His house made my dad’s estate look like an apartment.
He pulled into the circular driveway and parked behind a row of luxury cars.
“You should know that I probably won’t be able to have sex again until tomorrow,” I said, looking up at him as he opened my door. “My legs are still sore from the mixer and the night before.”
“I’m sure they are.” He smirked, pressing a kiss on my forehead. “I wasn’t planning on fucking you again tonight, though.”
“You brought me all the way to your house with new lingerie, so we could talk?”
“I did.” He looked genuine. “We can fuck tomorrow, and all the remaining days after that.”
I laughed, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
Leading me inside the house, he hit a switch, and three gorgeous chandeliers began to shine in the main living room.
“I’ll give you a full tour tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll show you the balcony where I usually read your letters.”
“That’ll be nice.”
He held me closer and led me into an all-white bathroom that was three times the size of my apartment.
“Please tell me that you can actually afford all this,” I whispered.
He let out a low laugh and slowly let me go.
“Yes, I can afford this,” he said, walking over to the tub and turning on the water.
Gently grabbing the bottom of my dress, he pulled it over my head. He yanked off my panties in one smooth motion, and unclasped my bra with ease.
Pulling me close, he lifted me up and gently placed me into the tub.
When the bubbles reached my breasts, he lit a few candles around the ledge and poured me a glass of wine.
“I’m going to let you relax for a while, and I’ll take a shower upstairs,” he said, bending low and pressing a long, deep kiss against my lips. “Take your time. I’ll be on the deck whenever you’re done.”
I nodded, and slid under the bubbles once he left the room.
THIRTEEN & a HALF
Christina
By the time that I woke up from soaking in the tub, the large clock on the wall claimed that two hours had passed by, and the water was lukewarm.
Stepping out, I slipped into one of the robes he bought for me and walked through a few of the massive rooms. I took my time admiring the stunning view of the forest and stepped onto the landing of the outdoor living room.
Dane was sitting on a lounge chair, wearing only grey sweatpants—his abs on full display.
Smiling, I tied my robe a bit tighter and moved into his lap.
“Hey…” His lips curved into a smile. “Feeling better?”
“A lot better,” I said. “Since you claim that you want to talk tonight, what’s up for discussion first?”
“There’s only a ‘first’ because there’s only one thing.” A slow smile spread across his lips. “I’d like you to delete your Tinder account. Now.”
“Fine,” I said. “I’d like you to stop going on blind dates.”
“More than fine.” He looked into my eyes. “I’d like you to stay here for the rest of the week, and we’ll get your bags from the hotel hours before takeoff. I’d also like to fly you out of Charlotte to see me repeatedly, so we can do this as much as we like.”
“I’d like—” I paused. “I don’t do friends with benefits, Dane,” I said. “Like, I know you’ve done exclusive friends with benefits, before but I can’t do that. You know that from my letters, and if this is going to change from what we had to casual sex here or there—”
“I don’t recall mentioning that as an option.” He interrupted me, cupping my face in his hands. “I still plan to write you letters on the app, since it’s become quite a habit and you live out of state. But I also think that we should move to phone calls and texting, agree?”
I said nothing. I didn’t think that he fully understood what I really wanted him to say. What I needed him to say.
“I’ve never really liked the term ‘boyfriend,’ Christina,” he said, tilting my chin up with his fingertips. “I prefer saying that you’re now mine, I’m yours, and the two of us can go from there. I know that’s what you prefer to hear, isn’t it?”
“No.” I blushed.
“Yes, it is.” He kissed me so long and hard that my toes curled. “I’m willing to make this work if you are.”
I nodded, catching my breath as he slowly pulled away. “I am, but at some point, we’ll have to tell my dad. I’m not sure if he’ll—”
“Stop.” He pressed a finger against my lips. “I’ll handle it.”
“When?”
“After we’ve spent the rest of the week together,” he said, gently running his fingers through my curls. “Until then, though…” He gently pushed me down against his chest. “I noticed that you wrote a new blog post about an upcoming book while you were dodging me earlier. What exactly is The Surprise Cock Pic going to be about?”