“You’re welcome,” she says softly. “Are you ready to go into the store?”
“As long as you are.”
She nods. So we both exit the car, and I meet her on her side. Because we are nowhere near Cape Meril, I hold her hand and love the way she leans into my side when we walk toward the store.
“Never did I think when you first walked into my house that weeks later I’d be holding your hand and complimenting your penis.”
“When I was flying across the Atlantic to meet a stranger from the internet, I never thought I’d be headed into a floor store to help her pick out new flooring while picturing her naked in my head the entire time.”
“Theo,” she groans, making me laugh.
“What? It’s true. You’re insanely hot, Renley. I have visions of your naked body on replay in my head constantly. You’re telling me you don’t have an image of my dick playing on repeat in your head?”
“I’m able to function without thinking about your penis.”
“I’m able to function without thinking about you naked,” I reply. “I just choose not to.”
“Because you have issues.”
“No.” I lean in and kiss her neck. “Because I’m addicted and I choose to feed that addiction every chance I get.”
“Would you want to feed that addiction this weekend at a dinner with me, you, Aunt Kitty, and Rupert?”
“As a couple?”
She shakes her head. “No, Aunt Kitty wants to do something nice for you two and she’s insisting on a Sunday roast. It’s one of the things we got in an argument about. She’s asking Rupert and asked me to ask you. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to. We’re going to have to act like acquaintances during dinner.”
“Acquaintances?” I ask as I open the door to the store for her. “Not even friends? I’d think that in her eyes, we’re at least friends by now.”
“You know what I mean. But seriously, don’t feel like you need to say yes.”
“Do you not want me to say yes?” I ask as she turns toward me.
“This is coming out wrong and I feel like I’m insulting you and I’m not trying to. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to go to dinner when we can’t act normal around her.”
“Why don’t we take the opportunity to tell her about us?”
Renley’s eyes widen. “What? No. That’s not a good idea.”
“Do you really think she’s going to make a big deal about it?”
Renley pulls me to the side and whispers, “Absolutely. She’s going to make a big deal about it. You’ve met her. When does she not make a big deal about things? Please, I don’t want to deal with it right now. I’m so close to getting the shop ready. We have window installers coming in next week, the bathroom will be done soon. Inventory should be coming in soon. I just want to get the shop up and running before she knows, or else it’s going to become a distraction. One I don’t need right now.”
“How would she make it a distraction?”
“Off the top of my head?” She pauses and gives it some thought. “Well, I could see her transforming the entire shop into some sort of celebration nest, creating a mess. Then I could see her stopping by every two seconds to take pictures of us, to ask us questions, to poke and prod and capture every moment until I want to scream. I promise you, she’ll be over the top about it, and then…” Her eyes widen. “Oh God, and then she’ll probably throw herself a party because she was the one who signed me up on the website.” She shakes her head. “Please, I just don’t want to deal with it right now. After the shop is open.”
“Okay.” I bring her in close and wrap my arms around her, kissing the top of her head. “And I’d love to come over for dinner, even if it means I have to pretend to be your friend. As long as I get to hang out with you, that’s all I care about.”
“Who knew the guy with the big penis could be so sensitive and sweet?”
I laugh. “I’m a man of many great attributes.”
“And so humble too.”
Chapter Forty
RENLEY
