Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
I fumbled with my keys at Graham's front door, trying to balance three shopping bags and my purse while Emmie stood behind me with her arms full of decorative pillows.
“I still can't believe he just abandoned you in the middle of furniture shopping,” Emmie said for the tenth time since we'd left the store.
“He had to work. Besides, we got everything we needed. But we need to hurry, the delivery van will be here in less than an hour, and I had Trenda make sure Simon would hold Graham at the office for at least three more hours.”
“So, get the damn door open already.”
I practically fell into the hallway with all my bags as the door opened.
We went into the living room, and I looked around at Graham's sparse space. One recliner, an overturned box that he used for a coffee table, and one humongous flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. God, this place needed work. I couldn’t wait to see it transformed.
“Please tell me you’re getting rid of that raggedy recliner,” Emmie begged.
“No way. That recliner contains some of my best memories. It stays.”
She let out a loud sigh. “Fine. Do you know where everything’s going to go?”
“Absolutely.”
Just then, we heard the sound of air brakes outside.
“My God, they got here fast.”
“At least we don’t have much to move out of the way,” Emmie giggled.
For the next two hours, we transformed Graham's sterile man cave into something that actually looked like people lived there.
The new sectional sofa in charcoal gray anchored the space, with throw pillows in deep greens, browns, and silvers that matched the color of Graham's eyes.
There were two low chairs placed on either side of an actual coffee table.
The delivery men had laughed when they saw the overturned box with coffee stains. They were nice enough to take it away.
We’d skipped the floor lamp that Emmie had fallen in love with, the rose color didn’t go well with hunter green. Instead, she found a brushed nickel replacement. We'd added a few other touches that made the room feel cozy without being fussy.
“It looks amazing,” Emmie said, stepping back to admire our work. “Very you, but still very him.”
“You think he'll like it?”
“Are you kidding? The man is crazy about you. You could decorate with traffic cones, and he'd love it.”
After Emmie left, I raced to the bedroom, went to our dresser, and dug under my nighties.
I’d made an online purchase a couple of weeks ago and had it delivered to the clinic.
Today was the day to show it off. After I put on the racy corset and thong panties, I threw on my favorite navy t-shirt I’d stolen from him, then curled up on the new sofa with a book, waiting for Graham to come home.
I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, the front door was opening, and Graham's voice was calling out.
“Joy? You home?”
“In the living room,” I called back, grinning as I heard his footsteps stop abruptly.
“My God, woman. Did you buy out the store?”
I peeked over the back of the sofa to see Graham standing in the doorway, staring at the transformed room with his mouth slightly open.
“You had a lot of space to fill,” I laughed.
He walked around the sofa slowly, taking in every detail of the room. His fingers trailed over the soft fabric of the sofa cushions, and he tested the firmness of the armrest.
“You actually bought furniture,” he said in wonder.
“We bought furniture. It was your credit card.”
“Joy, this is...” He sat down heavily beside me, his hand coming up to cup my face. “This is incredible.”
“You like it?”
“I love it.” He kissed me softly. “I love that you made this place feel like home.”
“Our home,” I corrected.
“Our home.” His voice went rough on the words. “How was I so lucky to find you?”
“Mutual luck.” I curled up against his side, breathing in his familiar scent. “How was your emergency at the office?”
“My what?”
I looked up at him with raised eyebrows. “Your emergency. You know, the one that was so urgent you had to abandon me in the middle of furniture shopping.”
Graham’s body went tense, then he sighed, his arm tightening around me. “There was no emergency.”
“I kind of figured that out.”
“You did?”
“You damn near skipped out of the store like a little girl,” I giggled.
Graham threw back his head and laughed. “Nice visual. You're not mad?”
“I'm not mad.” I shifted so I could see his face properly. “But you owe me.”
“What kind of owing are we talking about?”
I slipped my leg over his thighs, settling myself in his lap. His hands immediately went to my waist, and I felt him go still beneath me.
“The kind where I get to torture you for abandoning me with throw pillow decisions.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Instead of answering, I leaned forward and kissed him. Soft at first, just a brush of lips, then deeper when he opened for me. His hands fisted in the fabric of his t-shirt at my back, but he let me control the pace.
When I pulled back, his breathing was already uneven.
“You know,” I said, trailing my fingers down the front of his shirt, “we should probably test out our new furniture.”
“Test it how?”
“Make sure it's sturdy.” I started working on the buttons of his shirt, then he helped me take it off, and I threw it on the floor. “Make sure it can handle whatever we might want to do on it.”
Graham's eyes went dark. “Joy...”
“Plus, I want to christen every new piece of furniture in the house, starting with the sofa.”
“And the new chairs?”
“Absolutely.”
Graham's hands slipped under the hem of my shirt, and he paused. “What’s this?”
I pulled my shirt over my head, then dropped it to the floor beside his. Graham's breath caught as his eyes traveled over my body, studying the red corset.
“My God, Joy,” he murmured. “You’re gorgeous.”
“So are you.” I ran my hands over the broad expanse of his chest, feeling his muscles flex under my touch. “All mine.”
“All yours,” he agreed, his voice rough.
I kissed him again, pouring all my love and desire into the connection of our lips. His hands roamed my bare shoulders, tracing patterns on my skin, but he continued to let me set the pace.
When I finally pulled away, we were both breathing hard.
“I want to love you,” I whispered against his ear. “Right here on our new sofa.”
Graham's hands tightened on my waist. “Baby, we can do whatever you want.”
“I want you naked.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
I climbed off his lap long enough for him to shed the rest of his clothes, then pushed him back against the plush cushions. The new sofa was perfect for this, deep enough that we had plenty of room to move.
I took my time exploring his body, pressing kisses to his chest, his shoulders, that sensitive spot on his neck that always made him groan. I knelt down on the new soft area rug between his legs.
I wrapped my hand around his length, feeling him pulse against my palm. The look in his eyes when I leaned forward made my stomach flutter with anticipation. I pressed a soft kiss to the tip of his cock, then let my tongue trace along the ridge, savoring the way he groaned my name.
His hands fisted in my hair, not controlling but grounding himself as I took him deeper into my mouth.
The taste of him, the way his breathing hitched when I found that sensitive spot just beneath the head, made me feel powerful and desired all at once.
I worked him slowly, using my tongue and lips to drive him higher, loving the way his thighs tensed beneath my hands.
Graham’s breathing became ragged, punctuated by low growls that sent heat spiraling through me.
I could feel him getting close, his control starting to fray at the edges.
But then his hands were suddenly cupping my face, gently pulling me away from him.
When I looked up, his eyes were dark with desire and something deeper.
“Come here,” he rasped, his voice rough with need. “I want to be inside you when I lose control.”
He peeled my panties down my legs with reverent care, his eyes never leaving mine. When I was completely bare, he pulled me back onto his lap, and we both groaned at the skin-to-skin contact.
“I need you,” I breathed.
“Then take me.”
He pulled me up, and I pulled out the condom that I’d hidden between the sofa cushions. Graham watched me roll it down his length, his jaw clenched with the effort of holding back.
When I positioned myself over him and sank down slowly, we both cried out at the perfect fit.
“God, you feel incredible,” Graham gasped.
I started to move, finding a rhythm that had us both gasping. The new sofa was perfect for this, supporting us without being too soft or too firm. Every time I rolled my hips, Graham's hands gripped me tighter.
“I love watching you,” he said, his eyes locked on mine. “Love seeing you take what you want.”
“I want everything.” I leaned forward, changing the angle, and we both groaned at the sensation. “I want forever with you.”
“You have it. You have all of me.”
The emotion in his voice combined with the physical pleasure overwhelmed me. I felt tears prick at my eyes as I moved over him, claiming him, loving him.
“Graham,” I gasped as the pressure built between us.
“I know, baby. I feel it too.”
His thumb found my clit, circling with just the right pressure, and I shattered around him with a cry that echoed through our new living room. Graham followed me over the edge, his own release tearing through him as he buried his face in my neck.
For long moments, we just held each other, hearts racing, skin slick with sweat.
“Well,” I said finally, my voice shaky with laughter. “I think the sofa passes the test.”
Graham chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Definitely sturdy enough.”
I pulled back to look at him, noting the thoroughly satisfied expression on his face. “What are you thinking about?”
“How perfect this is. Coming home to you, to this.” He gestured around the transformed room. “I never thought I'd have something like this.”
“What, a nice sofa?” I teased.
He smirked, then his expression softened. “A home. A real home with someone I love.”
My heart clenched at the raw honesty in his voice. “This is just the beginning, you know. We still need to pick out dining room furniture and furniture for the two guest rooms, or maybe make one of the rooms into an office.”
“More shopping trips?”
“Many more shopping trips,” I cooed.
Graham groaned dramatically. “You're going to kill me.”
“But what a way to go.” I kissed his nose. “Besides, I'll make it worth your while.”
“How?”
“I'll wear sexy lingerie underneath my clothes at every store.”
“That's definitely not going to help me focus on furniture.”
“That’s my job. You can focus on anything you want.”
Graham's grin was pure sin. “I love the way your mind works.”
Graham got up and disposed of the condom, then came back and I settled in his lap, not ready to move away from him yet. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“When you think about us living here together, what makes you happiest?”
Graham was quiet for a moment while he took off my corset, then stroked circles on my back. “I think about the ordinary stuff. Like coming home and finding you here. Watching you reading in that corner by the lamp. Fighting over what to watch on TV.”
“What else?”
“Sunday mornings in bed with nowhere to be and nothing to do but hold you. Cooking together and watching you burn dinner. Having people over and watching you light up the room just by being yourself.”
“Hey buddy, if you keep complaining about my cooking, I’m never baking for you again.”
He held up his hands, laughing. “I’ll stop. I’ll stop. What about you? What do you want our life to look like?”
I thought about it, picturing all the possibilities that stretched out before us. “I want traditions. Like Friday night movie marathons and Saturday morning waffles. I want a garden in the backyard where we can grow tomatoes and herbs.”
“You want to garden?”
“I want to try everything with you. Gardening, traveling, maybe taking cooking classes so I stop burning dinner.”
“What else?”
I paused and looked up at him through my lashes. “I want kids, Graham. I want to see them running through this house someday, driving us crazy and filling it with laughter.” I paused. “Is that something you want, too?”
Graham's hands framed my face, his thumbs stroking over my cheekbones. “I want everything with you, Joy. Kids, chaos, the whole beautiful mess of it.”
“Really?”
“Really.” He kissed me softly. “I want little girls with your eyes and your baking skills.”
“What if they want to ride Harleys and go into the Navy?”
“Then I’ll support them all the way.”
With those words, I fell in love with him a little more. “I love you so much, Graham Wallace.”
“I love you too, Joy Magill.” His expression went serious. “Enough to brave a hundred furniture stores if it makes you happy.”
“Just a hundred?”
“Okay, two hundred. But that's my final offer.”
“I'll take it.” I leaned up to kiss him again, tasting forever on his lips.
When I pulled back, Graham was studying my face with an expression I couldn't quite read.
“What?” I asked.
“Just thinking about how perfect this is.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Coming home to you, to this. I never imagined I could be this happy.”
“You know what?” I said finally.
“What?”
“I think we should order pizza and then break in one of those armchairs.”
Graham's grin was pure mischief. “Done.”
And as Graham called for food delivery, I curled up against him and thought about how perfect this moment was. We'd survived everything life had thrown at us, and now we were here, building something beautiful together.
The future stretched out before us, bright and full of possibility, and I couldn't wait to live every moment of it with Graham by my side. Whatever came next, we'd face it together, one piece of furniture at a time.