“Did you just call me stupid?” Her mouth opens a little, like she’s shocked I’d call her out.
“You’re acting fucking stupid if you think I’m going to find someone like you again. Someone this fucking smart, gorgeous, driven. With this insane fucking body that you have, and a mind that rivals it. And that fucking mouth… don’t get me fucking started. Plus, you’re right, no man is going to worship you like I do. No one will ever come close to the way I would spend the rest of my life making sure you got any and every fucking thing you wanted or needed. We were fucking made for each other, Princess. You want to fight it, we can. I’m very fucking patient when it comes to you. But we both know it’s gonna end. With you up against that wall, my cock inside you and this ring on your finger anyway so you might as well give in now. Unless that’s the way you need it go. If you need me to convince you, I can.”
She looks at me and then down at the ring, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. She pulls it out of the box and holds it up to look at it. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I’ll get her a different one if she doesn’t like it, but then her eyes snap to mine.
“Make me.” She grins.
THIRTY-NINE
Wren
A wry grincrosses his face before he grabs me and hauls me backwards, up against the wall. He lets my feet touch the ground but keeps me pinned there, his lips going to my neck, kissing his way down and back up again. His eyes are heavy as he looks at me, but he pulls back, pausing and studying my face.
“What are your objections? You might as well tell me so I can knock them down one at a time. And don’t give me any fucking shit about other women or wanting something more. You’re it for me, so move on to the next one.”
I love that he knows me well enough to know that I’m going to be worried about a whole list of things before I can agree to this. That I’m going to have to think through all the details before I can say what he wants to hear, and that he’s patient enough to work through them with me.
“What about the bar?”
“It’s up to you. Sell it. Keep it. If you keep it, you’ll have to hire someone else to manage obviously. In the meantime I think Tom and Tammy would have it pretty well covered for you. We can fly you back and forth, though, if you want. Could fix one of the apartments upstairs up for you and it could be your place while you’re here checking on things. I assumed you’d want to keep it at least short term even if you did want to sell it so everyone could find other work first.”
“Yes, definitely.”
“And?”
“And I guess those are good options. Would be hard but doable.”
“All right, next up…” he raises a brow at me, waiting patiently.
“What about Gramps?”
“He comes with us. I already looked in Cincinnati and found a couple of places that have a good reputation not too far outside the city. There’s one that looks even better than the one you were thinking of here. Low patient-to-staff ratio, lots of extracurriculars, and even a lounge where they can watch games.”
“He’d like that. But still… That’s a big change for him.”
“True. And again, if he doesn’t want to come, or you don’t think it’s right, we’ll fly you back here as often as you want to spend time with him. I’ll pay for it, so don’t worry about the cost. Even if it’s every week.”
“I’d have to talk to him, see what he wants to do. I just worry about him.”
“I know you do. You talk to him, or we can both talk to him. That way you have someone to throw under the bus if you need it.” He winks at me, and I smile in return.
“I think he’ll get it. I know he’ll want me to follow my heart. He’s been telling me for a while I need to find a nice boy.” I laugh at the thought of Easton in that role.
“Something funny, Princess?”
“You being a nice boy.”
He smirks, and his eyes drift over me, his lashes lowering.
“Oh, but I am nice to you. I make you feel so fucking nice…” His fingers drift under my shirt, brushing over my stomach and then back down to my pants.
He leans back and starts undoing them, pulling them off of me slowly and then reaching for my shirt, guiding it up over my head while I help him. He tosses my clothes down to the side, his own clothes following them to the pile at his feet a minute later.
His fingers run over me, sending little sparks of awareness through me everywhere he touches. He looks lost in thought for a few moments before he glances up at me again.
“The time for objections is running out, Princess. What else you got?” He mutters as he pulls a condom out of the pocket and stands to put it on.
“It’s a big change for you. Moving there. A new team. Lots of pressure. New ropes you’re going to have learn… What if I’m just in the way of all that?”
