“I like you being my babe, too,” I say giddily.
“Fuck it, let’s get you home because seeing you on a horse is so fucking hot.” He groans as he tries to right his dick.
“While we are on the subject of babe …” I say, biting my lip as we trot back toward the house. “Stacey is getting married in Australia in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering if you wanted to be my date.”
“In Australia?” he asks. I nod. “With you?” Um, yeah. Now I’m worried, maybe weddings are a trigger. I thought he would be leaping for joy. “As your partner.” I nod, swallowing hard, then I notice his eyes glistening with emotion. “I’d be honored.”
“You would?” I ask, shocked because I was worried he wasn’t interested.
“Yes, of course.”
“I was worried there for a second,” I tell him.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was surprised by your question.”
“Surprised? After we’d just declared our feelings for each other.”
“Yeah. Because I still can’t believe someone like you wants someone like me,” he tells me.
“Charlie, you’re a fricken catch. I’m the one who can’t believe you want me. I’m a mess.”
“You’re not a mess, D. But we can be messes together.” He grins.
“I like that.”
“Me too. Sums us up.”
“You’re the Ying to my Yang,” I tease him.
“Are you saying we are opposites?”
“Um, yeah. We are so opposite. You’re like one of the manliest men I know.”
“You look pretty manly yourself.” He smirks, looking me up and down.
“I feel manly riding atop my steed, wearing flannel.” This cracks Charlie up laughing.
“Fuck, I love you, D.” We both still. “Shit … um … I wasn’t supposed to drop that just yet.” Charlie cringes.
“You love me?” I ask him.
“Please don’t freak out …”
“I’m not freaking out …” I’m kind of freaking out, but not in a bad way. I’m freaking out because how the hell did I get so lucky?
“You look like you’re freaking out.” Charlie looks at me with concern.
“Well, Charlie Nash, I’m not freaking out because I love you too.”
“Damn. Wow. You do?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not too quick?” he questions me.
“Probably, but I talk to you every single day. You have buried yourself so deep inside of me that I don’t think I can ever let you go. My heart is yours, and whatever happens, happens. But my feelings for you are real, Charlie. No one has ever made me feel as safe as you do or as loved. I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have you love me,” I confess to him.
Tears well in the big guy’s eyes. “Dammit, D, that was beautiful.”
