Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
JOSHUA
The wind howls all night, the cabin shaking at times.
The thunder and lightning crashing all around us.
Holding my baby tighter, I love how she smells pressed up against me.
A mixture of her floral fragrance and dirty sex entrails me.
Something I know I’ll get used to. I wasn’t kidding when I said those things; I meant all of them.
There’s no denying I want to be with her. I’ve wanted her for a long time, but always put work in the way. It was a viable excuse, and one I’m not proud of, but I plan on rectifying all of the lost time we’ve missed out on. I’m manning up, as Brad would put it.
The next morning, I text my dad, asking if the Airbnb can extend another night and explain the storm.
I don’t have the contact information to do it myself, so when he texts me back later that morning to confirm, I sigh with relief.
I should’ve probably mentioned that I won’t be at work in the morning, and neither will Lexi, but I guess we have another day to figure out what we’re going to say.
The bonus being that I get Lexi to myself for a whole other day.
When she rouses an hour after me, I swear her nose can smell the coffee. I’ve been cooking bacon and eggs, so it could be that, too. The power is also still off, so I had to improvise with the coffee making and put a pot on the stove.
She yawns and I smile to myself. I love how disheveled she is, and I know one hundred percent I had a lot to do with that. I could wake up to this sexy woman every day of the week and never grow tired of it.
“Good morning.” I wave, then feel like an idiot.
She giggles. “Good morning yourself. You’re an early riser on a Sunday? Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Lots actually. I can’t ride a horse, or fly a plane, or poach an egg.” I point to the pan with my spatula. “Fried is my specialty, and we have no power still, so I brewed a pot of coffee on the stove.”
She fans herself. “A man after my own heart.”
I grin. “I certainly hope so.” She moves closer and I bend toward her, needing a kiss. She plants one on me, shying away. I drop the spatula and push her against the sink. “That wasn’t a kiss, Princess. You gonna give me some sugar?”
Her eyes glisten with warmth. “God, you’re sex on a stick in the morning, too?”
“I don’t know about sex on a stick, but sex on the kitchen counter could be arranged.”
I kiss her softly, delicately, desperate to show her that I’m not just an animal in the bedroom. A small groan leaves her throat, and I pull back, satisfied.
She rolls her lips and it’s adorable. “That sounds like an awesome way to wake up.”
“But first, food.” I nod to the stool. “Plant that fine little ass over there and let me feed you.”
“You know, if you keep treating me like this, I won’t let you go.”
I glance up at her. I can’t stop the fucking idiotic grin plastered across my face. “That was the whole idea, plus, I hope you don’t mind but I extended the stay. The roads are flooded, and quite frankly, I don’t want to go to work.”
Her eyes grow wide. “You don’t?”
I shake my head. “Not in the least bit interested. What I am interested in, though, is kissing your entire body once we’re done here, and making you count how many times I make you come.”
“Holy shit.”
I laugh. “You look frightened.”
“No,” she amends quickly. “Not frightened, I swear. But it’s like you just dropped down from heaven and I don’t know what to do with that.”
I flip the eggs, turning the stove off. “You don’t have to do anything. I’m nuts about you, and I know you think I’m just turning on the charms, but I’m not. I meant everything I said last night, including your ex being a fucking dick.”
She smiles as she slides her hand around the mug of coffee I set out for her.
“I know you’re not like other guys, Josh.
I’ve been around you long enough to know.
I think keeping you at arm’s length was a ploy on my part, because then I could never get my heart broken by you.
Silly really, but after my ex, I really didn’t trust men or even want to date anyone. ”
“I get that. I’ve been cheated on before, too, many years ago, and it doesn’t feel great. People make all kinds of excuses, but there are none. That’s on them, not us.”
“I completely agree with you. I’m not girlfriend of the year, but I would never cheat, and with my best friend? What kind of monster does that?”
“A cold hearted one, on both their parts.”
“The thing is,” she says, “I’m truly over it.
Both of them. They hurt me, and at one point I thought I’d never recover, but I did.
The world saw him for who he truly was, and I didn’t need to do anything.
Falling out of love with someone is allowed, but going behind their back and sleeping with your best friend? That’s out of line on all fronts.”
I wish he hadn’t hurt her like that, more than anything. She’s a precious soul, an angel that any man with a pulse would be a complete idiot to try and not woo. But she’s mine now, and I have no plans on letting her go.
“You were destined for better things,” I say. “For someone who can truly appreciate you.”
She licks her bottom lip. “Know anyone who fits that bill?”
I pull the toast from the toaster when it pops. “Actually, I do, but he’s very overbearing, grumpy too, especially when the power is out and he can’t make his girlfriend a proper coffee.”
Her breath hitches. “Girlfriend?”
I swallow hard. “If you want to? I mean, I do. I want you, Lexi. I want to shout it from the rooftops—” She rounds the kitchen island before I can even finish, throwing herself into my arms.
“I want it, yes. I want that. All of it.”
I push her hair back, holding her in place with my hands either side of her face. Then our lips meet and everything melts away. Every fucking thing. It feels right. More right than it’s ever felt before.
The humming in my chest? Nope, that’s never happened before.
The visions I have of us, our kids, our future pets?
Nope, not a chance I’ve daydreamed about that.
I didn’t even think I wanted kids. There’s a whole lot of firsts here for me, loving her is the biggest surprise, because I do. I love her.
“I fucking love you, Lexi Kennedy,” I say, not giving a shit how it sounds out loud. I’ve wasted enough time, and she needs to know.
Her lips part as I pull back, her cheeks pinkening. “You… you do?”
“I’ve never said that to anyone before.”
“Not even Melinda?”
I chuckle. “You’re bringing up my ex after I just told you I love you?”
She winces. “God, I’m sorry, Josh. That sounded really pathetic. It’s just, she told me what a great guy you were, and I already knew all of that, but when an ex speaks so highly of the person you love with all your heart?—”
My heart jolts and I swear I almost fall at her feet. “You love me back?”
“Yes!” she whispers. “Josh, I’ve loved you ever since that first day when you brought cupcakes to the office after you made that deal with Ali, and there was that mix up and they got sent to the office next door, then you ordered more when you found out.”
“That was three years ago.” I swallow hard. “You remember that?”
“Remember?” she scoffs. “You were wearing a peacoat and a Burberry scarf, it was a really cold day, and your hair was a little longer… and I sound like a complete stalker.”
I laugh out loud. “I think I still have that scarf. Maybe I’ll wear it for you again, with nothing else on.” I lift her up by the hips, placing her ass on the counter.
“I like that idea.”
“I like the idea of you sitting on my face,” I whisper.
She gulps. “Maybe we should skip breakfast, or we can warm it up later.”
I nuzzle into her neck. “You’re right, my dick is begging me to take you right this second.”
“Then don’t keep him waiting,” she pants, shoving her PJ pants down. “Since you’re my boyfriend now, I think we should christen the bench top, just to make it official.”
I laugh against her skin, joy spreading through me like wildfire. “I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.”