He groaned. “Shit, I’m about to nut.”
Before he could pull out, I moaned. “Paint my fuckin’ walls, baby. You’re home now.”
I spentthe next almost forty-eight hours fucking Lex all around her apartment as if it were my last days on Earth. I didn’t give a fuck about her neighbors. I needed round after round to make up for all the lost time. When I finally woke up the morning of what should’ve been her wedding day, my body was sore like I’d been in the gym for hours. I still tasted her on my tongue and smelled her scent all over my body. It was almost as intoxicating as her presence. So much so that I contemplated keeping her all to myself for another twenty-four hours, but I knew we had somewhere more important to be.
“How long you been up?” I asked her.
“Not long.”
“You hungry?”
She swung her head. “Too nervous for food right now, Oak.”
I disagreed with a grunt. “Nah. You need to eat. Get dressed. We’re going out.”
Lex coughed, choking on the saliva caught in her throat. “Like a real date?”
“Yeah. Why not? You already know my feelings for you are anything but casual, Lex. And now that Liv knows, ain’t no need to hide how I feel about you, especially not in a room full of strangers.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Besides, I meant what I said. I’d wait forever for her heart, but from the way I had her screaming my name at the top of her lungs, I knew it wouldn’t take that long.
An hour later, after showering and getting dressed, we were seated in the restaurant near a large window. The morning sun cast a glare on the laminated menu in my hand as I sat next to Lex in the booth, close enough so that our thighs were touching. The entire restaurant smelled like a sweet blend of fresh coffee and maple syrup.
“You know what you want?” I inquired over the soft chatter around us.
“The veggie omelet looks good . . . or the avocado toast.”
“Get whatever you want, as long as you eat.”
My eyes pinged from the menu over to the couple at the bar who sat as close as we were. I watched them clink their champagne flutes together, filled to the brim with fresh mimosas. I didn’t know what they were celebrating. It didn’t really matter.
“What about you?” Lex questioned, bringing my attention back to our table.
“I think I’m gonna go with the chicken and waffles.”
She nodded. “I saw the waitress put that on the table over there. It looked good.”
For some reason, my attention faded back to the couple at the bar and how openly they showed their affection for each other—living their feelings out loud.
I cleared my throat, and before my brain had the chance to stop me, my lips parted. “I didn’t bring you here just to eat. I wanna talk about us, . . . about our future.”
She took a deep breath as one of her brows crept toward her hairline in anticipation. “I kinda figured that.”
“You did?”
“Mm-hmm. Now that Liv knows the truth, I haven’t been able to stop myself from imagining this life where we’re not afraid anymore—where we can be together. Just you and me.”
I raised a challenging eyebrow. “You’re not sayin’ that shit because I had yo’ pretty ass climbing the walls and screaming my government name for the last couple of days, are you?”
A chuckle slipped past my lips, although I was more serious than playful.
She smirked. “I’m serious, Oak. I know my heart isn’t anywhere near a hundred percent, but I don’t want to let you slip away.”
My hand found hers underneath the table and squeezed it reassuringly. “I already told you I’m not going anywhere, Lex. And as good as it feels to hear you say that shit, I want you to be ready.”
“If I’m being completely honest with myself, I’ve been ready to be yours for twelve years, Oak.”
I smiled, feeling a spark of excitement at the thought of holding and kissing her whenever and however I wanted. I was ready for her to make my house a home almost as much as I was ready for the opportunity to make her broken heart whole again.
