“That was, that was beyond words,” I tell him. “But umm, what about you?” I ask glancing down. I know he must be painfully hard, and I want to satisfy him as much as he just satisfied me.
Laughing roughly, he kisses me again. Remington says, “I’m good.”
“What? What does that mean? I felt ... things, big things,a big thing.And I don’t want to have you be uncomfortable.” I am feeling embarrassed and inexperienced. Rambling. Again.
“Baby, that was so hot you made me come in my pants.” Remington smirks and has a pink blush staining his perfectly chiseled cheeks. “I feel like a fucking teenager, and I am going to have to go grab my gym bag out of my truck so I can change.” He laughs.
I grin at him. “Oops.” Shrugging, I lean in and kiss him.
“Yeah, oops. You should be so proud. You are so sexy you just made your boyfriend come in his damnpants.” He laughs, and I blink at him. He smiles at me, knowingexactlywhat his words did to my brain.
“What did you just say?” I ask in a hushed voice.
“Lainey,” he whispers, “are you really going to make me repeat what just happened?”
I know he is messing with me now, because he can. This is his playful, cocky, button-pushing side and he’s trying to get me all riled up. I think he likes it when I am sassy. “You just called yourself my boyfriend,” I state, eyebrow raised.
“Yup,” he states right back, tucking my hair behind my ear.
“We aren’t even going to talk about it? You are just going to appoint yourself to that role?” I chuckle, sitting up straight and fixing my shirt more.
“Okay, let’s talk about it. I know it might be fast, but fuck it. And for the record, I think I have been pretty obvious about the fact that I want to make youmine. Lainey Quinn, would you please be my girlfriend?” Smiling, he holds my hand and runs his thumb along the back waiting for my answer.
“Nothing would make me happier.” I lean in for a kiss.
“Not even a whole room of tulips?” Remington asks.
“Not even acres of tulips.” I kiss him with a smile on my face and butterflies fluttering under every inch of my skin.
18
Remington
It’s been over a week since Lainey and I have become official. Every day that I have not been working I go over to her apartment, but today is the first time that she is coming to my house, and I can’t wait. I have been dreaming of having her here, in my space, for weeks. The more time we spend together, I see Lainey’s walls slowly coming down. I know there is more that she has to share, maybe things I won’t ever get to know, and that’s fine. What Idoknow is that I have never been so happy and hopeful. Today is a Friday and I don’t have to work tomorrow. I am hoping I can talk my girl into a sleepover. We spend a lot of time together, but since the time on her couch we haven’t taken it further. I don’t want to push things. I just want the chance to wake up next to Lainey and make her breakfast.
My doorbell rings, and I open it to see her standing there with a bottle of wine, a plate of cookies, and the most stunning smile. “Hi,” she says a little nervously.
“Get in here,” I say, grinning and welcoming her into my home. I give her a kiss that doesn’t last long enough and guideher into the open-plan kitchen and living room area. I set down the wine and cookies, watching as her eyes scan over the space. My house is not overly large; it’s a ranch that I have slowly updated on my own since I bought it a few years ago. The kitchen is my favorite part, with warm butcher-block counters and mossy-green cabinets. It gives the house a cozy, lived-in feeling. The rest of the walls are a soft cream color that allow the kitchen to be the star of the open space. I don’t have a lot of decorations or clutter. I like to be clean and organized, but my house definitely lacks the warmth of a woman’s touch that I feel when I am at Lainey’s apartment.
“Your house is lovely.” Lainey turns to me with a smile. I stride over and wrap her in a hug, not able to stay away from her.
“Much more lovely now that you are here.” I kiss the top of her head, take her hand, and give her the very quick grand tour of the rest of the place. The laundry room off the kitchen, two guest bedrooms (one that is my office), a guest bathroom that I am in the middle of remodeling, my bedroom with its finished en suite bathroom, and finally the basement complete with a small home gym and some storage. “It’s not big or fancy,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck, “but it works for me.”
“I lived in big and fancy, Remington. It was cold and lifeless and felt like a prison. This is perfect. You have made this place a wonderful home, worked hard to get it how you want, and be able to welcome people here. You should feel nothing but pride when you show it to me, or anyone else.” She is looking right at me, smiling softly, and seeing so much more of me than I think she even realizes.
I want to be able to provide, have a family, and have the woman I choose to build a life with be proud to bewith me. Cora was never going to be that person. I have a feeling that Icould have worked my fingers to the bone, done everything she asked, given up my own dreams, and it still would have never been enough for her ... because I was not enough for her. Lainey sees the effort that I put into the everyday things that I do and appreciates me. She thanks me for the big things and the little things.She sees me.
“Thank you, that means a lot to me,” I tell her, kissing my way up her jaw and finally placing one on her lips. “I have been thinking about having you here, at my house, since I met you.”
“Oh yeah?” she asks with a playful grin.
“Oh yeah ...” I quickly sweep her into a fireman’s carry, and she yelps and holds on to my back, laughing.
“Remington!” Lainey yells.
I gently deliver her safely to my brown, buttery-soft, worn leather couch, and drop down next to her. Pointing at the coffee table, her blue eyes sparkle when she notices the small arrangement of flowers I had placed there earlier today. When I went to my parents’ house this morning I asked my mom if I could take a couple cuttings from her hydrangeas, and she was happy to share. The pinks of the tiny flowers pop against the dark wood stain of my table.
“These are wow! What are they?” Lainey asks, sliding closer to examine them.
