While she tried to excuse her father’s choices, including in terms of how he treats his daughters differently, I find myself unable to respect the man any longer.
I stumble over my feet a little when the sound of my doorbell fills the house. My heart is racing and my palms are sweating. I’m pretty sure I’ve never been more excited in my life.
Every step toward the door feels like a mile. Then I’m ripping open the door and staring down at the woman who has captured me so completely. She didn’t even have to try. It was just inevitable.
Opening the door and seeing her feels like a revelation. My arm shoots out and hooks around her waist as I haul her against my chest. The way she melts into me as her arms twine around my neck has me taking a deep breath.
Honey and anise.
Helen.
Home.
Mine.
“I missed you,” the words rumble out of me, and she props her chin on my chest as she looks into my eyes.
The light in her brown eyes makes them look like they’re glowing. She’s so damn beautiful that it hurts sometimes.
“I missed you,” she whispers the words back to me, the truth easy to see in her gaze.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I rasp the words.
She sighs and rests her head against my chest for a moment before she perks back up and tries to peer over my shoulder. “It smells reallygood in here,” she says cheekily. “There’s nothing burning. So far, so good.”
I chuckle and dip enough for our mouths to brush. Honestly, my intentions were to keep it simple and chaste. But I should have known better.
The kiss turns heated within a heartbeat. When our tongues come into play, they twine together, dueling and darting, sliding and slipping. I love kissing this woman and I never want to stop.
But I also need to breathe.
When I pull back from her, we’re both panting. I press my forehead against hers and simply live in the moment. Just for a moment.
“I’ll have you know,” there’s a posh tease in my voice, “I’m a good cook, and I plan to get you addicted to the meals I make. Then you’ll never want to leave.”
Her head tips back and her laughter wraps around me. When she settles back down, her brown eyes are sparkling with joy, and it makes my heart feel so damn light and a little wobbly.
“So, you trying to get to my heart through food?” She shrugs, her smile turning coy. “It’s not a bad approach.”
When I kiss her this time, it is slow and sweet. I savor her taste and her lips tip up into a smile which feels like fireflies buzzing amongst my soul.
“Come on in,” I pull her fully into my house and watch her face as she looks around the room. She doesn’t look disgusted or wary.
It feels like a victory already, even though I would be surprised if she were to have such a reaction, regardless of what my house looks like. She’s too sweet for that and her manners are far too good.
There are people who would take advantage of her and her kindness. But not me. I’ll make sure she’s protected from people like that, peoplewho are takers and only care about what she can add to their life.
Her light deserves to be protected.
“We have a few minutes before I can plate everything up,” I murmur, my hand finding the small of her back like it’s the most natural thing. Because it is. I want to find little reasons to touch her.
It feels foreign and the easiest thing in the world. In the past, I tended to not be touchy. Maybe because G-Bets wasn’t affectionate in an overt way. She wasn’t cold, but touch wasn’t how she expressed her love.
All I want to do is touch Helen.
When I lead her into my living room and watch as she looks around. There are a few photos of the Blue Ridge Mountains by a local photographer. They make me feel connected to home and remind me that my roots here are deep and they matter.
In a way, they remind me to appreciate the life I have. It wasn’t like my grandmother had to take me in, but she did. Knowing I live in the shadow of death leaves a mark. I don’t really understand what it truly means to miss my parents because I never had them.
