Restored

“I can’t run, even if I want to,” I remind him, because he’s made sure of that. The man can find me in two seconds.

“I’m sorry for ever making you think about running.” He shakes his head and I can tell he’s pissed at himself.

“Hey, if I have to stop saying sorry, so do you.” I run my hands up his bare chest.

“Now who’s bossy?” he teases and makes me laugh. I lay my head against his chest, wanting to be pressed against him as much as possible.

“I still can’t believe you put a tracker on my car,” I mumble.

I also can’t believe how much that turns me on, but I keep that to myself. I don’t feel so stalkerish about always peeking out my window towards his shop to see what he was doing.

“Trust that I’m always going to know where you are. I’m going to put a tracker on your fine ass.” I can hear the laughter in his voice, but I know he’s not joking.

“I want one too.” I lift my head to look up at him.

“Go for it. I only go to the shop and car shows. Besides, I don’t think either of us will have to track the other. I’ve made it so you never have to be far from me.”

He picks me up from off the counter and carries me back towards the bed. I wiggle against him, wondering what he’s talking about, but I could also go for another round. I don’t care if I’m sore.

“None of that.” He drops me down onto the bed and I reach for him but he dodges me. He comes back a moment later with socks in his hand and wearing a pair of sweatpants. I sit up and watch as he slides them up my feet.

“We’ll go to your place later and get your shit.” He stands and I’m only in his shirt but it hangs to my knees. “My place is bigger,” he adds, holding his hand out for me.

“Oh, so I’m just moving in,” I tease as I take his hand and he pulls me and hefts me over his shoulder. He slaps my ass and then grabs it hard.

“Fucking love this ass,” I hear him say as he rubs the spot he just smacked before he starts moving. It’s then I realize we’re leaving his place. I guess it’s our place now.

“You’re about to show everyone my butt!” I shout as he opens his door.

“No one sees this ass but me.” He gives it another smack and I wiggle in his hold, getting more turned on. Him manhandling me is enough to get me all worked up. “It’s Sunday,” he reminds me before I demand he puts on a shirt. I’m not sure if I like the idea of anyone seeing his tattoos of me.

“Oh.” I forgot.

“I got something to show you.” I try and peek around him to see where we’re going but my hair blocks my view.

A few moments later I hear another door open and he steps into a pitch black room. A second later a light flicks on and I stare down at pretty wood flooring. This isn’t Bronx’s office and it’s too nice for the shop.

He slides me down his body until my feet touch the floor. “I got you a graduation present.” He’s smiling so big I can’t pull my eyes away from him to even look where we are. He has to turn me to get me to stop staring at him, and once I see where we are my mouth almost hits the floor. The tears I’d been holding back break free when I see what he’s done for me.

“Bronx,” I sniffle. “You really do listen to everything I say.”

“Babe, I pay attention to everything when it comes to you.” He moves my hair from off my shoulder and kisses my neck. “You like?”

“I love.” I turn to look up at him again.

“You made me a beauty salon.” It’s not only connected off the side of his shop but it’s all done up exactly how I dreamed. Over the years I’ve rambled on about owning my own shop one day and what it would look like. He’s built it for me and listened to every small detail that I said I wanted and brought it to life. He brought me back to life.

“I’d do anything for you.”

I sniffle again. I probably look like a hot mess but I know Bronx doesn’t care. He’s smiling so big and he has no idea what it does to my inside to see that smile light up his face again. I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing it and that it had been gone for so long.

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to kiss me. When his lips touch mine I get lost in his hold. Everything about life tastes so much sweeter as he picks me up and his hands grip my ass. He carries me over and sets me down on the front desk, and my breathing is heavy as we break apart.