“I can’t get enough of you,” I growl and let my mouth wander away from her lips and touch her cheek and chin and fuck, her neck, that smells so sweet and sexy.
“Yes,” she whispers while turning her head to give me better access. I let the tip of my nose skim against her skin and slide the hand that was around her waist up her side and over her shoulder until I’m cupping the other side of her neck. With my thumb under her chin, I twist her head to the side. The other hand still planted against the door next to her head.
I snake my tongue out and taste her neck before my lips land next to her ear. “Tonight every single inch of your body is mine. Years I’ve wanted you and I’m going to fight every instinct in me to take you hard and fast because I plan to spend hours showing you that finally, fuck, you’re mine.” Her fingers dig in, clenching the flesh of my ass through the thin fabric of my shorts. I press my hardness against her center and her breath catches. “Make the call or I’ll make the call, but my parents will get Zoey after we swim.”
“Yes.”
“You gonna make the call or do you want me to?” I ask, face still buried in her neck. I can feel the full body shiver that rolls through her and fuck, I’m so ready to take her against the door right this second. I knew when — not if — we ever got together, we’d burn white hot and I was right.
Before answering, she lifts my face and attacks my mouth, her tongue tangling with mine. I love that she knows what she wants and unapologetically takes it. She squeezes my ass one more time before sliding her hand up and resting her hand on the back of my neck. When our mouths part, she offers up a smile that is both sexy and sweet.
“I’ll call. If you call and ask that they watch my daughter overnight, they’ll know what’s up and that’d be all kinds of awkward.”
I chuckle and kiss her again. “About that…” I murmur against her mouth.
She jerks away from me and I grapple to pull her back. I’m not ready to release her yet.
“Don’t leave. Where are you going?”
“I’m right here. Not going anywhere. I’m only wondering what you mean by ‘about that’.”
I step away from her because I clearly have no will power. “Here’s the thing. I don’t want to lie to my parents. They deserve to know the truth and honestly, they’ll be thrilled. I’m not worried but if we spend time together outside of this house like I plan to do, then word will get around town and it’d be really shitty if they heard it from someone else.”
“You want to tell your parents? About us?”
“Well, I’m not planning on giving them any details but yes.”
The concern I see in her eyes makes me more than a little worried. I press the button to open the garage door because it’s suddenly more than a little stifling in here. And what she says next only makes it worse. The garage door motor wurrs and cranks as it slides up, letting in fresh air.
“What do you plan to tell them?”
I flinch at her question that comes out accusatory. Carefully I say, “That we’re together. As a couple.”
She doesn’t say anything to confirm my hopes and assumptions. Her eyes dart between mine, back and forth, back and forth.
“Addy?”
“It just hit me that what you said last night and what we shared wasn’t just a fluke thing and it’s real.”
I blow out a breath. “Hell yeah, it’s real.”
“I didn’t think this would ever happen between us.”
“You didn’t?” I didn’t either, but I don’t want her to see my doubt, too. It’s not that I didn’t want it, I just didn’t know how to make her mine.
“I hoped for too long, I guess. Hard to believe that it’s real now.”
“Baby…” I move in closer and cradle her face in my calloused hands. “We skipped over some of the important stuff and it sounds like we need to talk a little more. Get your head in a place where you believe in it. But let me just say this: I love you and that’s as real as it gets. In the forever kind of love where I see me putting my ring on your finger and putting my baby in your stomach.”
Tears I didn’t see coming spill over her cheeks and I wipe them away with my thumbs.
“Happy tears?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. Now, I’m going to call my parents and set the record straight that we’re together now. Then I’m going to spend some time with Zoey and this afternoon we’ll brave the pool and gossiping parents together.”
She nods with a watery smile. “Sounds perfect.”
“I’m not going to promise that it will be smooth sailing from here on out. We’ll have problems, probably arguments, too, but I need you to know that my love for you and Zoey will never be a question.”
“I love you.”
“Then I’m a lucky man.”
“I’m equally as lucky.”
“Gushing again,” I tell her, but I don’t mind. Not when it puts that look on her face that screams love. “Go to work, boss lady.” I pat her incredible ass and she yelps before scurrying to her car.
“See you in a bit. Need Zoey’s booster seat?”
“Oh, shit. Right. Yeah, I should probably just get one to keep in my truck, huh?”
“Stop making me cry.”
“Sorry,” I tell her, grinning.
She rolls her eyes and climbs into her car after I grab the booster seat from the back seat. Before she closes her door, I lean in, kiss her on the lips, and remind her, “Love you, Addy.”
“Love you, Beau.”
Chapter Sixteen
Beau
When I get back inside my woman’s house, I plop next to Zoey who hasn’t moved a muscle from where we left her. “What’s shakin’, Squirt?”
She turns her head to the side and looks at me funny. “Huh?”
“Nothin’. Mind if I shower quick then I’ll help you get ready so we can head out?”
That should give me more time to figure out what I’m going to do with her this morning, anyway. I also need to find a time to call my parents without Zoey overhearing our conversation because while Addy might be okay with my parents knowing that we’re together, she didn’t give any indication that she’s ready for Zoey to know.
Which sucks for me, but understandable. She’s been through enough over the last few months, it’s not necessary to add more to the mix until we know she’s ready for it.
“Das fine. Where are we going?”
“Still a surprise,” I tell her, bopping her on the tip of her nose.
Like her mother has perfected, she rolls her eyes at me then snuggles her donkey closer and lies down, resting her head on top of Macaroni’s butt.
“Tired?”
She nods and Macaroni looks at her over his shoulder, huffs, and lies back down.
I don’t want to overdo it for her and do too much today so I think simple for my options knowing that a few hours in the pool under the scorching hot sun will take a lot out of her.
Which helps me decide how to spend our morning.
I make a quick phone call to see if Zoey and I can go where I’m hoping to take her, and shoot off a text to my parents to let them know that I have something to talk to them about but the gist of it is, I need them to watch Zoey tonight.
Mom’s response was sending: So does this mean … finally?
Of course she’d read into it.
I texted back that I didn’t want to tell them over text because Addy deserved more than that but I couldn’t call because little ears were around.
My phone rang and I answered quickly before climbing into the shower.
“Hi, Mom.”
I turn the exhaust fan on in the bathroom to help drown out any sound. I might be overreacting, but I really don’t want Zoey hearing anything until Addy gives me the okay.
She sniffles on the other end of the line. “I just need to tell you I’m so happy.”
“Mom…”
“I know, I know. I’m being emotional but you need to know that we’v
e wanted this for so long and I prayed for you and Addy to wake up and be together for longer than I care to admit. Your brother would be happy,” she says quietly and a lump forms in my throat.
“Are you sure about that?” I believe that, also, but somehow hearing it from my mother means more to me than knowing on my own.
“Positive.” Comes my dad’s voice. “Mom’s a bit emotional so you’ve got me now, son. He loved you both, and yes, he might have loved Addy in his own way for a long time but he knew why they weren’t together and the reason they were never together aside from to give me my precious grandbaby is because she’s always been in love with you. And you’ve been an idiot for a long time but I know that you finally wised up to your feelings before Zoey was born. Then Zoey was born and you didn’t know how to navigate those waters so you became an even bigger idiot until you pulled your head out of your ass and realized that having them in your life as it was, was better than not at all. And now you finally figured it out which must have given Addy the courage to be honest with you about the feelings she’s had for you since she was probably fourteen years old. So yeah, it’s a good thing and we’ll watch Zoey tonight so you and Addy can finally figure it out and move on. Together.”
When he’s done with his speech, I have to grip my phone tight and rest a hand on the bathroom counter so my knees won’t buckle beneath me.
He’s quiet on the other end, allowing me time to process all that was just said.
“So you and Mom are good with having Zoey overnight tonight.”
“Yeah, son. We’re good with it. And we’re also good with the rest of it, if you didn’t get that from before.”
“I got it.”
“Good. Now, here’s your mother. She’s finally stopped crying tears of joy that her son got over his shit and stopped being an idiot.”
“You know, I’m going to start getting a complex if you keep calling me an idiot.”
He chuckles and then I hear Mom’s soft voice. “Your dad said almost everything that needed to be said but I want to say, also, that I love you. I love Addy. And Christopher would have been over the moon to see you two together. There’s no one else he would trust to step in and be a dad to Zoey than you.”
“I don’t want to take his place.”
“Son, in a lot of ways, you already have.”
To that I have no response. She’s right, but she isn’t. I get her meaning, even if it’s only partly true.
“I haven’t.”
“You have, and that’s okay. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. That’s what Chris would have wanted. Let go of the guilt and enjoy the future you have set in front of you with Zoey and Addy. That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” she repeats.
“It’s not that easy,” I admit.
“Nothing worth anything is ever easy, Beau.”
This is true.
She’s definitely right about that.
And I hope she’s also right about everything else.
“We’re taking Zoey to the pool this afternoon.”
“Oh, good.” She laughs and I can picture her eyes light up while she shakes her head. “Then the town will have something to gossip about seeing as I know you’ll be staring at Addy and everyone will talk.”
“Exactly what I’m afraid of,” I murmur.
“Don’t be. Who cares what they think? Only you and Addy know the truth and that’s what matters. I imagine most of the gossiping will be because you’re back in town and all the single women are probably hoping for a chance at my handsome son.”
I make a disgusted sound in my throat. “Can we please not talk about that?”
“I’ve noticed. Pretty impossible not to. When you’d visit and we’d go to eat or anywhere in town, really, it was as if they had GPS tracking on you and they’d find you.”
“Please, God, can we stop talking about this?”
“The men, they’d do the same with Addy.”
I growl. “Mom.”
“Just saying. You two will be breaking a lot of hopeful hearts. But that’s okay because they don’t realize that they never had a shot.”
I smile even though the conversation kind of makes me want to throw up. Mainly because it’s my mom and while I noticed women staring at me, I really don’t like that she noticed as well.
“We’ll drop Zoey off after the pool.”
Luckily, she doesn’t go back to talking about anything we talked about in the last ten minutes. “Okay. What are you doing today then?”
“Surprising Zoey with showing her my new house. Richard has some kittens in one of the barns and I think she’ll love playing with them.”
“She will. Have fun and we can’t wait to see it, too.”
“Soon,” I promise her.
“Love you, Beau. I’m happy for you. Are you happy?”
“Happier than I’ve ever been and considering what transpired recently, feeling like I’d never again be happy after Chris died, I’m not taking it for granted.”
“Yeah,” she says quietly.
We tell each other goodbye and I take the quickest shower of my life considering that I’ve now left Zoey alone for over ten minutes after I left her alone for ten minutes because I was busy sucking face with her mother.
When I emerge from the bathroom freshly showered and dressed, I find Zoey in her room, Macaroni next to her as she plays at a pretend kitchen.
“You take long showers,” she says when she notices me.
“Sorry.”
She shrugs. “It’s okay. I like to sit in the bath for a long time, too.”
“Ready for your surprise?”
She nods and stands up. “What is it?”
“How about you get dressed. Wear something Mommy won’t get upset if you get dirty. I’ll tell you on the way.”
“Yay! I’m excited!” she cheers, standing up and moving quickly to her dresser. She pulls out a drawer and finds a pair of cotton shorts and I help her find a shirt that doesn’t look like it’s meant for only nice occasions. Luckily for me, Addy dresses Zoey the same way she dresses herself. Casual and comfortable and nothing too fancy. She strips down to nothing right in front of me and I turn my head, not sure if that’s allowed even though she’s my niece and she’s only five.
When I see her dump her dirty pajamas in her hamper, I turn around. “Ready?”
She shakes her head. “My hair.”
“What about it?”
She places a hand on her hip and juts it out. “Unca Beau. It’s messy.”
“Oh. Right. Do you have a brush or something?”
Zoey huffs like I’m an imbecile and grabs my hand to lead me to the bathroom I was just monopolizing. Like a practiced pro, she pulls open a drawer at the bottom of the vanity and finds her brush and some spray and hands me both.
“Do I use this first?” I ask her, looking at the spray.
“Uh huh. It helps.”
I read the label and notice it says it’s detangling spray for kids. I look at her hair. Back to the bottle. Back to her hair.
I wonder if it will take the entire bottle.
I’m impressed that it takes us just a few minutes to work through her hair that now smells like green apple, according to the bottle, and is brushed out nicely. But then she hands me a hair tie and I begin the panic all over again.
I manage to get her hair up in a ponytail, but I’m not sure that it looks better than it did before we brushed it. It’s messy at best, but at least it will be out of her eyes when we’re running around the farm.
“Okay. Shoes and let’s grab Macaroni. He’s invited, too.”
“Yay! What are we doing?”
“Patience, Squirt.”
“I don’t like that word.”
I bark out a laugh and grab a couple bottles of water from the fridge before loading up Zoey and Macaroni in my truck and heading out to the farm.
On our way, Zoey asks a lot of questions trying to figure out where we’re going but I keep deflecting, wantin
g it to be a surprise.
When we pull in, though, I’m the one who’s surprised.
“Why are we at Pop’s house?”
“Pop?”
“Uh huh! Pop,” she says, pointing to Richard who’s walking our way holding a kitten in his arms. “Kittens!”
Macaroni wags his tail as if he, too, knows exactly where we are.
Zoey unlatches her seat belt and scrambles out of her seat.
I get out and open her door and she runs over to Richard, tackling him around his legs.
What the heck?
“Hi, baby girl!”
“Pop! I missed you! Did you miss me?”
Miss him? Miss her?
What am I missing?
Richard lowers himself to the ground slowly so Zoey can see the orange kitten he’s holding while talking to Macaroni as if they’re long lost buddies. Thankfully, Macaroni only sniffs at the tiny ball of fluff and barks once then scampers off. Richard’s dog greets Macaroni with butt sniffs and tail wags before they run off to play.
“It’s so cute. Is it a boy or a girl?”
“I think it’s a girl,” he tells her and smiles. His eyes dart up to mine, full of mischief this one.
“Did you name it yet?”
“Sounds like a good job for you. Look how well you named your dog.”
I grunt.
“Cheese! Because she’s orange!”
“See? I knew you’d come up with the perfect name.”
“Can I hold her?”
“Of course you can.”
Carefully she takes it from his hands and cradles it to her chest, cooing and rubbing her face against it.
Richard groans when he stands up.
“I’m getting old, baby girl.”
She’s too busy playing with the kitty to listen to him, though.
“Suppose you got questions. Let’s get a glass of lemonade and sit on the porch.”
“Did you make it your special way?” Zoey asks, not tearing her attention away from Cheese.
Cheese.
What a freaking name.
I would scoff but like usual, Zoey’s being cute and pretty smart to think of naming the orange cat Cheese to go along with Macaroni.
The Path To Us: A Single Parent Romance Page 17
