“Yeah, you’re probably right. Did I mention I love you?” he asked as he laid her on the bed, but she kept her arms around his neck and grinned.
“You might’ve mentioned it a time or two. Now I’m expecting you to show me.”
A smile played on Tristan’s mouth, and he brought his lips inches from hers. “I think I can handle that.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
It had been a month since the baby conversation, and Cree could honestly say it had brought her and Tristan closer. Granted, the days that followed their talk had still been a little tense since Tristan blamed himself. Yet, Cree kept reiterating that he hadn’t been to blame, and in order for them to have a future, they had to stop dwelling on the past.
It took awhile, but he had finally come around and lately had been talking more about their future. A future she wanted with him. Which was something she once thought she’d never have again but thank goodness for second chances. Having Tristan back in her life made her realize she hadn’t been doing much living. Working from sunup to sundown with the occasional family event tossed in wasn’t living.
No, living might include those things, but it also included looking forward to going home to the man you loved. It included enjoying the simple things in life like showering together, going on evening walks after a rough day at work, and even sitting at the kitchen counter, snacking on grapes, while watching her man cook for her.
Cree found herself grinning throughout the day at something he did or said, and these days, she looked forward to any time they got to spend together. She could admit to being happier than she’d been in a long time.
They were currently in Atlanta where Tristan had been working on an endorsement project, and the production company had given him the royal treatment. She and Tristan were in a hotel suite that could rival any luxury apartment, and from the moment Cree walked into it two days ago, she had felt at home.
She’d stayed in her share of beautiful hotels, but nothing like this one. The suite included top of the line everything from chandeliers to soaking tubs, and it even had a baby grand piano in the corner of the living room. The service from the hotel staff was also top-notch.
She wasn’t looking forward to leaving the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom suite that looked like something out of Luxury Travel magazine. But at least now she knew how the other half lived.
“Damn, I’ve missed you,” Tristan said as he sipped his champagne while rubbing her legs that were in his lap.
“Not as much as I’ve missed you.” She tried to lower her legs so she could lean over and kiss him, but Tristan held firm.
They had just finished eating dinner—sushi, shrimp tempura, and a cucumber salad—and were still sitting at the round, dining table. After his photo shoot earlier, they had returned to the hotel so that they could make up for the time they’d been apart. The week and a half with him in Atlanta and her in Chicago had felt more like months, and she wasn’t looking forward to doing it again any time soon.
She had wanted to arrive the week before but work obligations had kept her away. Everything worked out well, though, because this weekend was family weekend at Clark Atlanta University where her nephew attended. Not only was she spending some much-needed time with Tristan, but she’d also get to hang out with her nephew, Tray, as well as Essence and Jackson.
“You look good in my shirt,” Tristan said, as his large hand crept higher on her leg, and she tried not to moan. His sensual touch, even on her legs, felt like an erotic caress that stirred her desire for him. After a couple of rounds of sex this evening, she should’ve had her fill, but nope, she wanted him again.
As for the shirt, she had slipped into the light-blue dress shirt, which he had discarded earlier when room service showed up sooner than she thought they would.
“And you look good in nothing but your sweatpants,” she said, and he grinned.
His sculpted upper body was on full display, showing off his brawny chest, sinewy muscles, and rippling abs. The man’s body from head to toe was like a piece of art. As far as Cree was concerned, he never had to wear shirts—or clothes for that matter—around the house. She’d love nothing more than to admire his mouth-watering physique 24/7.
When her gaze met his eyes, she smiled at the way he was staring at her, like she hung the moon and the stars. The love she saw in his eyes made her feel all tingly inside. She didn’t think she could miss anyone as much as she had missed him while she was stuck in Chicago.
Still holding on to her legs with one hand, Tristan ate another piece of sushi. “My real estate agent called,” he said. “She found a house in Wilmette for me to look at when I return to Chicago.”
Cree frowned. “I thought you were trying to find someplace near the lake, not the suburbs.”
“I was, but when you and I were talking about houses a couple of weeks ago, you mentioned you like Wilmette and the Hinsdale area. So, I told her to adjust her search.”
Cree didn’t know what to say. Seemed she fell in love with this man more each day. He’d always been a good listener, but she hadn’t expected him to change his house hunt because of her. Honestly, the way her heart beat for him these days, she didn’t care what part of town they lived in. She’d follow him to the end of the earth.
“Tristan, I—”
“I want you to move in with me. Which means I need to find a place that you would like to live in. Actually, I think it’s time for you to join this house hunt.”
He’d been looking at more places lately, especially now that he had accepted an offer on his family’s huge home, and his parents had found a house. He had told Cree that, now that everyone else was situated, he could focus more on his future, which included her.
Cree lowered her legs and moved her chair closer to his. “I want us to move in together, but don’t change your search criteria for me. If you want to live in a condo overlooking the lake, I can handle that.”
She placed a tender kiss on his lips before releasing him.
“I can live anywhere as long as you’re there with me. So, we’ll find a house in the suburbs.”
