“Derek is nothing to me and hasn’t been since he left me for a job in Japan. He didn’t like it, so he came back, thinking I would welcome him home with open arms. We bought our place together, then he left me to pay the mortgage myself, demanding I sell or buy his share. That’s why I was so desperate for the money from the tea shop. I didn’t want to lose my fancy apartment.”
“I’ll fly over there myself and kick his ass for treating you that way.”
“No need. He can have the apartment for all I care. I don’t want to live there anymore. He can sell it or buy my share.” She steps towards me, placing her palms on my chest. “Where are you flying to?”
“Nowhere now. At least not without you.” I lift my hand to cup her face and remember the letter. Digging it from my pocket, I hold it between us. “What the hell is this?”
“It’s your dream.”
“I don’t want this without you. I won’t sign it.”
“Please Gray. I want you to have it. You deserve to be the sole owner of this place. It’s what Betty would’ve wanted.”
“What Betty would’ve wanted is for you to stay. It’s what I want too. I’m sorry I was a jackass. I was in a rage after talking to Declan.”
“Derek.” She smiles.
“Dickwad.”
“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I thought Daisy was the love of your life who you got the daisy tattoos for.”
I reach a hand over my shoulder and scrunch my t-shirt in my fist, then pull it over my head. “These aren’t daisies.” I take hold of her fingers and place her palm over the ink on my chest. “They’re camomile flowers.”
Her face scrunches. “But you hate camomile tea.”
I drop the letter and cup her face with both hands, smoothing out the creases on her brow with my thumb. “Hate tea, love you.”
A sob escapes her, and I swallow it with a kiss. My tongue slips into her parted mouth. She hums, vibrating against my lips. Her fingers furl around my biceps, and I taste her deeper, leaving no secret unspoken as our tongues say what we feel without words.
The cords in my arms bulge as I grab her ass and lift her onto her tiptoes. “I’ve always loved you, Cam.”
“Gray, I love you, too. I’ve loved you since our first kiss when you saved my life.”
“I’ll always be there to save you, if you’ll let me.” I press my lips to hers again, needing to make up for the last four days. Or ten years.
“Will you help me unpack my suitcase, too?”
“You’re staying?”
“I never wanted to leave. I’ve grown to love this little slice of Tranquili-tea and the people here.”
“Good. I’m never letting you go. You know that? This was never my dream. You were. This place isn't anything without you. We're fifty-fifty, remember?”
She pulls back a little, holding my shoulder at arm’s length. “You’re still gonna be the boss in the bedroom, though, right?”
“You bet your ass I am.” And on that note, I squeeze her thighs. “You have about five seconds to get this big beautiful ass in the bedroom before I turn it pink.”
She gasps and scrambles through the living space. My heart swells in my chest just as my dick swells in my jeans. The worst day of my life just turned into the best. National Tea Day is now our official anniversary and I’m definitely gonna be thirsty after our workout.
This is it now. I’m gonna spend the rest of my life with this amazing woman. This is the start of something new.
CAMI
June
“How’s this, flower?” Gray slots the last of the fake pine sprigs into a wooden frame he built on the wall in the shape of a tree. The Christmas in July festival is looming. Everyone is making preparations, and I had to make a compromise with the decorations.
“Looking good, Gray. Glory, what do you think?” I press my lips to the side of Gray’s cheek, catching his usual scent of peppermint and cinnamon rolls.
