He walked around the other side of the bed, then leaned against the wall like he was posing for a cigarette commercial in the nineties. Yep. My idea was shit. But I deserved the eye candy, dammit.
“Okay. You had relationships, I had relationships. You got your little macho aggression out just now, so let’s agree to not talk about those relationships going forward. Agreed?”
“Agreed. But I never had a relationship. Just a few one night stands to take the edge off.”
A part of me enjoyed that he hadn’t been truly withanyone else, even though the idea of him being with someone else sent a small pang to my chest. But I wasn’t going to tell him the same for me. He was the one who left. I didn’t have to provide him comfort for that.
“Since you’ve decided for me that we will live together, I get a say in where it is, and my name will be on the title or lease.” It was wild how easily those words fell from my lips. Of course this was all crazy. Why did this seem normal? Why did this feel right?
He nodded. “Okay.”
“And I get to decorate how I want.”
“Okay.”
“Wait. Do you want kids? Orakid?” Since I was just blurting it all out and making demands, now seemed like a good time to get that out of the way.
“I think we’d make pretty babies. But I don’t live a very family-friendly lifestyle.”
“That’s not an answer,” I said as I crossed my arms.
“I’ve imagined having a kid with you. But if you don’t want any, I’d be happy with us.”
Even though having a child with an outlaw wasn’t very smart on paper, his words melted my heart. “You thought of kids with me? When?”
“Back then. All the times I thought of you. The last few days. I used to imagine what it would be like if I hadn’t left. Sometimes it made me want to go find you. But I truly thought I was doing what was best for you.”
“Okay. So, what changed? Why are you now suddenly claiming me?” There’s my brain, fighting to get back in the game.
“Once I saw you in the flesh, even though you were smirking and throwing a drink in my face, I knew I couldn’t live through that again. I won’t let you go again, Sparrow. I can’t.”
“About that,” I said. “You didn’t have the right to decide that. And frankly, it’s offensive you thought I couldn’t be with you and finish school. I’m not some idiot girl who would ruin my life for a good fuck.”
He grinned. “Sorry, you’re right. But I like it when you talk dirty.”
I grabbed a pillow from the bed and tossed it at him. “I’m serious, Rick. I need to know you’ll support me, not try to decide things for me. What you did wasn’t just shitty, it was misogynistic. I can stand on my own. I just didn’t want to.”
He sighed, his arms falling to his side. My eyes followed, catching a glimpse of his cock. Seriously, note to self: heavy discussions clothed in the future.
“I was a dumb boy. I didn’t want to ruin your life,” he said, holding his hands up when my mouth started to open. “I know I should have just talked to you. But in my little idiot ego-filled brain, I was making the hard decision so you didn’t have to. But I’m not a boy anymore. I’ll stand with you and by you. I’ll support you and respect your decisions, as long as they aren’t dangerous.”
I giggled. “That’s funny coming from you. But I appreciate that.”
“Seriously, Sparrow. It’s your world. I just want to be in it. I love you, Kristie.”
Each time he said that, part of me wanted to shout it back at him. Instead, I smiled, then climbed onto the bed. “Good. I’m getting tired. So, if you meant what you said before, better get to it.”
He stalked to the bed, pushed me to my back as I giggled, then promptly got to work. In a matter of five minutes, I’d planned my future in my birthday suit. And it all felt perfect.
Chapter 16
Rooster
A fog had been lifted. I wasn’t that punk kid from before, but I sure felt a hell of a lot younger. Or was that just happiness? Was I happy? It all seemed surreal. Every day I went to bed holding her, but every morning I woke up surprised she was in my arms.
A week had passed, but she hadn’t left, or even mentioned going back to Jersey or to her parents. She was a little annoyed that I’d had her apartment packed up before we talked, but she let me make it up to her… a few times.
I was happy to oblige her, and liked that she not only told me what she wanted, but demanded it. Still, she let me take control once the clothes were off. We may have been apart a long time, but the chemistry we had never dulled. That may have been one of the major factors of her sticking around,but I’d take it. She hadn’t told me she loved me, but that was expected. She was here. She was with me. If she needed to hold on to that last little bit of her heart for a while, I’d live with it. But I told her every day I loved her and I would keep doing it.
