Anxiety pulls at Minnie’s insides and when she grins, it feels false and strained.
You won’t think the same when you meet him, Mom. But, I’ll hope for a different outcome nonetheless.
Chapter 3
It’s later that evening when Gage appears at Minnie’s front door, just as she’s almost done making dinner.
“Smells amazin’ in here,” he quips with a grin, sauntering inside as if her home has become his as well. He comes directly up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as his lips find the nape of her neck. Shivers of fire dance across her skin as Minnie leans back into his solid frame, looking down briefly at his muscular, tattooed arms on her body.
She never imagined she would ever want someone the way she wants him.
“Thank you,” Minnie replies sheepishly. She’s not used to having a guest aside from Ariel. “I made extra because I wasn’t sure if you were coming over…” She trails off, not wanting to sound insecure or needy. She doesn’t understand their relationship and where their boundaries actuallyare.
He cups her ass in a way that makes her squeal, blushing. “Why wouldn’t I come over? I like being with you.” When he steps away, he slaps her rear firmly as a parting shot.
“You beast,” Minnie hisses at him indignantly, although she’s not actually mad. Just hearing him admit that he likes being with her makes her heart skip a beat.I like being with you, too. I always want to be with you.
The intensity of her feelings scares her; what if it’s too soon to feel the way she does? She’s inexperienced, hasn’t been in the dating game for so long. Well, she never really had much of a dating game, even when she was younger, but still. What if he thinks they’re just casual? What if he doesn’t feel as strongly about her?
He could be seeing other women, a thought that makes her stomach sick with jealousy. The idea of it is silly; he’s with her more often than he isn’t. Still…not impossible. Her thoughts unsettle her, insecurity nipping at her spine.
She doesn’t want to be utterly in love with a man who doesn’t feel the same. Minnie doesn’t want to get hurt-
“Want me to help set the table?” Gage asks, going to her cabinets, attempting to make himself useful. She likes that about him; Gage isn’t an idle sort of man. Heck, the last time something went awry with her bathroom sink, he was in there all afternoon battling it!
At least I’ll never need to pay for a handyman, Mom, she remembers thinking.My man isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. And he’s determined. And capable. He just happens to be a felon, too.
“Please,” Minnie replies with a smile, masking her thoughts. “Thank you.”
He snorts, chuckling a bit as he puts the plates where they belong. “Always so polite. This isn’t some fancy finishin’ school; this is your house. I ain’t gradin’ you on your level of debutant.”
Rolling her eyes, Minnie brings the roast over to the table. It smells heavenly. “It’s called being appreciative, and I’m sure you’d prefer I be appreciative over being some self-serving saucepot who never thanks you for a darn thing.”
After a moment, his expression softens. “You’re right. I’ve been with plenty of women who never showed an ounce of appreciation for anything. You’re just…different from the woman I’ve been with in the past. I like that about you. Kinda hot.”
“Don’t ham it up!” Minnie replies, face red, insecurity eating at her. She doesn’t like to think of him having some big past full of women who probably happen to be sexier than her. “I’m just considerate, that's all.”
Coming around the table, he kisses her again, his tongue dipping sensually into her mouth, brushing against her own. They rub together, a dance of intimacy and barely restrained lust. His tongue in her mouth is the same as his tongue between her legs. Sometimes, she thinks he likes having his mouth between her legs more than this. Minnie sighs into the kiss, melting against him as he showshisappreciation for her. “You’re exactly what I want,” he tells her when he pulls away, his eyes still on her mouth hungrily.
Aroused and completely off balance, Minnie tells him to stop being so sassy and to sit down and eat dinner. With a grin, he does as she commands.
When they’ve almost finished their meal, she decides to bring up the events of the day as they put the dishes away together. It feels as though her pulse is on her tongue, hot and frantic as she prepares to broach the subject of her family. “So. I wanted to tell you. The cat is out of the bag.”
He raises a single scarred eyebrow at her, his gaze taking in her body language with interest. “Which cat? And why does it have you wringin’ your hands like they’re wet towels?”
Minnie flushes and drops her hands to her sides. “Well, my mother has found out about you. Ariel inadvertently tipped her off.”
She can’t tell, but it almost seems like a muscle in his jaw twitches. His tone is so neutral that she assumes she must have imagined it. His rusty voice is carefully emotionless. “…and why is that scary?”
Shame eats at her. Minnie can’t just come out and tell him the real reason, that her parents are extremely old-fashioned,quitejudgmental, and she knows exactly how they would look at him. Quickly, she thinks of another truth that can suffice for now. It’s embarrassing enough that she’s certain it will keep him from suspecting the real answer. “I thought it would weird you out,that maybe it would feel too serious that my parents know about you. It’s just, I don’t even knowwhatwe are-”
“Is that what’s had you acting so off?” His intense eyes flicker with some emotion that she cannot quite understand. “You’ve been wanting to talk about that? What we are?” Gage steps closer to her, crowding into her space. Minnie feels her skin heat, pulse racing with something akin to excitement.
“I…I mean…we don’t have to…I,um…” What if he doesn’t want to be in a steady relationship?! His large hands find a place to rest on her hips, pulling her close. Minnie squeaks, flushing as she finds herself pressed up against his front.
“What do you want to be?” Gage leans down and puts his mouth by her ear, lips brushing her skin tantalizingly.
“I…I..um..” Words can’t seem to find a proper footing. Minnie feels like a fish out of water; her experience with relationships is rather narrow. Being honest and upfront feels like a terrifying endeavor, but how will he know what she wants if she’s too afraid to voice her opinion?
