I’ve gone from hating him to tolerating him to sleeping with him to loving him.
I pull into the driveway and park my car alongside his . . . and I do love him.
Regardless of what happens in the future, I love Tristan. I can happily admit it now.
I walk in through the front door to the sound of oohs and aahs.
“Oh my God, Mom. Look at this,” Harry cries in excitement.
I turn the corner to see them all hunched over the dining table, a huge box front and center before them.
“Hello,” I call.
“Mom, look what Tristan got us,” Harry screams.
I haven’t seen him this excited in forever. “What?” I ask as my eyes flick to the gigantic box.
“The rocket ship model.” He gasps.
My mouth falls open. “The what?”
Harry reads the back of the box. “Holy hell, look at this,” he cries as he points to something on the back of the box.
I blink as I try to keep up with what is going on here. “Tris, that model is stupidly expensive.”
Tristan’s eyes rise to meet mine, and he gives me a slow, sexy smile. “Anderson.”
I smile as my stomach flips . . . I know that tone, and I know that nickname.
“What have you done?” I ask.
“I bought Wiz a present.” He shrugs casually. “He won the bet fair and square and then didn’t get to eat cockroaches. It was only right that I pay up.”
I stare at him.
“And it’s for the other boys as well. We’re all going to do it together.”
The boys all smile broadly as they lean over the box and read it out loud.
“Take it out of the box and lay it all out in the colored numbers. Keep the pieces in their individual bags, though. I’m going to change my clothes,” Tristan says as he walks out into the living room.
The boys begin to chatter in excitement as they begin to open the box. “Get the scissors,” Harry directs.
I see something from the corner of my eye, and I turn to see Tristan giving me a come-here curl of his finger. I glance back to the boys to see that they are completely distracted, and I give him a subtle nod.
He disappears up the stairs to my bedroom, and I wait for a few moments. “I’m going to get the washing off the line,” I say, and then I go out the back door and walk around the front and come in the front door and sneak up the stairs.
I walk into my bedroom, and he pounces on me like a tiger. He flicks the lock on the door and pins me to the wall.
“Anderson,” he whispers darkly. His lips take mine.
I smile. “Hi.”
He grinds himself up against me, and I can feel that he’s hard. He holds my face as he kisses me deeply.
“You seem very pleased to see me.” I smile.
“Needy,” he murmurs against my lips.