“He has no interest in chess, but actually,” she hums, not an ounce of sarcasm dripping from her tone, “he did say he wouldn’t beopposed to having some family game nights and inviting you, oddly enough.”
Gannett shrugs. “Sure. See? I have no problem withyourman.”
She narrows her eyes at him. “Are you insinuating that Gordy isyours?”
“No,” he and I both quickly blurt out in unison.
Two lines form between her brows, and her lips press into a thin line as her eyes flick between Gannett and I. “Right,” she quips, after a punctuated pause. “Well, I think it’s time for me to get the girls home.”
“Ourotherhome,” Tati clarifies. “Daddy’s house is our home too,” she adds, matter-of-factly.
Sarah sighs, resigned. “That’s correct. My apologies. I’ll see you Tuesday after swim, Gannett?”
He nods. “You know it.” The girls give him kisses and hugs, and he watches them right up until Sarah pulls out of the general store parking lot below. He puffs out a frustrated breath, propping his hip on the kitchen island. “Sorry about that.”
“You’re not responsible for other people’s opinions of me.”
“I know, but I just wish that everyone saw what I see.”
“And what’s that?” I quirk an eyebrow up at him.
“You’re not the asshole everyone thinks you are.”
“I really haven’t given anyone a reason to think otherwise.”
His lips twitch. “I will say, itiskind of nice to have this side of you all to myself.”
“Good, because I have no desire to open myself up to anyone as much as I have you.”
“I know”—he pauses, hesitantly—“we don’t really kiss or anything outside of the sexual stuff, but, fuck, I’ve really wanted to all damn day.”
“But you’re too scared to, because you think you’ll spook me?”
He nods, taking a corner of his bottom lip between his teeth.
“I get it,” I reassure him. “And I appreciate your honesty and your patience with me, Gannett, I really do. I know that there have been times, over these last few weeks, where you’ve questioned my comfortability with all this, but you haven’t pushed it. Like, at all. You have no idea how much that fuckin’ means to me.”
He reaches up, cupping my jaw, raking his fingers through my beard. “I’m happy to take things at your pace. We can take all the time you need. I mean it.”
“I don’t deserve someone like you.”
He grins, stepping into me, feathering his lips on mine. “That’s too fuckin’ bad, because I’m here. You can fight me on it if you want, but I’m not going anywhere.”
“Please don’t,” I murmur on his lips.
“Kay,” he sighs. Closing his eyes and pressing in, he devours my lips in a scorching kiss. He tilts his head, groaning when our tongues clash, slipping and dancing together. My arm snakes around his back, tugging his body flush against mine.
“Fuck, it’s so hot when you get all possessive and shit,” he hisses, sucking my bottom lip between his teeth.
“You want to be mine?” I ask, nipping that spot just below his jaw that I know makes him shudder.
“Yes,” he moans, rutting his erection into my hip.
“You want me toownyou?” I drawl, my palm curling around his throat. Using the pad of my thumb, I tip his chin up, allowing me better access to nip and suck my way down his neck.
“Ungh, yes,” he whimpers through clenched teeth, grinding into me more.
“You want to bemydirty fuckin’ whore?”
