That earned me another quick kiss. “Was already planning on it. Got a barbecue at the compound tomorrow. Not gonna bring you there the first time on anything but the back of my bike.”
I gaped up at him, my eyes widening. “You want to take me to the clubhouse?”
“Damn straight.” He opened the passenger door to the SUV and nudged me inside. “I’m not going without you.”
My head spun at the idea of seeing behind the electric fence I’d heard rumors of while he climbed into the driver’s seat. He pulled away from the curb, one hand on the wheel, the other finding mine on the center console like it was muscle memory now.
I watched the familiar streets slide by and let myself sink into the quiet thrill of being with the man I was falling for hard and fast. Starting that very first day when he told me we were going out for dinner instead of asking.
Somehow, my entire life had rearranged itself around him over the past ten days. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hadn’t even argued the tiniest bit when he’d told me on Wednesday that I needed to pack more. I’d just gone along with the plan and stuffed another suitcase full of clothes and a couple of my favorite books when he stopped at my apartment before heading to his house.
Then I started noticing the little things. Like my toothbrush being moved from the edge of the sink to a holder that hadn’t been there the day before. My coconut shampoo and conditioner lined up next to his body wash in the shower even though I hadn’t packed them. And a new container of my favorite oat milk showed up in the fridge when the first was running low, along with the Greek yogurt I liked and fresh berries. He’d even gotten a bag of the little individually wrapped dark chocolate squares I kept in my desk drawer at work for emergencies.
Colter was making sure I never had a reason to leave. In and out of bed.
Every night ended the same way. Him inside me, slow and deep one minute, hard and relentless the next. Until I wascoming so hard my vision blurred. Then he’d wrap me up in his arms and demand that I tell him who I belonged to. I never hesitated to whisper, “I’m yours.”
Those two words felt bigger and truer with every repetition.
I pulled myself from my deep thoughts when he pulled into the garage. He killed the engine, came around to open my door, and took my hand as we walked inside.
“Relax.” He pressed a quick kiss to my knuckles. “I have dinner. Go put your feet up.”
“Work felt like it dragged on forever today, so that sounds amazing. Thank you.”
I wandered into the living room instead of heading straight to the bedroom to change into something more comfortable. Colter’s furniture was high-end, in muted tones. So it was impossible to miss my favorite throw blanket thrown over the back of his leather couch. Soft teal chenille, with tiny pom-pom fringe.
I hadn’t packed it, but there had been a few times when I found myself wishing I had. Running my fingers over the fabric, I thought back to Wednesday night. I popped into the bathroom while he brought my bag downstairs, so he must’ve grabbed the blanket then.
He’d brought it without asking. Just added it to his space to make me feel more comfortable. Yet another way to show me how much he cared.
After changing into a pair of leggings and a T-shirt, I pulled the blanket around my shoulders, sank onto the couch, and tucked my legs under me. It wasn’t long before the scent of garlic and herbs reached me. Colter was a surprisingly good cook.
A few minutes later, he appeared in the doorway, a dish towel slung over one shoulder. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
I lifted the blanket higher. “You brought this over for me?”
His lips curved into his signature smirk. “Figured you’d want it here.”
His explanation was matter-of-fact. As though it was nothing to notice what made me feel cozy and then make sure it was waiting for me.
I blinked back happy tears before he could see them. My voice was thick when I murmured, “The food smells amazing. What did you make?”
“Pasta primavera with your favorite veggies.” He crossed the room, leaned down, and kissed the top of my head. “Five minutes. Don’t move.”
I stayed where I was until he called me to the table. The plates were already set, and my smile widened when I saw the zucchini and bell peppers mixed in with the pasta and chicken. And the glass of white wine at my seat, instead of the red at his. “You really don’t miss a thing.”
“Not when it comes to you.”
It would’ve sounded like a line coming from any other man, but I knew he meant what he said. He’d proved over and over again how much he picked up on when I talked. “Lucky me.”
We sat across from each other and talked about nothing important at first. I shared the funny story Sarah told me about her cat, and Colter told me that he’d spent the afternoon at the clubhouse handling club business. He didn’t give specifics, and I had learned not to ask.
Twirling pasta around his fork, he asked, “You been clearing a lot of minor audit flags lately?”
I blinked. “Um…yeah. Why?”
