What Love Looks Like

“Wait,” she says, placing her hand over the phone. “You had plans tonight? I don’t want to intrude. I should’ve told you I was coming…”

“Hey, stop.” I cup her face. “This is the best damn surprise. I’m so happy you’re here.” Then it hits me. “Come with me tonight.”

Her nose scrunches up. “Where?”

“Dinner with some friends. Deacon and his fiancée, Katie, are celebrating their engagement. Joanie is watching the kids. We can go eat, dance, then come home, and I can relearn every inch of your body all night.” I fist her hair and tilt her head to kiss the side of her neck. She smells like lavender, and my dick is instantly hard.

“Fuck dinner, let’s go straight to the bed.” I make a show out of eating her neck, and she throws her head back with a laugh.

“No way. We are not spending our time in bed. You promised to show me around if I came, and here I am. I want to see everything.”

Since I’m not going to the gym anymore, Joanie says she has some errands to run and will be back later. I show Sawyer around the house, and while we’re outside by the pool, Presley wakes up from her nap. The kids beg to go swimming, so we spend the afternoon in the pool.

Joanie returns in the late afternoon, taking over with the kids so Sawyer and I can get ready for tonight. When she steps out of the bathroom in a pair of skintight ripped jeans, a top that shows off her perfect round breasts, and fuck me heels, I reconsider going anywhere but to bed.

“No.” She raises her finger and wags it back and forth.

“What?”

“I see that look in your eye. We’re going out.”

“Fine.” I sigh. My hands go straight to her ass, and I tug her toward me. “You look gorgeous.”

“Same for you.” She runs her fingers along the collar of my button-down shirt. “I’ve missed you.” She kisses the corner of my mouth, and I turn my face to deepen the kiss. We’re still kissing when my phone goes off, letting me know our car is here.

“You don’t drive?” she asks.

“Not in the city. And definitely not if I plan to drink.”

After saying bye to the kids, who are too busy planning their movie night with Joanie to care, we take off toward the city. It’s Friday night, and the traffic sucks, but it doesn’t bother me because I get to spend the drive making out with Sawyer.

When we arrive, the driver already knows to pick us up when I text him, so we get out and head to the hostess stand. We’re at Olive’s, a huge celebrity spot, so I’m not surprised when paparazzi are outside taking pictures. With Sawyer on my arm, I’m sure the rumor mill will be buzzing, so before they can get to it, I snap a selfie of us and post it on my social media with a caption that makes it clear she’s someone important.

“Did you tag me in your post?” she asks, her eyes wide.

“Yeah. I had to make it clear…”

“What?”

I step into her space and wrap my arms around her waist, then press my mouth to hers. “That you’re my woman,” I murmur against her lips.

Dinner is fun. For the first time in a long ass time, I’m not a fifth wheel. Everyone loves Sawyer, and we spend the night eating, drinking, and dancing. She might not be a city girl, but she fits in like a perfect-sized glove.

When we get home, the kids are already asleep. I spend the night rememorizing every part of her until we both pass out, our bodies tangled in each other.

I wake to an empty bed, and for a second, I worry maybe I was dreaming that she was here. But then I hear the sound of her melodic laughter.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I head downstairs and find Sawyer and the three kids dancing to some pop song while they help her make breakfast. The sight in front of me has me stopping in my place and pulling out my phone to take a couple of pictures. So I can remember what she looks like in my kitchen, carefree and laughing. Until I can somehow convince her to stay forever.

“There you are,” she says when she notices me here. “You’re just in time. We made chocolate chip pancakes with peanut butter.”

“Yeah!” Abby adds. “It’s our favorite.”

The kids all help set the table while Sawyer puts the food out, and I pour the drinks. If you were watching us from the outside, you would think we’ve been a family for years, instead of this being the first time we’ve ever had breakfast—the five of us at home. But that’s just the way it is with us. Everything has come so fucking naturally from the beginning.