Chapter 30
JOHN
Chad looks so fucking good in my bed.
He looks good everywhere, but waking up every morning in the same bed for the last week and a half has been so much better than I would’ve expected. The hickeys and bite marks covering his body also make me much happier than they probably should, but he seems to love them as much as I do.
I think I just need to embrace the fact that when it comes to Chad, I’m a possessive asshole, and I’ll probably always enjoy seeing the proof of my claim on him.
He’s wrapped in my arms, and I run my fingertips over one of the marks on his hip, lightly tracing the fading purple. He makes a content “hmm” sound. “If you’re thinking about adding a few new marks to my collection, don’t let me stop you. Morning sex yesterday was amazing, and I’d love a repeat.”
I chuckle and kiss the tip of his nose. “I would also love that, but not today.”
He spins to face me fully so I can see him stick out his bottom lip as he pouts. I lean in and lightly nip at it, which leaves us both laughing. After a moment he recovers. “Alright, what’s so important that it’s cockblocking us?”
“I finished rewiring everything that my brothers needed me to on your first floor yesterday.”
“Oh cool, are we going to go see it? We can definitely do that after sex.”
I bite my lip for a moment, suddenly nervous he’ll turn down my suggestion even though I really doubt he will.
I could just give in to him now, and then we could do my plans, but I love the delayed gratification that comes with making us both wait.
“We could. Or I was thinking we could use my day off for me to teach you how to lay some tile in the bathroom downstairs. If you’re okay with doing it, I have everything ready.
Then if you still want to do some at your house after that, we can let my brothers know. ”
“Oh my God, John! Of course I want to.” He literally throws the covers off and jumps out of bed before hurrying into the bathroom. I’m left chuckling again. His endless enthusiasm really is contagious. I can’t believe I ever found it to be annoying.
After we brush our teeth, I offer Chad to put on my clothes to work in. “If you don’t want to wear yours from yesterday.”
“Hell yeah, I’d much rather wear yours,” he says easily, and that possessive part of me flares with satisfaction yet again. When he’s dressed, he spins for me, dramatically showing off my black T-shirt and sweats.
I pull him in for a tight hug. “Fine by me. They look really good on you, Princess. I like seeing you in my clothes.”
He beams up at me, and I don’t hide my returning smile. I pull him in closer and realize I feel a little lighter than I did when I woke up this morning as if he’s managed to fit another broken piece of me back together.
I know it isn’t that simple, but I’m trying. I love being the one to make him look so happy, and every time I earn that look on his face, it feels like I’m a step closer to being the man I want to be; the one who deserves to be at his side.
Working on my house today will feel like another big step. It’s something he’s wanted to do, but more than that, I like the idea of him helping with a project that will be around for years to come. Of Chad leaving his own mark on this house.
I’d like it to be his house one day too. For real this time. If he wants it to be.
Not sure what he’ll do with the mansion my brothers are working on, but he’ll have a lot more options when they’re done fixing it up. It needed to be updated anyway.
“Ready?” I check. Chad nods and grabs my hand to pull me down the stairs after him, and for a moment, I’m reminded of him dragging me around Vegas when this whole thing began.
I think even back then a part of me knew how special Chad is.
I’ve never let anyone casually touch me as much as he did in those three days, and I might have pretended to hate it, but I never really did.
“Be right back.” I squeeze his hand as we enter the kitchen and run out to the garage to grab the tools and materials we need.
“John! Is that the tile I liked?” Chad sounds absolutely delighted when I open the box in front of him.
I nod. “You were right, I don’t need to keep everything exactly the same. I’ve been thinking a lot about it since you had my brothers fix the fireplace, and I think Luke would like it if I made it my own here and actually enjoyed the house I’m living in—ooof.”
Chad nearly tackles me with the force of his hug. “This is so exciting. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.”
I hug him back and force myself to push down nerves as I respond. “I’d like your help with that part.”
I’m not quite ready to officially ask him to move in, there have been so many changes so quickly and I don’t want to rush anything, but I think we’ll get there soon. And I want him to like the house he’s living in just as much as I do.
“Really?” he asks, looking up at me with wide eyes.
“Of course.”
“Holy shit. I’m so excited! Let’s get started!” Chad grabs the box of tiles and heads to the bathroom, calling over his shoulder, “My first official suggestion is that you replace the tile countertop in the kitchen.”
I chuckle as I grab the rest of the supplies. “Maybe if you do a good job with these tiles we can drive out to Huntsville to look at marble samples. We’ll need to do that before the backsplash.”
“Hell yes! It’ll be like a cute little domestic date!”
“I still have plans to take you on a real date like I promised,” I remind him with a smirk.
He puts the tile down very carefully just outside of the bathroom before facing me with a huge grin. “Well, you know me. I have a very busy schedule; mini donkeys to love, I’m such a huge help on Liam and Blake’s farm, busy, busy, busy. You need to schedule those plans.”
I laugh again, louder this time, in a way I probably haven’t laughed in years. “How about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow would be lovely.”
“Have you asked Liam and Blake about actually working on their farm?” I ask.
He tilts his head to the side. “No. I don’t really need money. I just like being there.”
“I know, Princess.” I shake my head. “I just meant, if you would like to have a little more structure, you’d probably be really good at helping them run the store, or really anything with the customers.”
“Huh. I should ask about that. Great idea, John.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. It’s so sweet and so Chad.
“After you help me with my house, of course,” I tease with a wink that has him smiling even bigger.
“Alright, Sir, teach me everything you know about tiling.”
Why the hell am I nervous right now?
It’s just dinner with Chad. I have no reason to be nervous around Chad of all people; he would be thrilled if we did literally anything and I called it a date. Sure, I haven’t been on a date in a decade, but it’s just eating at a restaurant together.
Maybe it’s the fact Chad insisted on going home so he could “get ready” like it’s fucking prom or something, but it’s making it feel like a bigger deal than it needs to. I knock on his door, and he throws it open, already beaming, and his smile does settle some of my nerves.
“Holy fucking shit, John!” he practically yells. “You brought me flowers?”
My cheeks heat, and I would regret that decision if he didn’t look so fucking happy about it. So I hold them out. “Thought they’d make you smile.”
“I love them so much! Thank you, let me go throw them in some water.” He disappears inside for a minute, and when he returns, he gives me an obnoxious once-over. “You look amazing, by the way. I can’t believe you dressed up for me, like holy shit, you look so hot.”
I glance down at my clothes that I did spend slightly longer than usual picking out. “It’s just a black button-up shirt and black jeans.”
“Yeah, and like I said, you look really good,” he insists. “My sexy tattooed biker baddie.”
I shake my head, step in closer, and put my hands on his hips to pull him in for a quick kiss. “You look great as always, Princess.” He’s wearing a loose button-up short-sleeved shirt and linen pants that look casual, but knowing him, probably cost a fortune.
“Thanks.” He smiles again and takes my hand to tug me toward my truck. “And thanks for picking me up. I know I only left your house a couple of hours ago, but this makes it feel so official and special.”
I chew on my lip as I open the door for him. “Just don’t get your hopes up too much; there are only so many options for a date here.”
“I know, I know. I’m just excited that you’re finally calling it a date,” he teases.
“Finally,” I say in the same light tone as I start my truck and head to town.
“So, will this date go late? What time do you have to go over to the farm tomorrow to help Liam set up for the music festival?”
I shrug. “It can go as late as you want. I took tomorrow off, so whenever we get up I guess. I promised I’d help finalize the stage set up and check all the electrical for the string lights and band equipment.”
“I can’t wait to see it!”
I nod. “It should be a cool event. Leave it to Blake to plan a whole festival because he couldn’t let anyone actually hear the word no when he picked his wedding band. You’re going tomorrow too, right?”
“Yup! We’re marking off where each of the food trucks will go and helping any of the vendors that wanted to set up booths a day early!
” Chad spends some time telling me about all the vendors, and even though Liam has already told me about most of them, hearing Chad explain things is always more interesting with how enthusiastic he is, so I don’t stop him.