“Umm… What?” My mouth suddenly feels a little too dry.
“Sunshine, that’s only a knitted sweater, and you didn’t even put socks on,” he points out, and I lick my lips, immediately feeling his eyes on my mouth. “Sit on the couch and bundle up, I can make you something.”
“Oh!” My eyes widen, and I smile, letting my body lean in closer to his. There is no mistaking he’s attracted to me. Not when we are standing this close to one another, and a very thick ridge is poking at my belly. “I’m okay, big guy. I just, umm, I wanted to make sure you were okay,” I say softly, and I swear a team of butterflies flies in my belly at the sight of his bright blue eyes softening as he looks at me.
They’re warm and soft. Soothing.
“Come here,” he orders, and I blink at him.
But he’s completely unfazed by my momentary lapse as he takes a seat on my old lumpy couch. The thing is ugly and has definitely seen better days but is incredibly comfortable. I stare at him and the way he looks right at home here.
Like he belongs.With me.
My heart hitches slightly even though I know better than to hope.
He’s sexy and strong and right there in my new home. Maybe it’s the slight chill in the air or the soft dewy glow of the candles burning, but I find myself doing exactly what he asked for. Sitting down, my hand still in his, I take a seat right next to him. So close our thighs touch and I can feel his warmth seep into me.
The man is like a living, breathing furnace, and lucky me, I get to get toasty by him.
My body trembles at the small contact. How long has it been since I’ve been around someone like this?Too long, if ever,a voice perks up and says in the back of my mind.
“You’re cold,” he mutters, wrapping his arm around me and covering me with an old, knitted blanket I found and fell in love with at a thrift store.
I bought it for my mom for a Mother’s Day one year. The way she fawned over it, you would have thought I made it with my own hands. But that was my mom. Sweet and loving, so completely grateful for every little thing she had in her life.Especially me. I might not have known my dad, and I might not have known our extended family, but I never felt the loss of that.
She waseverythingI ever needed.And she is gone.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, and I smile softly at him, shaking my head.
“Nothing.”
“You look sad. Do you want me to go?” he asks, and my smile widens.
“Not even a little bit,” I admit honestly. It’s probably a little too much, but that’s the way I’ve always been.
“I can’t figure you out,” he complains, and I giggle.
“Why do you want to?” I ask, and his thick manly brows bunch up closer.
“What?” His scowl grows, and I don’t know why I giggle harder. There is something about his reactions. Getting one at all makes me, I don’t know, feel weirdly at ease around him.
“Big guy, half the time, I don’t know if you like me or hate me.” He opens and quickly shuts his mouth as he looks around. His hand at my shoulder still stroking my skin, infusing me with his touch and body heat.
“How do you like Moonlit Pines?” he finally breaks the silence, and I sigh, sitting back a little, putting just a smidge of space between us as I cuddle into the blanket.
I need it.
Not because I don’t like being close to him, but his change of subject is an answer even if he didn’t say it out loud. My beautiful mom taught me two huge lessons. First, when a person shows you who they are, believe them the first time. And two, if someone tells you you’re too much, that means they’re basic and to never,everdilute who I was so that I’d be more soluble for them. Because when you start to do that, you lose track of who you are.
“I love it here,” I answer, curling my knees up, “It’s so different from the desert.”
“I bet,” he mutters, and I have a very big urge to roll my eyes at him. The desert city might have a bad wrap sometimes, and sometimes it’s crazy. Traffic, pollution, overpopulation. But it was home.
“Have you ever been?” I ask, feeling my defensive side start to rise.
“A couple of times.” His answer surprises me.
“Did you like it?” I find myself asking, completely intrigued. Like I usually am when it comes to Reed.
