Change of Heart (Fostering Love 2)

“I’m not freaked out,” she lied.

“I know you’re freaked out,” I said again, ignoring her. “So I’ll make the move.”

I leaned forward and brushed my lips against hers, reveling in the feeling of her skin pressed against mine.

“I’ll sell my house. I’ll move in with you. You don’t have to take any chances except being with me. Okay?”

I thought it was a pretty fucking good speech until Ani’s lips quirked, and she started to snicker.

“You just know my house is a million times cooler than yours,” she sang, laughing harder. “Sell my house? Ha!”

“You’re such an ass,” I laughed, watching her head tip back as she giggled. “I was being romantic.”

“So romantic,” she said, nodding in mock seriousness.

I growled and flipped her underneath me, digging my fingers into her sides while she begged for mercy through her laughter.

Chapter 18

Anita

Hello?” I yelped, jumping around on one foot as I tried to pull a sock on the other.

“Finally!” Katie bellowed in my ear, making me drop the phone in surprise.

“Shit,” I hissed, fishing my phone back out of the laundry basket as Kate continued to ramble on.

“I knew you’d get back together,” she said smugly when I had the phone back to my ear again. “Called it!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Mom said Bram’s taking you out tonight?” Kate asked. “What are you wearing?”

“Leggings and boots and a gray sweater that hangs off my shoulder,” I replied, pulling on my boots. Bram was taking me to Jay’s bar, and I was little bit giddy at the sentiment.

“No! Why aren’t you wearing a dress?” she screeched. “I’m all about the leggings—but it’s your first date!”

“I’ve had Bram’s balls in my mouth. He can deal with the leggings and like it,” I said flatly.

Retching sounds came from the other end of the connection. “I don’t want to hear that stuff!”

“Oh, you don’t?” I asked innocently, “But you’ve been all up in our shit for months! Don’t you want details?”

“Hell no!”

I laughed, grabbing my purse from the end of the bed as I left my bedroom. Bram was going to be there at any minute, and I wanted to be ready when he did. I was excited.

Liz had taken Arielle for the entire night—which freaked me the fuck out—but I was excited to have time alone with Bram.

“So what changed your mind?” Kate asked after a full minute of petulant silence.

“He—” I sighed, dropping down to the couch. “He really meant it.”

“And you know that because?”

“Because he looked at me like my words were the only thing that could keep him standing.”

“Didn’t he pass out anyway?” Katie asked with a small laugh.

“That was after,” I corrected her.

“I thought it was when you guys were out on the porch.”

“How the fuck do you know all this?” I asked.

“Mom had me on the phone, and she gave me a play-by-play as she watched through the window.”

“Jesus,” I groaned, making Katie laugh.

“That’s what you get. Boom!”

“I already told you I was sorry about spilling the beans when you were pregnant!”

“We’re still not even,” Kate growled.

“Oh, whatever,” I said.

A knock on my front door had my head spinning to look in that direction.

“Gotta go, Kate.”

“Ooh, is he there?”

“I’m going to have sex now. Bye.” I pressed end as she started making vomiting noises again.

When I opened the door, Bram was standing there in a button-down shirt under a tan Carhartt jacket, his head covered in a gray beanie and his beard neatly trimmed and waxed.

“Well, don’t you look pretty,” I mused, looking him up and down.

“I brought you flowers,” he said with a small grin, lifting his hand to show me a bouquet that still had the grocery store tag on it.

“Wow, fancy,” I teased, taking the flowers from his hand. “Thank you.”

I turned to bring the flowers into the kitchen, and Bram groaned behind me, making me smile. Hearing the front door shut, I set the flowers in the sink and turned to find Bram stalking me into the kitchen.

“I know I said I was taking you out tonight,” he said in a rough voice as he slid the beanie off his head and dropped his jacket on top of the table. “But I haven’t seen you naked in a really long time.”

I laughed as he grimaced.

“Change of plans?” I asked, taking a step toward him.

“If you feel anything for me at all, you’ll take off your clothes,” he replied seriously, unbuttoning his shirt.

“But I was really looking forward to going back to where it all started,” I said, trying to keep my smile at bay.

Bram’s hands paused for a second on his shirt, then he dropped his head in defeat and slowly started to button it back up.

“I’m joking,” I told him softly, reaching out to catch his hands.

“Oh, thank God,” he murmured, his hands going to my hair as he pressed his mouth to mine. “I’ll take you out another night.”