box that’s wrapped up.
She brings them back over to me and sets them in my lap. “I’ll admit these gifts were selfishly bought, but it’s fine.”
I open up the bag first. I smile as I pull out the little helmet and goggles. The tag has a picture of a dog wearing them, and I look over at Mocha, who sits by Sloane’s feet, smiling up at both of us.
“You really think that he’ll sit with me on that?” I ask, and she just giggles and gestures to the other gift.
The first thing that catches my eye is the card on top, my name written in her cute script handwriting.
I pull her into my lap again and grab the card, opening it with my chin on her shoulder. I open the card, taped on one side is a gift card. On the other side is a note.
I just stare at the words for a long time, just letting it all sink in. Feeling like I’m being noticed. She’s always noticed me; she’s shown that through all her actions since the moment she moved in.
Right now, I’m filled with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.
I can’t even form words, so I just kiss the side of her head and slowly pull back the paper on the box.
A second helmet?
“You already got me one?” I say, my voice coming out more confused than anything.
“Open the box.”
I don’t ask questions as I open the box. There’s another envelope inside this one. Much bigger than the one taped to the side of the box.
I stare at the little card, just one line packed with so much. I take a shaky breath as I open the envelope. Inside are three pieces of paper.
TRANSFER PAPERS APPROVED
Sloane Isabelle Monroe has been approved for academic transfer from Raymor University to Raymor University Online.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
All credits and classes have been transferred. Your transcripts have been processed. Fall 2026 enrollment transferred to RUO, and class schedules will be emailed in the next 24-48 hours.
Welcome to RUO. Where you can get the same education, just anywhere in the world.
I slowly slip it behind the second piece of paper, as my heart beats faster.
SLOANE ISABELLE MONROE - EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, your Fall 2026 lease agreement has been terminated. A full refund of your deposit will be refunded to you accordingly within the next 5-7 business days.
PINE LAKE MANAGEMENT
My heart beats even faster as I slide the last paper to the top of the very small pile. What is going on? What is she doing?
LEASE AGREEMENT
TENANT: Sloane Isabelle Monroe
RENTER: Beckett James Hayes
Effective September 1st.
Term Agreement: Forever?
House Size: 5 Bedrooms. 4 1/2 Bathrooms.
House Commendations: Pool, washer & dryer, parking, grass, and endless Mocha Cuddles.
Parking Spaces Needed: 1
Rent Due: 1st of Every Month
Rent Amount: Endless kisses, snuggles, three meals a day, foot rubs, and a clean house.
I stare at the papers, unable to process what the words in front of me are even saying as I stare at this false lease agreement. The words from the other papers are sinking in as well.
“What is this?” I whisper. I wrap my arms even tighter around her. I’m pretty sure that I know what this is, but I don’t think that I can physically process what this is until the words come from her lips.
“I-I want to stay here… with you.”
My heart beats so fast as I set the box down and bury my face into her neck. I squeeze her a lot tighter than I should. She giggles as I press soft, affectionate kisses to her neck.
“I want you to stay too, but you didn’t have to do all this,” I whisper, nipping on her ear. She pulls away and turns to look at me.
“I know, but I want to. If you don’t want me to stay here,” she says, gesturing to the house, “I can get an apartment in the city. I have no reason to go back to Georgia, and every reason to stay here.” She laces her fingers with mine and pats her lap.
Mocha jumps up onto her thighs, and she kisses his head.
“Yeah, you two are both staying here. It might be a little non-traditional, but there’s no way in hell I’d ever let you leave. The house would be way too quiet without your two’s chaos.”
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. I just stare at her. I love you. “God, you’re so fucking beautiful.”
She blushes, and a small smile graces her lips. I am going to compliment her forever if it means she’ll keep looking at me like that.
I press a kiss to her forehead, holding her close and feeling so overwhelmed with emotion from what has all happened today. I don’t know how to handle it. I just take a deep breath and hold her, letting the feel of her and Mocha in my lap bring me back down to earth.
“Thank you,” I whisper into her hair. Such a small phrase for all the big emotions that I’m going through right now.
“Anything for you, Beck,” she promises, and Mocha licks my face as if he were agreeing with her. The hand that’s not wrapped around Sloane tangles into Mocha’s soft fur, and I give him a few pets.
I let my eyes wander back over to the bike she got me. Sleek, all black, and beautiful.
“It looks amazing,” I whisper.
“I didn’t know what kind you wanted, so the guy at the dealership helped me pick it out. He said that if we need to exchange it, to just bring it in and he’d take care of it.”
“No. It’s perfect, thank you, baby,” I say, kissing her head again. She could have gotten me a moped, and I’d keep it forever.
“You’re welcome,” she says. I can feel all the anxiety leave her in waves. Feeling her physically relax in my arms, a smile graces her lips.
She and Mocha get off my lap, and she grabs my hand. “Come on, take it for a ride,” she begs, making me smile.
“Wait…” I find the other helmet she bought me and pick it up. I pull the helmet out of the box, and when I open it up, it’s a baby blue full-face helmet.
“I thought that maybe I could come with,” she says, looking up at me with a little bit of nervous anticipation in her eyes.
“We can go anywhere we want to, baby,” I say, handing her the helmet.
Mocha lets out a little bark, and I pet his head. “I’m sure you can come with us too, bud.”
She smiles at me and sets her helmet on the chair before walking over to where I set everything down and picking it all up, bringing it over to me before setting it on the chair.
“Alright, put these on first,” she says, pushing me down into the chair and handing me the black boots.
I accept the boots and put them on my feet, pulling my pants down over them.
“Ok, and now this,” she says, handing me the leather jacket again. I do as she says and put the jacket on.
“Mmmm, fuck yeah,” she purrs, climbing into my lap, straddling my hips.
“We won’t leave if you’re not careful with what you do next, baby.” My tone is deeper than normal. She just smirks at me.
She presses her lips to mine for a short kiss, pulling back after a few seconds.
“You still look hot as fuck,” she repeats, grabbing my helmet and helping me pull it onto my head.
She flips the visor up and tilts my head up so that I’m looking at her. Her eyes stare into mine, and I can’t quite tell what she’s thinking.
“I’m gonna go grab a jacket and take Mocha inside. You get that thing started, and we can go.”
With that, she gets off my lap, and she and Mocha scurry out of the garage.
I sit for a few minutes before taking the helmet off and setting it down, as I still try to process everything that happened this morning. The only conclusion that I can come to is that that girl will most likely be the death of me, but at least I will die a happy man.