When we’re done eating, I move our plates away from us, scoot back and lift my woman off her stool and place her on the island in front of me. Helen’s hands shoot out and grip my shoulders, her eyes wide with shock as she stares at me.
“What are you doing?” She gasps the words and is so damn adorable it takes my breath away.
I stand up and wedge my body between her thighs. My hands cup her face and stare into her eyes.
“I’m not used to having someone take care of me,” I admit. “It won’t be easy, but I have a feeling you won’t let me get away with it.”
“You would be correct,” she chirps back haughtily with a saucy look on her face.
I take her mouth in a gentle kiss, but it heats up very quickly. It always does with us.
My hands clamp down on her bare thighs, and I let out a groan at the feel of just how soft she is. I love touching her. Fuck, I just love this woman.
“Are you wearing panties, Helen,” I grind out the words, my jaw clenching with the effort of holding back.
“I don’t remember if I slipped them on this morning or not,” she muses innocently in a way that makes me harder for her.
As if I wasn’t already. My sweatpants don’t hide it either.
Her hands sweep over my chest, and I shudder at the contact. “You don’t remember, hum?” There’s a challenge in my voice as I arch an eyebrow at her.
She shrugs while looking up at me from underneath her lashes. One of my hands slides into her hair and tangles the strands around my fingers to hold her in place. My other hand slides up the inside of her thigh.
Just as I’m about to find out if she’s bare under my shirt, I hear my front door swing open and I jerk in surprise.
G-Bet’s voice rings out from the front door, “Rhodes? Where are you?”
Helen’s eyes are wide and round like dinner plates. She quickly bats my hand away from her thigh while trying to push me back. The way she tries to wiggle to the edge of the island tells me she’s planning on jumping down.
Hell no.
Before Helen can put any distance between us, my grandmother sweeps into the room. She takes in the scene in front of her, which, from her angle, probably looks a lot worse than it is.
G-Bets covers her eyes but doesn’t turn around and leave.
“Good morning, to the both of you. I heard about my grandson having a very public date at The Goose last night. Last I heard nothing was official and figured it was best for me to stop by and see what’s what.”
Helen pushes at my chest again and hisses, “Rhodes Wilder, if you don’t let me down right now, you are not going to like the consequences.”
Since G-Bets is trying to appear serious and stoic, only one side of her mouth twitches, but I know she’s fighting a smile. When Helen pushes me again, I grip her hips and lift her off the counter and then steady her on her feet.
Helen’s fingers twist in the hem of my shirt and she looks between my grandmother and me with pleading eyes. My grandmother clapping has both of our heads whipping in her direction.
Her shrewd eyes assess my woman, but there’s no malice in her gaze. I know my G-Bets, and she would never do anything to hurt me. Not treating my woman well would hurt me.
Helen mutters, “I can’t believe I’m meeting your grandmother without pants on.” Her eyes widen and she covers her mouth with her hand before she looks up at me slow and asks, “I just said that out loud, didn’t I?”
I nod and my grandmother cackles.
The next thing I know my woman is being enveloped in my grandmother’s arms and being given a hug so tight it might pop her head clean off. Helen lets out an oof.
“I would save you, Sweetheart, but I know prying her hold off you would be next to impossible,” I tease her.
She wheezes, “Didn’t you say you’d protect me?”
I chuckle before patting my grandmother’s shoulder and reminding the woman who has never let me down. “How about you let her breathe,” I suggest gently.
G-Bets lets out a huff and slowly releases Helen who looks more than a little dazed. I get it; Betty Wilder has that effect on people.
