CHAPTER 22
PLAYBOY
“Why am I here?” Lara asks while looking up at the Dogwood Construction building.
“I need your help with something,” I tell her, keeping it simple on purpose.
Things have been going so well and I’m taking a big chance by asking for her help with this. I haven’t mentioned the house being built yet.
I didn’t want to make it weird, ya know? Now, admittedly, it might be weirder since I’ve been sneaking in and out of Lara’s house at night and in the early morning for a little while now.
Our routine works for us, and I don’t mind playing cat burglar when it involves sleeping next to my woman for a good chunk of my night. It’s not every night, unfortunately, but the scales have tipped toward most of them.
She’s never asked about my place. It wouldn’t surprise me if she thought my room at the clubhouse was the only option. She’d be right at the moment, but it won’t be that way for long.
Today is the day to make some final decisions.
I lead Lara inside and toward one of the conference rooms; Wrecker was going to get everything set up for us. The way her eyebrows pull together when she sees everything laid out is adorable.
“Are you redoing Ridge?”
“I’m having a house built on the compound,” I tell her honestly. “It’s been part of the plan for a while, but I had to wait for the schedule to work and it’s being built now. I need to finalize some of the finishes.”
“You’re having a house built on the compound,” she says every word slowly like she’s trying to comprehend how they make sense all together, “and you need to finalize some of the finishes?”
“Why are you saying it like that?”
“I’m just trying the words out in my mouth because at first blush they seem utterly ridiculous. The second time through wasn’t much better, honestly,” she sasses me.
“Why are they ridiculous?”
“Because they imply that you want me to help you pick those finishes.”
“I do.”
She blinks at me before barking out a sharp laugh full of disbelief. “Which is why it’s ridiculous. There is no reason for you to want or need my input in your home.”
My eyes bore into hers, unwilling to let go of her blue-eyed gaze. Her breathing starts to pick up, and I can see the truth underneath this moment sink into her bones.
She’s mine.
This will be our home.
Maybe not anytime soon, but one day. It will be.
Which means she should have a say in the fucking finishes. At minimum. Hell, she can furnish the entire thing as far as I’m concerned.
“I’m here,” she sighs, “but the most I can offer is to tell you if something is atrocious.”
I hold my hands up in surrender. I’ll take it. If she can keep all her opinions to herself, I’ll be shocked.
“I just don’t understand why you want my opinion?” She sounds more curious than skeptical.
“Do you want the answer you can easily accept, or do you want the full truth?”
“Full truth,” she says it with certainty.
“I know we’re not there yet, and you might deny there being anything more than there is between us, but I want to make sure that you love this house.
It’s not difficult to picture us building a life there.
You. Me. Vanessa. Maybe more kids if you’re interested.
” I wink at her and one side of her mouth tips up.
“No matter how long it takes to get there, it’s the future I want. ”
Lara is staring at me with wide eyes and parted lips. I frown slightly when I realize she’s not breathing.
Just when I reach out for her, she takes a deep, heaving breath. “You’ve lost your mind,” she wheezes out the words.
“No,” I shake my head, “I really haven’t.”
“You just said you picture a future, a whole damn life, with me and it involves the house you’re having built,” her tone borders on shrill.
She presses a hand to her chest and shakes her head like she’s trying to dislodge my words. When she looks back up at me, I know it didn’t work.
“You said you wanted the full truth, I gave it to you,” my words are soft and coaxing as I reach out and cup the side of her neck.
Her eyes slide closed and she nods, but it’s not acceptance. Just an understanding that she did, in fact, ask for the complete truth.
Whether she wants to hear it or not.
Whether she wants to accept it or not.
Whether she wants to embrace it or not.
I can see her struggling and I know pushing her won’t help. Not right now. What needed to be said was said; I can leave it at that today.
Keeping my touch gentle, I lead her over to the table where the plans are laid out. She doesn’t resist, but I can tell she’s still a little stuck in her head.
“These are the plans and layout,” I point to the paper.
As I walk her through every room, I can feel her paying closer and closer attention. She keeps glancing at me and I’m not sure if it’s from excitement or because she’s checking to ensure I’m still here and really said what I said.
I’m not going anywhere; she’ll learn that soon enough.
The last room I talk with her about is the kitchen. Her eyes genuinely light up when I tap it on the plans.
“I’m definitely going to need help with the kitchen,” my voice is sly.
“Obviously,” she snarks.
My cock takes an interest immediately. It also means she’s working through my words and filing them in a way she can understand and deal with. I’m more than okay with it.
She let me say them and she didn’t slap me. What more could I really want?
I’m not expecting Lara to fall down on her knees in front of me and thank her lucky stars because I want to move her into my house. She’s not that kind of woman, and I haven’t come close to earning it yet.
I’m learning that I’m much more patient than I thought I was. Maybe it’s only when it comes to my girls.
“Now that you have the layout, let’s talk finishes.”
Lara gives me a droll look, but that doesn’t mean she hesitates to help me make decisions. Flooring. Cabinets. Counters. Fixtures. We talk about everything, what to keep the same throughout and where to make little changes.
When all the decisions are made, Lara leans back and nods at what we’ve pulled together as the final choices. I do the same and try to picture it the same way I can picture how a tattoo is going to come together.
“This is going to be perfect.” I say it with satisfaction and pride.
And my woman helped me pick out every single thing. While she might have been resistant and doesn’t want to truly hear why I wanted her help, she didn’t hesitate.
“It will be really nice,” her voice is cautious.
“I’ll need help picking out furniture when everything is done,” I throw the words out there like they don’t matter.
From the way Lara looks at me, we both know they matter a fucking lot.
“I’m not going to help you furnish your house,” she sounds genuinely appalled.
I make a humming sound and turn until I’m resting against the edge of the table. My hands find her hips and guide her closer to me.
“I’m really not,” she protests like it’s going to make any difference. It won’t.
“Okay,” I whisper.
She narrows her eyes at me suspiciously. It’s smart of her to be wary. I’m not giving up on this one, but I’m willing to retreat.
I’ve already thrown her for one loop already. I don’t want her running.
Then I’d just have to chase her.
When she’s standing between my thighs, my fingers tighten on her waist. Her body shudders and knowing I have that effect on her makes me want to bend her over the table and fuck her raw until my cum is dripping out of her.
“Thank you for your help,” I murmur the words as I lean forward and my lips ghost along the column of her neck. “I really appreciate it.”
“Oh,” she groans, “you appreciate it?”
I make a humming sound in the back of my throat and nip at her skin before licking the sting away. When I suck the same place between my lips, I absolutely want to leave a mark behind.
When was the last time I gave a woman a hickey? Fuck, I have no idea. There is a feral need inside of me to mark every inch of my woman.
I want everyone to see and know who she belongs to.
“I’m very tempted to set you right where I am and show you just how much I appreciate your help by eating your pretty pussy.” My voice drops an octave, “I bet you’re already dripping for me.”
“Jettson,” she mewls, the sound breathy and on the edge of losing control. With a shake of her head, she takes a deep breath and tries to get it together. “We’re in the conference room of an office.”
Her words sound reasonable. Too fucking reasonable as far as I’m concerned.
“So?” I murmur and suck the same spot between my lips again, biting down gently.
A ragged moan falls from her lips and her back arches like she’s seeking something. I desperately want to give it to her.
When I pull back and look into her eyes, they’re glassy with lust and need. Just how I like to see her.
“Kiss me,” I demand.
When her lips crash against mine, the room around us disappears. My hands roam over her body, kneading her flesh and mapping her curves.
She feels fucking perfect in my arms. Just the right fit to make me lose my damn mind.
My fingers slide into her hair and grip hard. I tilt her head to the side and deepen the kiss.
“These lips,” I murmur against her lips. “Fuck, I dream about them.”
She melts into me and I feel the moment she gives herself over to just feeling. It’s intoxicating whenever she reacts this way to me.
I want to roar.
I want to rev my motorcycle until the sound travels far and wide, letting everyone know to look, to pay attention.
My woman is kissing me.
She might not know she’s mine, not really, not yet, but she is.
“I know you’re soaked for me and just how good you’d taste on my tongue,” I grit out through my teeth.
Lara pulls away, her chest heaving with every ragged breath. “Since you just finished finalizing your home, shouldn’t you want to celebrate with my lips wrapped around your cock?”
When her hand drifts down my chest to wrap her fingers around the steel pipe trapped behind my fly, she smirks. Then she squeezes. My eyes nearly roll back in my head.
Thinking of her on her knees with her lips wrapped around my cock makes my fucking balls tingle. My cock is begging for it. Weeping for it.
I growl out, “Fuck.”
Then I’m taking her mouth in a rough kiss. It’s all teeth, tongue, and need. We’re chasing each other and our tongues dance together.
A throat clears from the doorway, and Lara throws herself out of my arms so fast that she almost trips over her own feet. I’m right there and grab her before she can fall.
She blinks up at me a few times before slowly turning her head to see who has caught us. I look too, but not because I give a shit.
I just need to know who to punch because they heard my woman’s moan and saw her losing control in my arms. No one gets to see that but me.
Possessiveness roars like a feral beast tearing through my soul.
She’s mine.
Only mine.
Wrecker is standing there with his shoulder leaning against the doorjamb. “Sorry to interrupt,” he doesn’t sound sorry at all.
The smirk on his face tells me his tone is no accident and just how amusing he finds this. I glare at him while I stand up from the table and adjust the steel pipe length of my cock.
“You sound practically brimming with sincerity,” Lara huffs with a roll of her eyes, but amusement fills her words along the edges while her cheek pink so damn beautifully.
Wrecker chuckles and winks at my woman. When his gaze shifts to the table, his grin widens. “Did you make some decisions?”
Lara makes a sound of protest when I wrap an arm around her waist and tuck her into my side. She gives me some of her weight, and the trust in such a simple move makes my heart pound in my chest.
“All choices have been made,” I inform him with a decisive nod.
“Great. I’ll make sure everything gets ordered. If there are any issues with the supply or delivery, I’ll let you know. I don’t anticipate needing to adjust anything, but I never guarantee it because things can change.” Wrecker focuses on Lara. “How do you think everything is coming together?”
Her eyes glance over at where the blueprints and layout plans are still sitting and her eyes soften slightly. Maybe she’s starting to picture a future there, just like I am?
I fucking hope so; it would really help me out.
“It’ll be a beautiful home,” Lara admits, something heavy in her words.
We share a long look before we say goodbye to Wrecker, and I lead her out of the building. I’ll take her home and I’ll let her think. But I’ll be back in her bed tonight.
It’s the only place I want to be.