Chapter 51
FIFTY-ONE
Elle
“CREAM, MY LOVE?” AUSTIN CHIRPED when I entered the kitchen.
Delighted, I nodded. Coffee sounded therapeutic. The happiness draped across his face as he issued a splash of creamer into my mug and approached me with it was nothing short of serene.
“I could get used to this,” I confessed, admiring the solo sex show before me, wearing nothing but sweat socks and a black apron loosely knotted above his ass cheeks.
Is this really my life now? I thought after he handed me my coffee with a wink.
The girl’s girl in me wanted to snap a photo for Ruthie, but the view was so spectacular that it kept me from sharing it with anyone.
The way he looked at me with hope in his eyes invigorated me.
How he’d waited for me patiently for months impressed me.
But the way Austin’s little gestures made me feel seen for every bit of who I was told me I’d made the right decision.
Yes, that level of attention would take time to get used to, but I smiled, realizing it would be time well spent as I settled into my new job, life, and apartment—an apartment that would sit empty if Austin didn’t stop making me feel so darn good.
My eyes glazed over his body as if it were a doughnut, tempting me to take a bite. Every crest, every bulge, every scratch of ink tortured me with temptation.
He was a literal masterpiece.
“I’m going to start calling you The Thickening because you seriously have the most incredible ass I have ever seen,” I said nervously.
He cackled, the sound warming my compliment and soul.
“Did you notice anything … different about me last night?” Austin asked. His shoulders shrank, and he itched his head.
“In what way?” I shot him a look of concern.
What had I missed? It wasn’t like I’d forgotten our anniversary or something.
“Like, for example, perhaps somewhere in this area …” Austin’s index finger outlined the space on his right side, semi-concealed by his apron.
I studied his skin from where I stood, still unsure of what he was getting at.
“Why don’t you undo these apron ties and come find out?”
He set our mugs down on the countertop and scooted his bare butt in my direction. Along with being devastatingly hot, he was also adorable—a combination deadly enough to lay any woman to rest.
I plucked one end of the apron ties and pulled, loosening the fabric only secured by the loop hugging the back of his neck. When I lifted the front of the apron to reveal whatever he was getting at, a new vertically placed image, covering several inches of the side of his ribs, appeared.
“Oh my gosh, what the hell did you do?!” I gasped.
My hand sprang toward my face to conceal the shock that dipped my jaw toward the floor. The doughnut I planned to devour had a new sprinkle.
A permanent one.
“Whatever are you talking about, my love?”
There was a reason he wasn’t making eye contact—and I knew exactly what that reason was the moment I saw it.
“When did you decide to add … that to your collection?” I lowered further and touched his side, leaning in for a better look. He took the apron from my grip and pulled it over his head, removing it fully. “Wait, Austin … is that—holy shit … you didn’t …”
“Oh, but I did,” he replied deviously.
I’d always wondered what it would feel like to be with someone obsessed with me. Now I knew how it felt.
Intoxicated, I stared at the fresh tattoo carved into Austin’s side.
Reminiscent of a pose that long-lost lovers might strike after finding each other at the end of a hard-fought war, a man dipped a woman back and leaned in for a kiss.
The inspiration behind the ink felt familiar.
The woman kissing the man had blonde hair about my length and a body type like mine.
A short sundress flowed around her legs.
The man she kissed wore a Navy dress uniform while he clasped a stack of envelopes in the hand that wrapped the woman’s waist—our letters.
If swooning were an Olympic sport, I’d win gold.
If surprising me with bold, romantic gestures were, he would.
“I don’t even know what to say. It’s … incredible. When did you do this?” My heart fluttered.
“When you kept me waiting for far too long …” he said.
“You knew I’d come back, didn’t you?” I assumed.
He nodded, grabbing my arm and pulling me into him. His lower back rested against the countertop. I kissed him as if I needed him—because I did.
“I forced myself to give you all the time you needed to find your way back because I knew if you ever did, I wouldn’t be able to let go.”
Tingles spread like softened butter down my limbs with every word he spoke. He had known I’d be back—he had that much faith in our connection. It was a level of confidence I’d kill for.
“Do you like it?” he asked, playfully nudging my arm.
“What, the tattoo or the obsessie-possesie confession?” I giggled.
His lips parted slightly as he reached for my steaming mug of coffee and brought it to my lips, inviting me to take a sip. So, I did, not realizing how sexy having a man pour something warm and sweet into my mouth could be.
“Hmm, both?” He continued to tempt me with his satiated grin. It looked delectable, plastered across his stubble-lined face.
It was nice, not having a reason to avoid looking at him.
“As sexy as your honesty is, I must return it to you.” I stepped back. “I think we can both agree that honesty is best, going forward. Right? The tattoo is a big gesture …” I admitted.
Watching his chin drop and his ego clean the floor crushed me.
“But I still fucking love it,” I added.
Being sassy with Austin was fun; the wash of relief that cleansed his expression and rewarded me made it even more enjoyable.
“See, I do know you. I knew you’d love it!” Austin lifted me onto the counter, threading my legs around his waist.
“Okay, secret lover, is there anything you don’t know about me?”
“I’m sure some things remain undiscovered. Good thing I have time to figure them out.”
He had an answer for everything. Thankfully, so did I.
“I move into my new apartment in a few days, so you’ll have to make your discoveries quickly.”
“Oh, I have a sneaking suspicion you won’t be spending much time there.” Austin confidently stared down the bridge of his nose, knowing he was right. “I do have some things to tell you before then though …”
He slid a chair out from the edge of his kitchen table with his foot, carried me to it, and sat me down. I laughed before he lowered into the seat across from me.
“Eight months is a long time.” He paused.
The way his hand lay flat on the table, palm up, waiting for me to grab it, told me all I needed to know. I placed my trust in his hand and gripped it.
“In that time, we’ve both had to make big decisions. I thought making them without the other’s influence would be best. Just in case …” he said.
Sadness blanketed his remark, confusing me. I nodded supportively anyway.
What is he getting at?
“I made two huge decisions in that time.” Another pause. “One of them being … I got out of the Navy. Permanently.”
“Oh my God. What?! Why?”
“I loved my time serving. The Navy gave me a purpose that nothing else could. It will always be a major part of my life. One I’ll never forget. It’s an accomplishment I will always be proud of. It also brought me you.”
My fingers tightened around his. Not only did I respect his decision, but I craved a deeper understanding of it.
“But it always held me back from other things I wanted to accomplish in my life …” He trailed off.
Austin brought his free hand to the back side of mine, both his hands consuming my dainty one.
“For years, I tried to find someone worth pursuing a relationship with. And I knew the moment you landed in my life that I wanted to see what that would feel like. For the first time, you gave me that feeling. I had to try with you. Step one was making you mine. Step two is making you happy and giving you the life you deserve, one with someone who wants to be the best he can be for you … which brings me to the second big decision I made …”
Was this what it felt like to be with someone who cared as much about your future as they did theirs? It had to be … because how could it feel any better than his words did? I stared into my future with renewed faith and a contentedness held on with Austin-certified adhesive.
“And what’s the second decision you made, Chief?” My neck tilted, and my concentration zeroed in on his mouth.
“Well … I’ve decided to give the woodworking thing a real shot.
It’s not official yet, but I know I’m good at it.
And I know that I love it. I trademarked the name The Chief’s Woodshed, and I’ve been selling firewood throughout the winter to carry me while working on furniture and sculptures in my free time.
I’ve got a big meeting next week with Trelis Hotels about a possible commission for their new lodge near the base. I want to see where it takes me.”
“Wow, that’s incredible, Austin. I can’t think of anything more you! I want to see everything you’ve been working on. I’m sure your pieces are as spectacular as you are …”
“It’s a big change, lonely at times,” he sighed before smiling widely. “But not anymore …”
Austin tugged at my hands, showering me with a complimentary gush of praise. I knew exactly what he meant. I felt it too.
“Not anymore,” I agreed. My jaw expanded, accommodating my toothy grin.
I rose from the table, circled, and sank into my man’s lap like I’d found the start of my forever. Without anxiety or doubts holding me back, I realized I finally had.
My arms wrapped around his neck when I brought my mouth to his, savoring his truth as it swept me away. If the way he looked at me between each gentle suck and pause told me anything I didn’t already know, it was that because of him, I was sure of three things.
I am calm, I am safe, and we are finally together.
Austin Carterson was mine. All mine.