The Silver Fox (Red's Tavern 3)

“I’ve never met anyone like you,” Rock said, looking up at me. “And I’m so goddamn happy that I can spend more time with you.”

I leaned in to wrap my arms around him in a hug, because if I spent another minute looking into his eyes I was pretty sure I would either explode or cry.

“I love you,” I whispered in his ear.

“I love you, too.”

Lunch went on for hours, just the way I liked it. Everyone lingered in the courtyard as the afternoon sun filtered through the trees. Mom and Cam interrogated Rock about his move, clearly almost as excited as I was.

Afterward, Rock and I both drove back to my house, and we ended up sitting on my back deck by the fire pit.

I knew I had one more thing I needed to take care of today. And for some reason, even after everything, it was still making me nervous.

“Rock,” I said, clearing my throat.

He looked up at me, his face gorgeous in the golden glow of the fire. “What’s up?”

“You’re… moving to Amberfield soon.”

A smile appeared on his face, his dimples coming out. Christ, that didn’t help with my nerves. His dimples still destroyed me.

“Yes,” he said. “I am.”

“Right,” I said, shifting on my lawn chair, biting the inside of my cheek.

I heard him chuckle softly. “Oh, I can’t wait for whatever you’re about to say.”

“Huh?”

He had such a satisfied expression on his face. “Every time you do this, you end up saying something awesome,” he told me.

“What do you mean? What am I doing?”

He scooted his lawn chair closer to mine, so he was right by my side. “When you get all nervous. I’ve realized it usually means you’re about to tell me something important to you. And those are my favorite things. Because I always love them, too.”

“Oh God,” I said. “You’ve got me all figured out, don’t you?”

“Some of you,” he said. “Still plenty of mystery, don’t worry.”

I swallowed hard. “Okay, you totally do have me figured out in this moment, though, because there… there is something I want to tell you. To give you.”

I reached into my pocket.

“Jesus, Perry, if you’re about to propose to me, I am both incredibly flattered and probably going to say yes, but holy shit, this is bold—”

“Oh my God, I’m not proposing!” I said, my eyes going wide as I looked at him. “Do you think I’m nuts?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “A little bit? In the best ways? Hey, it wouldn’t be that weird, no matter how soon it is—”

“You’re going to make me blush so hard my face catches on fire,” I said.

He laughed, rich and loud. “Well, it’s a good thing I know exactly how to handle fires.”

The fizz of excitement inside me was at an all-time high. “Okay. This is what I was going to give you.”

I handed him the small packet. He opened it up, shaking out the silver key inside.

“You’re giving me a key to your place,” he said simply, looking at it.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s not a ring, it’s a key. Because even though you’re going to rent your own place here in town, I want you to feel completely, totally at home here, too. Okay?”

He nodded slowly, still looking at it. “I’ve never had the key to someone else’s place before,” he said quietly. “Besides my mom’s place, and that’s super different, because she just wanted me to water her plants every time she went on trips.”

I smiled, reaching over to run my hand along his thigh.

“It’s not a ring yet. I… I really hope that one day, it might be, though. I want you in my life in every way, Rock.”

“And you let me have a key to your house,” he said, still seemingly in disbelief. “Do you know what you’re getting into, here? What if I come over and put a bunch of pineapple pizzas in your kitchen?”

“Then I’ll politely adjourn to the bedroom until you eat or dispose of those pizzas. Then I’ll be happy as hell that you’re in my place.”

“God, Perry,” he said, leaning over and kissing me. “I really meant what I said earlier, you know. That I’ve never met anyone like you.”