Defend

“If I walk over there, you’ll seduce me. I know that look on your face.”

“What’s wrong with being seduced? We’re supposed to be celebrating, aren’t we?” I ask innocently.

“By going to eat first. I’m starved.”

“Well, order something and then get over here,” I demand.

He frowns as he walks over to me. “You really don’t want to go out? What kind of celebration would it be if we didn’t go to some nice restaurant?”

“The kind where we enjoy ourselves first and foremost. Let’s order something and eat in. Please?” My fingers tease with the top of his towel. “It is my celebration, after all,” I remind him. “You pick what to eat and I get you.”

“All right.”

We spend a few minutes placing a takeout order with an Italian restaurant. Okay, so we don’t do it. Brent places the order while I strip down, enjoying the way his eyes watch my every move. He hangs up just as I remove his towel.

“It’ll be ready in twenty minutes. I’ll need to leave before then.”

“Yes, boss. I’ll only use nineteen minutes of your time, I promise.”

Brent laughs. He shakes his head with a smile before dipping his head to kiss me. Our hands roam over one another, mine soft and eager and Brent’s callused and teasing. Being with Brent never ceases to amaze me. The longer we’re together, the better it feels, the higher the rush, the more connected I feel to him.

He whispers sweet nothings to me. Some are simply sweet, some are deliciously dirty, and some are three short words that ultimately mean the most. Ever since he told me how he felt, I’ve realized that even if he didn’t say those words, I’m certain I would know. He shows me so often. From how he touches me, to how he treats me, to the things he says to me, he shows his love in various ways.

“Satisfied?” he asks, kissing me on the cheek before sliding out of the bed to get dressed.

“More than you know,” I reply with a happy sigh. “Throw me my clothes.”

“You can stay.”

“But I want to ride with you.”

He picks up my clothes and tosses them onto the bed as he says, “You mean you don’t want to stay here, naked in my bed, and wait for me to come back?”

That sounds nice too. “What do you want?”

Brent grins. “I want you naked in my bed, waiting for me.”

I fall back to let my head hit the pillow. “Then go and I’ll be here when you get back. Just drive my car since I parked behind you.”

He kisses me one more time and then he’s gone. I lie in bed for all of two minutes before getting up for the bathroom and to see if Brent has any sweet tea. Before I leave his room, I do find a T-shirt of Brent’s and slip it on. He doesn’t have any tea made, but I do find everything I need to make it, so I do that.

Just as I turn off the burner, I hear the front door open. “Back already?”

“Why are you here?” Swiveling around, I find Kayla walking into the kitchen. “God, can’t you be dressed? Where’s my dad?”

“He left to pick up dinner. What happened to knocking before you walked into his house?”

She folds her arms over her chest. “I didn’t think you were here. Your car wasn’t here and school is over for the semester. I was hoping you went back to wherever you came from.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble. Is there a reason you’re here?”

Instead of answering me, she walks out of the room and I can hear her feet practically stomping upstairs. A minute or so later when I’m pouring myself a glass of my now-finished tea, she returns to the kitchen with bag full of clothes.

“Are you moving in?” she asks.

If she can ignore my questions, I can ignore hers as well. Childish, most likely, but being civil hasn’t gotten me anywhere.

Kayla narrows her eyes at me. “Are you going to put some clothes on?”