Burying my nose in the hair at the top of her head, I closed my eyes and took a moment—one that was just the two of us, and nothing else in the world existed.
I’d never even realized anything was missing from my life, until she’d come along and filled so much of it.
“I think I’m ready.”
Her words confused me for a moment. “What exactly are you ready for, baby?”
“Us,” she whispered. “This.” Before I could say anything back, she added, “Whatever comes next.”
It felt like my heart was going to shoot out of my chest with how hard it was beating. Taking a deep breath in, I turned Sienna to face me so she was straddling my lap.
“I need to ask you a question, okay?” When she nodded hesitantly, I continued, “Do you want this to be an official us?”
Tilting her head to the side, she asked, “Like you being my boyfriend?”
“I’d be your man, and you’d be my woman.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Not in my world.” Shaking my head, I picked her hand up and pressed it against my chest. “Feel that? A boyfriend asks a girl out and holds her hand. They measure what they do in bases, like first and second base, and go out on dates that end with a curfew.
“A man’s heart beats for his woman. I’ll take you out, and there are no curfews when I do. And nothing we do is measured in bases, it’s measured in pleasure.”
“Oh, wow,” she breathed, and when I looked at her eyes, I could see her pupils were slightly dilated.
“You call the shots on what we do, Sienna, always. If we go too fast or too far, you tell me, and I’ll pull back. But you still haven’t answered my question—do you want this to be an official us.”
“Does Grizzly Adams have a beard?”
My head jerked at the random question. “Who’s that?”
“Never mind,” she sighed. “I’m such a dork. The answer’s yes, of course I do.”
Rubbing my hand up her back until it was at the nape of her neck, I pulled her down to kiss her softly. “Everything else will fall into place. Just so you know, I want us to be official.”
Smiling against my mouth, she whispered, “Then I guess you’re my man.”
“And that makes you my woman.”
“Yay,” she squealed softly.
Fuck me, she was the most precious thing I’d ever held in my hands. And I was the lucky bastard who got to call her his.
Three hours later…
I’d managed not to throw Sienna on her bed after we’d spoken earlier, and instead, we’d watched a movie and cuddled on the couch. It felt weird even saying I’d done that, but it was far from a hardship for me.
Now we were in bed, and I was staring at the shadows coming in from the windows, wondering how the hell I was going to get to sleep.
Why? Because I wanted Sienna badly, and I was doing the best thing for her and being a gentleman. My dick was saying one thing, but my brain and heart were in control and wouldn’t ruin this for the world.
“I can hear you thinking,” she said out of nowhere, making me jump.
“Sorry, baby. I thought you were asleep.”
“I can’t sleep,” she sighed as her finger began tracing the tattoos on my chest.
Wracking my brains for an idea to help, I suggested, “You want to go to the workshop and look at the projects?”
“Nuh-uh.”
I’d already done what I was about to suggest twice, but I guess a third time wouldn’t hurt. “Do you need me to check the locks again?”
“Nope.”
“What about tea? I’ve never made it, but I know it involves bag things and hot water, so how hard can it be?”
Laughing silently, she said, “That’s not it.”
What else could there be? “I’m running out of ideas, babe.”
Pushing up so that she was resting on her hip, Sienna swung her leg over my hips, stopping when she was straddling me. Tonight she was only wearing an oversized t-shirt, and the new position made it ride up high on her hips.
“I was being honest earlier when I said I was ready.”
All of the self-restraint and willpower that I’d mustered up was quickly disappearing. “Why don’t we wait and—”
Crossing her arms in front of her, she grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it up over her head. Seeing her naked apart from her panties, my brain stalled.
Fisting the sheet in my hands, I croaked, “Sienna, baby, are you sure?”
Throwing the garment behind her, she bit down on her lower lip and nodded.
Letting go of the sheet, I trailed my hands up either side of her waist, stopping to trace over the tattoo, the one mark that she had on it now. Under it was proof of her strength and beauty, though, and that knowledge still packed a punch.