“Told Harper about us,” I said, not even bothering to tuck away my smile.
“And she doesn’t completely hate me?” Rory winced.
I grabbed his hand and tugged him close. His breath puffed against my face, and I leaned down to claim his lips in a kiss. The fact I could reassure him like this, that he was mine—fuck. Butterflies exploded inside me, and I savored the minty taste of him, drank in the sweet way he melted against me.
When I pulled back, I lifted up my phone and showed him Harper’s text.
His eyes crinkled at the edges, and the genuine smile from him was one I wanted to memorize. “Dammit, she’s the best.”
“Yeah, she is.” Pride thrummed in my chest at how she’d handled the news—far better than I’d been worried she would.
“Does this mean she’s got to call me Dad?” Rory teased.
I squeezed his ass tight, and he yelped.
“That’s sensitive,” he said, swatting at my chest.
“I know,” I responded, amusement brimming inside me. Somehow, within seconds of Rory coming into the room, I’d forgotten everything I’d been stressing about. He pulled me out of my mind like no one else could.
“Ready to go face the Brannon horde?” he asked, chewing on his lower lip. Was he nervous?
“Only if you want to,” I reminded him, not wanting him to feel like he had to rush anything.
He let out a sigh. “I do. And normally I’m an attention whore around them but…that’s not involving anything personal.”
I didn’t need to ask to draw the connections. Rory loved to draw attention to himself in loud ways to avoid people digging deeper.
“My siblings might already be aware I’m interested in you anyway.” He scrubbed at his face. “I don’t know why I’m nervous.”
“Thank you for telling me,” I said, leaning in to brush my lips to his. “I’m nervous too. That your parents won’t like me. That your family will think I’m too old for you.”
And that his siblings would find me just as dull as my own had, but I still wrestled with that one. Rory’s affection had started to chip away at those feelings on its own, but the old insecurities still bubbled up sometimes.
Rory shook his head. “My oldest brother’s just a few years younger than you. And you’re the only person I’ve ever brought home, so they’ll love you.”
“If I have it my way, I’ll be the only person you’ll ever bring home.” The admission slipped out, maybe a little too possessive, too fast, but I couldn’t help the inferno that roared inside me.
“I’d say that’s sounds ominous, but I liked hearing it too much,” he said. “You’re the first guy who’s broken through my defenses. I’m not interested in letting anyone else in.”
My heart squeezed tight. I couldn’t believe how damn lucky I’d gotten. Facing his family didn’t terrify me the same way it had, knowing he dealt with nerves too. “Come on. Let’s get going.”
Rory wrinkled his nose. “You sure you don’t want to wait a little longer? I haven’t blown you in my kitchen yet.”
“As tempting as that is, I’m not missing out on the chance to tell your family about us.” I squeezed his ass again, and he let out anothersatisfying yelp. Spanking hadn’t been on my radar before him, but I was full-on addicted now.
“Fine,” he said, slipping past me to grab his leather jacket from the kitchen chair. He slid it on, snagged his keys, and beelined for the door. Rory glanced back at me. “What are you waiting for?”
I shook my head, a grin on my lips. I fucking adored his sass. Everything about him lit me up inside, and by some miracle, he was mine. He opened the door, and I followed him out as we headed to his car.
“How far are your folks from here?” I asked, hopping into the passenger side. I hated not being in the driver’s seat, a personal tic of mine, but it made more sense for Rory to lead right now.
“A few minutes away,” he said. “The farthest any of us ended up was ten minutes from where we grew up.”
I let out a low whistle. “That’s impressive.”
“We’re a needy bunch,” he said, turning on the ignition and hitting the road. He coursed down a few main streets, quickly heading off them into purely residential. The houses were cute here, the sort I’d raised Harper in before Susie and I had gotten our divorce. As much as the apartment was fine for now, part of me craved to be back in a house, carving my marks upon a place.
Maybe this time I’d have a different companion.
