* * *
I stand in the room that will now be my new office and ponder the location of the furniture. Brody and Dallas have moved it all twice. Without one single complaint. They are standing by the door now, waiting patiently.
I’m half tempted to test my man to see if he has a snapping point. Ridiculous, of course, but if I’m really going to marry this guy in short order, don’t I want to know if he’s the sort who will lose his temper when I can’t make up my mind about something?
They brought my desk chair from my office at the cottage. That was important. I sit in it for hours. It’s a state-of-the-art ergonomic computer chair. The desk currently in here was moved from another room on this floor. The biggest one the men could find. I need a lot of space when I’m working.
I’ve got it positioned sideways in the room so that I can see out the huge windows and also see the doorway. They brought in bookshelves and an armoire, too. The room is huge. All of the rooms in this mansion are big. I guess that’s how they built mansions over a hundred years ago.
I picture some area rugs to warm it up. Maybe some artwork. The view of the grounds behind the mansion is amazing and will get better with time as more gardeners are hired to return this monstrosity to its former glory.
Will I still be here?
I turn to face Brody and Dallas. “I think… Hmmm.” I tap my lips as if contemplating another furniture move. This shit is very heavy.
Neither man looks the least bit annoyed nor put out.
Brody smiles. “I want it to be exactly perfect for you, little pixie. If you want us to move things again, we will. You can change your mind tomorrow, too.”
Dallas points toward one wall. “When you’re sure where you want things, we’ll knock a hole between this room and your bedroom and add a door so you don’t have to go out into the hallway to get from one room to the other. We’ll do the same on the other side of the room to attach the nursery.”
An odd sense of peace washes over me. I should probably run from this house and never look back. I should be totally overwhelmed by how fast I got here and all this talk of babies and marriage. In a way, I am. But I also feel at home.
Does Brody?
I know he’s considering the possibility of staying here instead of returning to San Antonio. But is that what he really wants? I don’t want him to resent me down the line for making him feel like he had no choice but to move to Wilde.
The way he’s smiling at me makes my knees weak. He adores me. Maybe I should move to San Antonio. I could escape the current impending madness. But wouldn’t it just follow me to another city in another state? Maybe next time I could tell people I’m a stay-at-home wife. Make everyone think I don’t work instead of having them intrigued and trying to guess who I am.
We’re going to work this out. I know it. And I haven’t touched Brody in like ten minutes, so I run toward him. Luckily, he braces himself so that when I jump into his arms, he catches me.
He hugs me tight against his chest as I wrap my arms and legs around him.
Dallas leaves the room without a word and shuts the door.
Brody swings me around and rubs my back. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but feel free to leap into my arms anytime you want, little pixie.”
I lean back so I can lock eyes with him. “The room is perfect. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it. But anytime you want to move things, just ask.” He carries me over to the desk and sits me on top. I haven’t unpacked anything yet, so the surface is still bare. My office equipment is in boxes by the door.
I keep my legs around him while he kisses me. I’m glad I’m still wearing the pink dress. After years of wearing comfortable leggings and tank tops, I should invest in more dresses. I like the way it feels when the only things between me and Brody are my thin panties and his T-shirt or jeans.
“Someday you’re going to fuck me on this desk,” I tell him.
He growls. “Temptress.”
I giggle. In spite of what happened this afternoon, I feel lighter now that we’re here. The mansion provides a sense of safety. Even though we’re alone, I like knowing there are so many people in the house. If I want privacy, all I have to do is come to our rooms and shut the door. If I want to be around people—family—I can easily hunt down any number of them.
I bounce a bit. “It may be old, but it’s sturdy.”
Brody chuckles. “You’re so naughty.”
I tip my head to one side. “You know you want to.” Will it help if I tempt him?
“Oh, I definitely want to fuck you, little pixie. And I will. Millions of times. Starting after you say I do.”
I push out my bottom lip. “You and your no-sex-before-marriage rule. So barbaric.”
