All the Sauce (IceCats 4)

When I’m done, I walk toward our room, but I pause to ask, “Do you want me to start putting your clothes away?”

She shakes her head without looking at me. “I’m coming.”

I head to the room and start unloading the boxes so the clothes are easier for her to hang. When she comes in, I’ve made piles everywhere, and she gets to work. She doesn’t have many clothes but enough to take her an hour to put away. We do it in silence. We’ve never not talked for this long and it’s killing me, but I’m still so upset. I watch as she hangs things, and she’s just so goddamn magnificent.

I get up and grab a guitar. I tune it and feel her gaze on me. When I start to play “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars, I see her out of the corner of my eye as she leans against the wall, clutching some clothes to her chest. I start to sing the chorus, badly, but it’s only for her. I finish the song, meeting her gaze, and a small smile sits on her lips. I drop my hands to my sides and then shrug.

“You know I love every single thing about you.”

Her eyes are shiny with tears as she meets my gaze. “I know you do.”

“Surely you understand why I’m so upset, then.”

“It’s not that I don’t, Owen. It’s that it’s not that easy for me.”

“But it should be, because I wouldn’t be grossed out or anything of that nature when it comes to you.”

She looks away and shrugs. “I just feel like sometimes you forget I’m overweight.”

“Because to me, it doesn’t matter,” I say simply. “And I’ve told you that from the beginning.”

“I know, but I…” She struggles as her voice fills with emotion. “Not everyone is you.”

I nod. “You’re right. But I’m yours.”

Her little lip wobbles, and she hangs the dress she’s holding. When she turns, she looks at me as the tears begin to fall. “I’ve just spent so much time hating myself, and then I started to fall in love with me, enjoy how strong I am and the shape my body is taking. I started working out because it was fun, especially when I’m with you. But my stomach isn’t doing much—it’s all lumpy and full of marks. It’s not pretty.”

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen it,” I throw at her, and she rolls her eyes.

“You’ll say it’s beautiful because you love all of me—” She stops mid-sentence and swallows. I want to scream in victory at her eureka moment, but I stand silent and I wait. The gears are working in her head, and then without her saying a word, I watch as she kicks off her shoes. I press my tongue up into the roof of my mouth as she undoes her pants and pushes them down those delectable thighs. My mouth is watering when she reaches for her shirt. I can see her hands shaking, but I stay where I am. I want to help, but she has to want to do this.

Her eyes meet mine, and I smile. “Show me the goods, gorgeous.”

She hesitates for only another second before she lifts her shirt, revealing the reason for our fight. Honestly, then I get distracted by her perfect boobs, but when I see what she’s been hiding, I’m flabbergasted. The part she hates most about herself isn’t even what she claimed it to be. I’m pretty sure my gut is bigger than hers. I shake my head, and her eyes widen. I hold up my phone and ask, “Can I take a picture to use when I need to get off on my road trips?”

Her eyes go wild as she covers her stomach. “Owen!”

“What? Sugar,” I say, shrugging as I walk toward her, “you’re fucking hot.”

Tears fill her eyes. “You’re just saying that to get in my pants.”

I glance at the floor where her pants are. “I mean, there aren’t much pants to get into.”

“You’re impossible.”

“And you bring me to my knees,” I admit, taking her in my arms and kissing the hell out of her. I pick her up and carry her to our bed before laying her down. I cover her body with mine, kissing down her neck to her chest. I pull down the cups of her bra and suck her sweet nipples into my mouth. She squirms beneath me, and my cock hurts from being so hard. I leave her breasts, kissing down her ribs and falling between her legs.

I run my fingers along the soft skin of her belly, and she asks, “What are you doing?”

“Trying to find all these imperfections you speak of.”

She groans. “Owen, I know you see them.”

I meet her gaze before lowering my lips to her belly button. I kiss it. “Sorry, all I see is the stomach of a really strong, smart, and gorgeous woman. One I love very much.”