Chapter 3
It’s later that evening when Gage appears at Minnie’s front door, just as she’s almost done making dinner.
“Smells amazin’ in here,” he quips with a grin, sauntering inside as if her home has become his as well.
He comes directly up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as his lips find the nape of her neck.
Shivers of fire dance across her skin as Minnie leans back into his solid frame, looking down briefly at his muscular, tattooed arms on her body.
She never imagined she would ever want someone the way she wants him.
“Thank you,” Minnie replies sheepishly. She’s not used to having a guest aside from Ariel. “I made extra because I wasn’t sure if you were coming over…” She trails off, not wanting to sound insecure or needy. She doesn’t understand their relationship and where their boundaries actually are.
He cups her ass in a way that makes her squeal, blushing. “Why wouldn’t I come over? I like being with you.” When he steps away, he slaps her rear firmly as a parting shot.
“You beast,” Minnie hisses at him indignantly, although she’s not actually mad. Just hearing him admit that he likes being with her makes her heart skip a beat. I like being with you, too. I always want to be with you.
The intensity of her feelings scares her; what if it’s too soon to feel the way she does?
She’s inexperienced, hasn’t been in the dating game for so long.
Well, she never really had much of a dating game, even when she was younger, but still.
What if he thinks they’re just casual? What if he doesn’t feel as strongly about her?
He could be seeing other women, a thought that makes her stomach sick with jealousy. The idea of it is silly; he’s with her more often than he isn’t. Still…not impossible. Her thoughts unsettle her, insecurity nipping at her spine.
She doesn’t want to be utterly in love with a man who doesn’t feel the same. Minnie doesn’t want to get hurt-
“Want me to help set the table?” Gage asks, going to her cabinets, attempting to make himself useful. She likes that about him; Gage isn’t an idle sort of man. Heck, the last time something went awry with her bathroom sink, he was in there all afternoon battling it!
At least I’ll never need to pay for a handyman, Mom, she remembers thinking. My man isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. And he’s determined. And capable. He just happens to be a felon, too.
“Please,” Minnie replies with a smile, masking her thoughts. “Thank you.”
He snorts, chuckling a bit as he puts the plates where they belong. “Always so polite. This isn’t some fancy finishin’ school; this is your house. I ain’t gradin’ you on your level of debutant.”
Rolling her eyes, Minnie brings the roast over to the table. It smells heavenly. “It’s called being appreciative, and I’m sure you’d prefer I be appreciative over being some self-serving saucepot who never thanks you for a darn thing.”
After a moment, his expression softens. “You’re right. I’ve been with plenty of women who never showed an ounce of appreciation for anything. You’re just…different from the woman I’ve been with in the past. I like that about you. Kinda hot.”
“Don’t ham it up!” Minnie replies, face red, insecurity eating at her. She doesn’t like to think of him having some big past full of women who probably happen to be sexier than her. “I’m just considerate, that's all.”
Coming around the table, he kisses her again, his tongue dipping sensually into her mouth, brushing against her own.
They rub together, a dance of intimacy and barely restrained lust. His tongue in her mouth is the same as his tongue between her legs.
Sometimes, she thinks he likes having his mouth between her legs more than this.
Minnie sighs into the kiss, melting against him as he shows his appreciation for her.
“You’re exactly what I want,” he tells her when he pulls away, his eyes still on her mouth hungrily.
Aroused and completely off balance, Minnie tells him to stop being so sassy and to sit down and eat dinner. With a grin, he does as she commands.
When they’ve almost finished their meal, she decides to bring up the events of the day as they put the dishes away together. It feels as though her pulse is on her tongue, hot and frantic as she prepares to broach the subject of her family. “So. I wanted to tell you. The cat is out of the bag.”
He raises a single scarred eyebrow at her, his gaze taking in her body language with interest. “Which cat? And why does it have you wringin’ your hands like they’re wet towels?”
Minnie flushes and drops her hands to her sides. “Well, my mother has found out about you. Ariel inadvertently tipped her off.”
She can’t tell, but it almost seems like a muscle in his jaw twitches. His tone is so neutral that she assumes she must have imagined it. His rusty voice is carefully emotionless. “…and why is that scary?”
Shame eats at her. Minnie can’t just come out and tell him the real reason, that her parents are extremely old-fashioned, quite judgmental, and she knows exactly how they would look at him.
Quickly, she thinks of another truth that can suffice for now.
It’s embarrassing enough that she’s certain it will keep him from suspecting the real answer.
“I thought it would weird you out, that maybe it would feel too serious that my parents know about you. It’s just, I don’t even know what we are-”
“Is that what’s had you acting so off?” His intense eyes flicker with some emotion that she cannot quite understand. “You’ve been wanting to talk about that? What we are?” Gage steps closer to her, crowding into her space. Minnie feels her skin heat, pulse racing with something akin to excitement.
“I…I mean…we don’t have to…I, um…” What if he doesn’t want to be in a steady relationship?! His large hands find a place to rest on her hips, pulling her close. Minnie squeaks, flushing as she finds herself pressed up against his front.
“What do you want to be?” Gage leans down and puts his mouth by her ear, lips brushing her skin tantalizingly.
“I…I..um..” Words can’t seem to find a proper footing. Minnie feels like a fish out of water; her experience with relationships is rather narrow. Being honest and upfront feels like a terrifying endeavor, but how will he know what she wants if she’s too afraid to voice her opinion?
It seems that Gage already senses her anxiety, because he fills in the gaps for her, encircling her in his arms. He’s so strong that it feels like he could simply crush her to death if he so wanted.
The thought thrills and terrifies in equal measure.
His next words are dark and husky, coiling low in Minnie’s core.
“What if I told you I want you to just be mine? Would that make you feel better?”
Heart leaping with schoolgirl hope, Minnie looks up at him, enjoying the feel of him holding her. “And you’d just be mine? Because…I’d like that.”
A wry smirk shapes his wicked mouth, his hazel eyes alive with amusement and pleasure. “I’d like that too, princess.” He leans back to look down at her skeptically, still sensing her distant unease. “So. Dinner with your folks? You don’t seem too keen.”
In a manner of speaking, she thinks dryly. You don’t know what they’re like. “It just seems soon, is all. My father is, ah, a challenging man. I’m not sure I want to subject you to him.”
“Hmm. Got it.” He seems rather willing not to press further, which gives Minnie pause.
He changes the gears, moving them to a new topic, making her frown.
“Speaking of dinner.” Gage rubs the back of his neck, a hint of red there.
“The guys want to grill out on Saturday. I, uh, want to bring you over.”
He wants her to come hang out with his roommates? Oh, goodness. “Saturday? As in, tomorrow?!”
“Yeah. Tomorrow. Marlin wants to officially meet you, aside from seeing you in passing in the hallway.”
It’s a rather embarrassing fact. The first time Minnie ever went to Gage’s place for what was supposed to be a one-night stand had her passing some of his roommates in the halls like a cheap hooker.
Back then, she had thought it would be the one and only time she would ever be there.
She figured she would never have to shake the hand of some guy who had listened to them bang.
That she’d never have to face them again.
No such luck. Her one attempt at being spicy and having a one-night stand turned into an ongoing relationship…and now Gage wants to bring her around and have her officially meet the other men.
It’s fine that you meet his friends, but he doesn’t seem keen on meeting your family, a dark little whisper says in her mind. Why might that be? Minnie pushes it away, doesn’t want to focus on it.
“Should I bake cookies? A cake?” Minnie offers up, wanting to please and desperately wanting to shove down her prim embarrassment.
People like sweet things, don’t they? Making a good impression has been drilled into her head since she was a girl.
“I’ll bring whatever dessert you think they’ll like. ”
“Those brownies of yours are dangerous.”
She gives Gage a look. “You’re saying that because those are your favorites.” He’ll eat them all before anyone else has a taste.
Gage smirks, guilty as charged. “Because they’re fuckin’ great.”
“The point is to bring dessert to impress your friends, not to impress you.” She feels like she needs to make some grand, impressive display…
and brownies seem sort of common. Not awe-inspiring.
When her mother hosted events, she always had such jaw-dropping centerpieces, and the pressure to be held to her mother’s standard is a heavy weight.
Minnie squawks when he scoops her up like a princess and walks her over to her bedroom.
“Believe me, they’d be happy with anythin’ you make.
They aren’t used to women baking them treats.
Your caramel swirled brownies are out of this world.
Besides, you’re my dessert, princess. And tonight, I intend to eat well.
” Gage flashes a predatory, hungry smile.
Minnie flushes, feeling those words all the way to her core as he sets her gently down on her sheets.