Her All Along

“Uh-uh, I nurse your wounds from now on.” She paused and inched back with a contemplative expression. “I can nurse your cock too.”

I coughed around a laugh and shook my head. She was something else.

She smirked cheekily. “I love you. Now I need a second round.”

All right, then.

We emerged a little after nine, famished and physically drained. After two rounds of sex and a quick nap, she’d sheepishly said she might be experiencing one of her “hypersexual periods” that came and went every now and then. My cock had been too tired at first, but with my face buried between her thighs, I’d found motivation for round three.

I couldn’t stop looking at my shoulder. I’d seen her teeth marks in the mirror before we showered, and I saw them again now, in the reflection of the black glass door of the microwave while I prepared the coffeemaker.

I fucking liked it. She’d marked me.

Elise bruised like a peach, so she was used to quick-fading marks, usually from my hands and fingers, and now I got it. I understood why it turned her on so much.

“Excuse me, sir.” She snuck around me to grab a spoon from the top drawer, and then she shut it with a bump of her hip before returning to the omelet she was preparing.

She’d put on her god-awful pop music too.

For a while, I just stood there and watched her. I didn’t care if it made me a pig; seeing her in one of my tees, hair damp, walking around with pep in her step, humming to the music, preparing a big omelet and bacon for breakfast, was probably the loveliest shit I’d ever seen. This was where she belonged—with me.

Which made it clear that it wasn’t up to me to find a house she would help me decorate. It was our task, to find the future home we would share together.

Slow your roll. Let the girl finish college before you trap her.

I grimaced and turned to the cupboards for two mugs. Yeah, no need to rush. One of the things I loved most about Elise was her brilliant mind, so I wasn’t going to get arrogant and make any decisions on her behalf—because she was young and so on—but I could at least pace myself.

I’d latched on to people too quickly in the past. After my childhood, I’d viewed anyone who was polite as a saint. I’d reveled in common courtesy. First time a teacher praised me…? I’d been unable to contain my emotions. Praise and compliments hadn’t existed in my life. And maybe that was why I’d become serious so fast with my ex-wife.

It was a mindfuck and a half to have trust issues at the same time as I fell to my knees at a compliment.

Either way, Elise wasn’t like anyone in my past. She wasn’t a teacher, she wasn’t my ex, she wasn’t the social worker who’d been nice to me. Elise was trust and honesty personified. I could be patient around her. We were in this together, and we were going to do it right. I didn’t want any decisions based on the fear that she’d might leave if I didn’t act quickly enough.

Two firm knocks on the front door interrupted my thoughts, and I kissed the top of Elise’s head on my way to the hallway.

Maybe Mary was early. We’d agreed she’d bring Grace over around noon. I tightened the drawstrings of my sweats, then opened the door—and I got smacked in the face by the sight of Darius.

He was drenched in sweat, clearly out on his morning run, and he removed one earbud as he eyed me up and down.

Fuck.

Hey there, my closest buddy—why yes, that is your baby sister cooking breakfast in my kitchen.

He flicked a glance at my shoulder before cocking a brow at me. Then, without breaking our gaze, he yelled, “Elise!”

Safe to say, the cat was out of the bag.

I cleared my throat and folded my arms over my chest. And fuck Darius. I’d seen how he’d intimidated people with a single look before; he wasn’t going to pull that shit with me.

I looked over my shoulder just when Elise appeared in the hallway, and she tiptoed over to us with apprehension in her eyes. There was a generous dose of assertiveness too, though. She wouldn’t let her brother bend her will or give too much attitude.

Darius addressed her and jerked his chin at me. “Is this really what you wanna hitch your wagon to?”

I barely refrained from rolling my eyes, even though I did feel slightly unnerved.

Elise furrowed her brow and gave me a brief glance, then offered her attention to Darius again. “I don’t know anything about hitching wagons. If you’re asking if Avery and I are together, the answer is yes, and you’re not allowed to come here and take a crap on my hard work. It took me forever to wear him down.”