Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
S omething wet ran over Becket’s face. And what the fuck was that smell?
He opened his eyes to look straight into an open-mouthed Bella. Her face was right there, and she was breathing directly into his mouth. “You know there’s this thing called personal space, Bella?”
Instead of running away, the mutt licked him again.
Fucking hell.
He rolled onto his back and scrubbed his eyes. Never would he have thought a dog would be living in his house, yet here he was. “You’re lucky you saved Sky’s life, or you’d be sitting in a very nice pound right now, eating dry dog biscuits.”
If those words annoyed Bella, she didn’t show it. In fact, she grabbed the bed sheets with her teeth and yanked them down.
“Hey. I’ll get up when I’m good and ready.”
She made a small grumbling noise before running to the end of the bed and walking down the steps Sky had asked Holden to build.
He frowned, finally focusing on the other side of the bed.
Sky. She wasn’t there. She never started her day before him. And why hadn’t he woken up when she’d gotten up?
Bella whimpered from the door.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” He reached for his phone on the side table.
Eight thirty? Fuck, he never slept in this late. Maybe his lack of sleep over the last few weeks, since Sky’s attack, was finally catching up with him.
He pushed up and ran his fingers through his hair.
He hadn’t slept basically at all for the entire first week. Memories of Sky in the middle of that blazing fire had haunted his dreams. How many times had Sky woken to find him just lying there, eyes wide open? Hell, how many times had he finally fallen asleep, only to wake from a nightmare, needing to check that she was still beside him?
Too many times.
But day by day, he was coming out of it. Accepting that, while she had almost died, she was still here. She was alive. Safe. And Rosemary Symes would likely never be a free woman again.
Bella made another grumble.
“I’m getting up.”
Her ears perked and she ran out the door.
He followed, pulling on some track pants on the way out.
He stopped dead in the living room at the sight of Sky in the kitchen, AirPods in her ears and only wearing his shirt, which almost hit her knees. She was dancing. Her hips moving in sexy sways that made his dick twitch. Pans sat on the stove and ingredients were everywhere. The room was a mess, but she was all he could see.
He loved her. He loved her so much that he ached for her.
His feet started moving before his brain could catch up. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
She gasped, pulling the earbuds out and turning. A slow smile curved her lips as she sank into him. “Hey.”
“Good morning, Peaches.”
A cute frown cut into her brows. “Do you remember when I hated that nickname?”
She used to scowl at him every time he used it. God, he’d been an ass. “How do you feel now?”
“It’s grown on me.”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm.” She slipped her hands behind his neck. “A bit like how Bella’s grown on you .”
Bella clearly heard, because she gave a little bark from her bed in the living room.
Becket chuckled. “I think I’m growing on her too.”
“It seems to be a common trend.” She grinned before turning in his arms and tugging his head down to kiss him. A long, slow kiss that wasn’t nearly enough for Becket.
He lifted his head and scanned the counter. Even though it was a mess, there was a stack of pancakes on a plate, bacon in one pan and scrambled eggs in another.
“Making breakfast?” he asked unnecessarily, looking back at her.
“Yeah, I wanted it to be special.”
He drew her closer. “Really? Any special occasion I’m forgetting?”
“No. I just have something to tell you.” Pink tinged her cheeks.
She tried to turn back to the counter, but he gently gripped her waist, not letting her move. “Tell me now.”
Her eyes flared. Then she blinked and shook her head. “No. I made pancakes and bacon, and I’m going to make your coffee just the way you like it.” She pushed at his chest. “Now go and play with Bella while I cook.”
He shot a look over his shoulder to find Bella lolling on her back, tongue out.
Sky started to turn away.
“I love you.”
She gasped and swung back. “What did you say?”
He stepped closer, once again gripping her hips, tugging her into him. “I said…I love you.”
He couldn’t hold it in any longer. He needed her to hear it. For her to know exactly what she meant to him. How he hadn’t already blurted it out, he had no idea.
Emotion flared in her eyes, tears shining through. “One more time.”
“I’ll say it a million times. I love you. I love being close to you. I love fighting with you more than I love getting along with anyone else. Even when we were just neighbors who pretended to hate each other, the glimpses I got of you were the best parts of my day.”
Her lips parted, her chest moving faster, tears shining in her eyes.
Then she whacked him.
“Ow!” He rubbed his shoulder. “What was that for?”
“I was supposed to say it first! I got up early and made this big breakfast. I was going to set the table all nice. You saved my life, so I wanted to make my declaration of love special and be the first to say the words!”
His lips twitched. He shouldn’t be surprised she was mad. That was how this had all started. “You think I saved you ? You saved me , Peaches. You added color to my life. I didn’t realize I was living in gray shades until you came along. You made my life better.”
* * *
Sky closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. He loved her. The words felt big and important and good. So damn good. They wrapped around her heart, squeezing.
Then she opened her eyes and said the words that had been locked inside her for far too long.
“I love you too.” Her words were a whisper, barely crossing the distance between them.
His arms tightened around her, emotion shadowing his features. “You do?”
“I love you so much, Becket. And not just because you’ve saved my life more times than I can count. I love you because you have become my entire world. Even when our relationship wasn’t real, it felt like it was.”
“It was always real to me.”
She slipped her fingers around his neck again. “Thank God I didn’t murder you when you butchered my tree.”
His lips twitched. “Thank. God.”
She drew his head down and kissed the man she loved. This, right here, was home. It was comfort and familiarity and safety.
His tongue ran over the seam of her lips. She opened and he slipped inside, tangling their tongues together.
This man was everything she hadn’t realized she needed. He’d crashed into her life, changing everything and making it better.
His hands lowered to her butt, and she yelped as he lifted her and deposited her onto the counter. His mouth started to move down her cheek, then neck. His hands had just started sliding up her thighs when a knock sounded at the door.
“Ignore it,” Becket growled.
He nipped her neck. She gasped, and the air in her lungs started to come out in short puffs as his fingers slid up her legs.
The knock came again. Then a chirpy female voice. “Beck? Sky? I know you’re home. Your cars are out front. Open the door.”
He growled a second time. “I’m going to kill her.”
“You won’t kill your sister. Then your mother would kill you .” She pushed at his chest. “You let her in, and I’ll throw on some clothes. Tell her she’s welcome to stay for breakfast.”
“No, she is not. I didn’t plan to do much eating.”
“Becket Hayes. I cooked you a big breakfast. We will be eating.” She leaned forward. “Besides, we have an entire lifetime to make love on the dining room table…just not this morning.”
He groaned, and she pecked his lips before hopping off the counter.
Bella followed her into the bedroom, but she didn’t miss Becket’s angry muttering as he headed to the front door.
She waited for Bella to make it inside before closing the door. The dog had been following her around a lot, but she’d also taken quite an interest in Becket. He pretended he didn’t like it, but she knew he kind of did. He was warming to Bella, even if he tried to hide it. She’d known all along this whole hating-dogs thing wouldn’t last. Who could hate dogs? It was like hating ice cream. Impossible.
She gave Bella a little belly rub before taking a quick shower.
The last couple weeks had been a blur. She’d taken time off work, and fortunately, Dolly and Pearl had taken care of everything. She still couldn’t believe Kristina had been the town thief. The woman had seemed so friendly and genuine, when in reality she’d broken into Sky’s home and left her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs.
A shiver shook her at the thought as she threw on yoga pants and a T-shirt.
She’d been wearing yoga pants and T-shirts for weeks because she’d basically been a couch potato while she recovered. Becket had made everything easier though, barely leaving her alone. Her parents had also come over a few times, her mother more than her father.
Like she’d conjured him up with her thoughts, her phone rang, her father’s name flashing on the screen.
She answered the call. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hi, darling, I just wanted to check in on how you’re doing before I head into the church for service.”
“I’m good.” She perched on the bed, and Bella immediately ran up the steps and sat on her lap. “My breathing gets better every day, and I feel ready to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Good. That’s good.”
She frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I just…I’ve been thinking lately, and I don’t really share this kind of thing with you, but I realize I should. I want you to know that I’m proud of you.”
Her frown deepened. He’d never said that before. Not with words, anyway. “I know you are.”
“Not just for opening your own business but for having your own mind. I thought I knew what was best for you with Tony, but I was wrong. And you were smart to speak up for yourself. Becket’s the right man for you.”
A burst of warmth punched into her chest. Becket had told her what her father had said to him the day of the barbecue at his mother’s house, but her dad had never mentioned anything to Sky. “He is the right man for me. Thank you for seeing that.”
“He’s going to take care of you.”
“He’s already taking good care of me.”
“I can see that.” There was a small pause. “I love you, darling. I’m sorry I don’t tell you enough.”
Tears stung her eyes. “I love you too, Daddy.”
“Your mother and I will see you tomorrow night for dinner?”
“I’m making mushroom risotto.”
“And I have it on good authority your mother’s bringing brownies and potato salad.”
“Can’t wait.”
After a few more pleasantries, Sky hung up, blinking the tears away. She loved her dad, but he wasn’t the most forthcoming with his emotions. What happened to her had obviously scared him. It had scared everyone, including her.
Bella nudged her leg, and Sky chuckled. “Yes, I love you too.”
She should really be thanking her father. If it hadn’t been for his meddling, she never would have grabbed Becket at that fundraiser, and they might not be where they were right now.
When she went back out to the dining room, Clara was hitting Becket on the shoulder. “Becket James. Did you try to take bacon from a woman’s fingers? Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”
“James?” Sky asked.
Clara looked up at her and grinned. “Yeah, his middle name is James. We only middle-name him when he does something really bad though.”
Becket just shook his head.
Clara popped the last bit of bacon into her mouth before lifting a dish. “I brought pesto pasta.”
“Clara, you need to stop doing stuff for us. It’s been weeks.” She had brought over so many meals and given Sky so many free at-home acupuncture sessions. It was wonderful, but Sky was starting to feel guilty.
“I do not have to stop. I want to take care of both of you. Even my annoying big brother.” She reached up and punched Becket’s chest, and he threw an arm around her neck and jokingly ruffled her hair.
They were like this every time Clara came over, and Sky loved it.
Someone else knocked at the door.
“I guess I’ll get it,” Sky said with a laugh. She opened it to see Holden on the other side.
He grinned at her. “Hey, Sky.”
“Hey. Here for Becket?”
“Yeah, we’re going for a run this morning.”
Becket cursed from the kitchen. “Shit, I forgot.”
Holden lifted a brow as he entered the house. “Should I be offended?”
“Nope. But how about breakfast to make it up to you? Clara’s already invited herself to stay, so what’s one more?”
“Sounds good.” Holden crossed into the kitchen. “Hey, Clara.” He bumped her shoulder.
Clara’s cheeks turned a pretty pink. “Hey.”
God, Sky loved watching those two together. If there were ever two people who were destined to date, it was them.
“I’m just going to grab a quick shower,” Becket said, pressing a kiss to her head as he passed her.
This time, her cheeks heated.
Over the next twenty minutes, Clara and Holden helped her set the table. Every time Holden spoke to the woman, or heck, even brushed past her, she seemed to get a little more shy.
When everything was ready, Sky glanced down the hall. “I’ll go check on Becket.”
She stepped into his bedroom—well, hers too, with how much time she spent here—just as Becket was pulling a shirt from his drawer.
Man, oh, man, he looked good in just jeans. Would she ever get to the point where looking away from him didn’t feel like the hardest thing ever?
Probably not.
“Keep looking at me like that, and we won’t make it back out there,” Becket said, voice low and husky as he pulled on his shirt. Then he stepped close and curled his arms around her.
“Like what?” she asked innocently.
“Like you want to resume what we started in the kitchen.”
Her lower belly rippled. “I’m just looking at the man I love.”
A long exhale escaped his chest. “I’ll never tire of hearing you say those words.”
She rose to her toes, her mouth so close to his that she could feel his breath. Then she whispered, “I love you, Becket Hayes.”
“I love you too, Sky Williams.” Then he kissed her, and it made every moment leading up to this, every fight and lick of danger, worth it.