“These are happy tears,” I say, offering him a watery smile. “I’m sorry that I’m crying, but tonight, you— it’s been magical.”
“The magic,” he whispers.
I nod. “I’ve never felt this connected to someone else. I’ve never felt this deep, intense love that I have for you, and I’ve never had an orgasm like that. Ever. All firsts, and overwhelmingly so. I just… I love you, Grant Riggins.”
“My girl,” he whispers before his lips connect with mine.
He kisses me slow and deep. His tongue duels with mine as we meet one another stroke for stroke, much like our lovemaking. The butterflies take flight in my belly and in my chest as he heals a piece of me that I never thought could be repaired. It’s not until we’re both gasping for air, does he break the kiss.
“How about that shower?” he asks.
“Definitely.” With slow movements, I lift up on my knees and climb off him. I miss our connection instantly, but Grant doesn’t give me time to dwell on it. He’s climbing off the bed and lifting me into his arms, carrying me into the bathroom.
“This time, we’re taking that bath. Together,” he says, kissing my bare shoulder.
I watch as he takes care of the condom, and starts the water, lays out a few towels for us for after. Once he deems the water warm enough, he holds out his hand and motions for me to step in. I stand, waiting for him to settle into the tub before I take my spot between his legs, resting back against his strong chest.
“We should end every day like this,” he says, wrapping his arms around me.
“Well, for me, that would be at around seven each night.” I laugh. “Three in the morning comes early.”
“The bakery’s doing well. Maybe you should look into hiring some help. Someone who can give you and Aspen a break. Maybe two someones?”
“I’ve thought about it. To be honest, I was just holding off to make sure that sales are going to stay steady like they have been. I still can’t believe the success we’ve had.”
“You know you kick ass at what you do, right?”
“I mean, yeah, I like my creations, but I wasn’t sure that other people would like them too. At least not this much. The success has been more than I could have ever dreamed of.”
“Come on now, you know better than that.”
“Okay, so I admit that I’m good in the kitchen. The bakery’s success is still surpassing my wildest dreams. I never imagined there would be a write-up about me in the paper,” I state, referring to the article that ran last week. I think Lena had something to do with it when she announced publicly in the grocery store, from what Layla told me, that I was the one making the wedding cake.
“You’re badass, baby.”
“Well, this badass is exhausted,” I say, standing and grabbing a towel and wrapping it around my hair.
“That’s it? That’s all the time I get?”
“We have forever,” I say without thinking.
“Damn right, we do.” His words have my pulse pounding in my ears, and my heart bursting with love for him. He stands and grabs another towel, enfolding it around my shoulders before grabbing the other for himself and releasing the drain on the tub. We quickly dry off, and I use the new hairdryer that Grant bought for me to dry my hair, and climb into bed. He wraps his strong arms around me, and it’s no time at all before sleep claims us both.
Chapter 23
Grant
The office is eerily quiet for a Monday afternoon. Royce and Owen are offsite at a meeting with the bank. We’re looking to open a new site in Pennsylvania, and this is the first step. Marshall is at a marketing seminar, and Conrad just left for the day. There is an IT issue at the Nashville location, and he’s going to offer his assistance. He doesn’t need to, but it’s nice to get out of the office every now and then.
It’s just Layla and me holding down the fort. Sawyer is meeting Sam for pedicures. They tried to get Layla to go, but she’s not feeling well. My nephew is making these last few weeks hard on her, which is why I’ve walked past her desk about fifty times since everyone left. I told Owen I would keep an eye on her. He’s not exactly happy that she’s insisting on working until the baby arrives, but in my opinion, it’s better that she’s here where someone is close if she needs us than home by herself.
Due to my Layla walk-bys, I’ve gotten shit done this afternoon. Instead of trying to focus, I grab my phone and text Aurora.
Me: How was your day?
Aurora: Great. We sold out of muffins twice!
I can picture the smile lighting up her face.