“It’s a good thing my girl grew up in Florida because one of the assignments my editor offered me involves a short trip to the Everglades, and I was hoping you’d want to come with me.”
“Really?” I squealed, turning in his arms.
; “Of course, really, silly girl.” He tweaked my nose. “I told him I was unavailable for anything outside of the country for the next three months. Several of the proposals he sent would work, but the Everglades one is the closest to home so it’s the one I told him I’d take.”
“Closest to home,” I echoed in a breathy voice.
“Yeah, I figure we can look for apartments over the next couple days.”
“Apartments. Here?”
“Of course, baby doll. Where else? My home is wherever you are.”
While he continued to ramble on, as though he hadn’t just said something earth-shattering, I dropped the lid back on the crockpot and turned the setting down to warm. Then I turned around in Harrison’s arms so we could have this talk face-to-face.
“It shouldn’t be too hard to pick one that’ll work for us until graduation. My lease isn’t up on my place in Miami, but that’s not a big deal. It won’t matter if I leave it empty for a while. As soon as we find a place here, I’ll arrange for the movers to box all my stuff up and get it to the new house. That way, everything will be set before Stanley and Bunny make it back into town on Sunday.”
“Harrison,” I interrupted softly. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”
“Fuck, no, baby doll,” he breathed against my lips as he lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. “There’s no asking involved. I’m telling you we’re getting an apartment together. There’s no way in hell you and I can live here with Stanley and Bunny.”
My heart stuttered a little. “Because they aren’t going to approve of us as a couple?”
“No, because you’re a screamer,” he corrected. “And we aren’t going to spend the next few months having quiet sex just because we don’t want them to hear how wild I make you. Not when I love to hear your voice ringing in my ears when you come. I’m not giving that up for anybody.”
“I’m not that loud,” I pouted as a wild blush stole across my cheeks.
“Yes, you are,” he purred.
“Oh yeah?” I huffed. “Prove it.”
“Game on,” he growled.
It was a game he won. Repeatedly. After the third screaming orgasm, he made me agree to move in with him. What I didn’t say was that I would have said yes from that start. I didn’t need any convincing, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to argue with his method of persuasion.
Chapter 9
Harrison
My phone beeped and I flipped my shades up so I could see the screen in the bright sun. I smiled at the message. I’d just gotten the confirmation I’d been waiting for. Maggie would be out of school any minute and I was leaning against my car in the parking lot, waiting for her.
Putting my phone back in my pocket, I squinted at the front door before remembering to pull my sunglasses off my head to cover my eyes. The entrance banged open and students piled out, some laughing and walking casually, others running towards busses, but I didn’t really see any of them.
The love of my life stepped outside, her head bowed as she typed something on her phone. Mine pinged and I retrieved it with a chuckle.
Baby doll: On my way home. Want anything?
Me: I want many things from you, babe. But, let’s start with a hello kiss.
Her lips tipped up in a sweet smile when she stopped to read my reply.
Baby doll: I can’t wait.
I grinned.
Me: Then don’t. How about right now? And, did I mention that you look fucking edible in that dress?
Maggie’s head flew up and her eyes scanned the parking lot eagerly until they landed on me. Her smile grew to epic proportions and she immediately started to run my way.
As she got closer, her eyes darted around and she slowed, coming to a stop about a foot in front of me. I narrowed my eyes and frowned.
She looked around again and sighed. “I guess it will have to wait.”
“Fuck that,” I growled as I grabbed her hips and yanked her against me. I lowered my head and crushed my mouth down over hers. My hands bunched the material of her simple, pink summer dress and my tongue plundered her mouth. I didn’t stop devouring her until she was clinging to me and kissing me back with equal enthusiasm.
“You’re more delicious every time I taste you, baby doll.”
Her cheeks turned pink but she grinned up at me, her eyes squinting in the rays of the sun. I pulled off my aviators and set them on her nose. They were a little too big for her face, but she looked damn cute.
“I thought we were still hiding our relationship,” she said breathlessly.
I shook my head, then kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re done with school for the week and Stanley and Bunny will be home in two days. No one is going to out us before we have a chance to tell them. I doubt anyone even knows who I am anyway.”
She shrugged, her smile still firmly in place. “Okay.” Her hands dove into my hair and she tugged my head down for another soul deep kiss. “I love you,” she whispered when she pulled away.
“Love you, too, baby doll. Now, let’s go. I have a surprise for you.”
I helped her into my sporty red car and buckled her up. After kissing her quickly once more, I shut her door and jogged around to the driver’s side. I got settled and then followed the line of cars out of the parking lot.
We drove for about ten minutes before I turned down a tree lined street with small houses on either side. Maggie stared through the window, watching the scenery without comment. Another few minutes and I pulled into the driveway of a light blue, cottage style house, the color almost matching Maggie’s eyes.
She looked at me with confusion. “Why are we here?”
I winked at her, but exited the car without answering. Going around, I helped her out and took her hand, then led her to the front door. Pulling out the key, I ignored her gasp as I inserted it into the lock and twisted.
We stepped inside and I shut the door before spinning her around and backing her into it. I palmed her ass and lifted her so her legs wrapped around my waist. She glanced around wildly and started to protest, but I silenced her by sealing my mouth over hers. It didn’t take long to drive her so wild that she forgot all about where we were.
I had learned all about Maggie’s spectacular body and I knew how to push her over the edge quickly. With my fingers in her pussy and my tongue in her mouth, I drove her to a screaming orgasm. It was hot as fuck and a little come spurted from my steely shaft. I buried my face in her neck, and using every technique in the figurative book, I calmed myself and kept from giving in to the orgasm I was on the edge of.
“I love hearing the sounds of your ecstasy, baby doll,” I mumbled, and kissed her neck. “It occurred to me that if we lived in an apartment, we’d have to be conscious of neighbors.” Lifting my head, I stared into her wide curious eyes. “Since I’m not about to give that up, I decided to do some digging. With a little help from a friend, I discovered that the owner of this house is about to put it on the market, but they’re waiting a few months for some reason. I contacted him about temporarily renting it and it turns out, he’s a fan. He offered for us to stay here until you graduate if I photograph a spread for him. It’s even furnished, so I’ll put my stuff in storage for now.”
As I spoke, Maggie’s face began to light up and when I was done with my little speech, she was absolutely glowing with excitement. “This is ours?” she gasped.
I laughed. “Until you graduate, yes. Then we’ll figure out where we want to call home.”
“Harrison!” she screeched happily. “This is amazing! Show me around!”
It was impossible not to be happy around my girl, but when she was overflowing with joy, it was like being in paradise. I set her down and she righted her clothing before grabbing my hand. We took a tour of the small, one bedroom, one bath house, which only took about ten minutes.
“I love it,” she announced once we’d returned to the front room. “But not because it’s an adorable house, which it is. But, because it’s ours. Jus
t you and me.”
***
Maggie sighed and laid her head on my shoulder. I had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her thigh as I drove us home from Miami.
“This was the best weekend ever,” she said dreamily. I kept my eyes on the road, but managed to twist my head enough to kiss her forehead. After I’d shown her the house, I’d taken off for the city, having already packed us a bag and thrown it in my trunk. We went to a delicious little Cuban place near my apartment and I took her dancing. Afterwards, we spent the night making love at my place.
I hated to go back to her house because Stanley and Bunny would be back tomorrow and it would burst the little bubble we’d been living in. At the same time, I was eager to get things out in the open and start living the rest of my life with my Maggie.
“I’m glad you had such a great time, baby doll. We’ll have to make dinner and dancing—followed by a marathon fucking session—a regular occurrence.”
She giggled and kissed my chin. After a few minutes of silence, I noticed the mood in the car becoming thick and a little dark. “What’s wrong, baby doll?” I asked concernedly.
Another little sigh escaped, but this time it didn’t hold the same happiness as before. “I’m nervous about tomorrow,” she admitted morosely. “I don’t want Stanley or my mom to be upset, I want them to be happy for us.”
She finished as I glided to a stop on the curb in front of her house. I lifted her face to mine and sweetly kissed her lips. “Do you love me?” I asked. She nodded without hesitation. “And, you know I love you, right?” She smiled and nodded again. “Then there’s nothing else to worry about because we have each other. Yeah, maybe Stanley and Bunny will be pissed when they first find out about us being a couple. However, I believe they will come to our way of thinking once they realize how much we love each other.”
“I don’t know if I believe you one hundred percent, but you make me feel a heck of a lot better,” she teased.
I took her face in my hands and kissed the ever-loving fuck out of her, then mumbled against her lips. “Later, I’m going to make you feel so much more,” I promised gruffly.