I’m terrible.
“Hon?” Quinn’s hand curves my shoulder, gripping me.
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, what?”
“We’re gonna go for a ride. Gonna show the Montgomerys the land and we’ll be back. An hour or so?” Her green eyes flit between mine.
I nod. “Okay.”
She holds the back door open as Charles guides Marnie through, and Sadie bullets outside after them, skipping and laughing, talking a million miles a minute. I catch Quinn’s wrist and tug her back to me, placing a short but deep kiss on her lips because I can’t help myself.
“Thank you,” I breathe, knowing a kiss doesn’t begin to chip at the surface of what I owe her, but it’s all I can give for now. “I appreciate you, Quinn. I do.”
She winks. “Anything for you two.” And then she’s gone, and I’m left doing chores with Tate, Petunia and Alice on our heels.
I love having the kids around while we work, and what’s more, today I’m dreamin’ up another few sets of bare feet out here, imagining Love and Quinn coming out with round bellies and sweet tea.
A man can dream.
CHAPTER 21
I’M A COCOA-MAKING MONSTER
“They really put me through it,”I tell my mom, recounting the impromptu visit from the Montgomerys today, Landry tucked in at my side. We’re downstairs on the couch this time, and Sadie’s upstairs asleep. I got her down an hour ago, and we’ve been chatting with my mom ever since. “But I handled it well.”
Landry drapes his hand over my thigh. “She was incredible. Wasn’t rattled whatsoever.”
Mom smiles, her chin stacked on her fist, sitting at the kitchen counter back home. I miss Mom, but I don’t miss home much yet, and I know that’s a troubling sign. Not troubling now, but in a few weeks when it’s time to end this, it’s gonna hurt like hell. “So they believed that you twoare an item?”
I nod. “Oh yeah. I mean, Marnie brought it up,” I explain, sticking out my pinkie while doing my uppity impersonation of the old white-haired cunt in the black suit. “But by the end of the afternoon, I think she realized their suit isn’t gonna last a millisecond if we go to court.”
Landry nudges me, and I glance up and spot him on the phone screen, focused on my profile, staring at me. One of my favorite things when editing footage in the evening is coming across portions of film where he’s watching me. But tonight, catching him on the phone screen staring adoringly at me, it doesn’t do anything to the desire that’s been building between my thighs. The sea of need I’m trying desperately to ignore. Seeing the gratitude so plainly written all over his face when the Montgomerys left earlier put me in need of him.Badly.Now talking to my mom, that need is only rising.
But it’s also been a long, exhausting day, and I’m not sure I have it in me to even edit footage, much less be a sexual conqueror.
Twisting to face him, excitement flutters through my core when our eyes meet. “Thank you,” he says appreciatively, as if he hasn’t already told me. He has, but doesn’t need to, because I feel his appreciation in every kindness he extends to me—charging my camera batteries, making me my first cup of coffee in the morning, checking in on me emotionally after a hard day of training where he can see fear written all over my face. He’s present for me emotionally always, and whoever gets to wear his ring for real in the future is a very lucky woman.
“You’re welcome,” I reply, and force myself to look back at the screen, where my mom is watching the whole interaction. I don’t want her to notice that I’m in love with him—I don’t want anyone to know. It’ll be much easier that way. “And the footage is coming along wonderfully. I do have acheckpoint call with the team tomorrow,” I tell her, rolling my eyes. “I sent them ten minutes last week, so I’m going to get feedback on the direction I’m taking and go over some stuff, but man, I think this is the best film I’ve ever made.”
Landry takes his hat off, revealing a swathe of dirty hair, dark from sweat. He apologizes to my mother for the state of his appearance, then adds, “I’d like to sit in on your meeting tomorrow, if I can. If that’s okay.”
My lips twitch, and my chin wobbles a little too. But I force a smile and nod my head. “Okay.”
I know what he’s up to. He wants to be there to support me. He wants to make sure I’m okay. I look up at the screen and find my mom sitting back, a soft smile resting on her lips. “Well, I should get going,” she says, reaching for my sister off camera, dragging her in-frame for a moment. “Say good night, Lane.”
“Night, partner,” Lane deadpans, then disappears back off camera, her AirPods tucked into her ears.
Landry smiles at my mom. “It was nice seeing and speaking with you again, Ms. Farley.”
“You too, Landry.” She looks at me. “Love you, honey. Good job today.”
“Love you too,” I tell her, and then she ends the call, leaving my phone screen black.
Landry slips his arm beneath my legs and tugs me into his lap. Without hesitation, I loop my arms around his neck and drag his mouth to mine, enjoying the soft moan that flanks me when our kiss breaks. “You were incredible today.”
I trace the sharp curve of his jaw with the tips of my fingers, my lower half buzzing from the steely stubble. “I know I earned every right to march that fine ass upstairs and have my way with you,” I tell him, the words fanned outthrough a yawn. “But I have to tell you, I’m damn exhausted from this afternoon.”
An idea hits him, judging by the way he sits up a little, and his eyes widen. God, he’s hot. Unfairly so. “Hey.” His lips find mine again, and our eyes close as my tongue explores his mouth. My hands skate beneath his shirt, and my spine heats from the intimate but casual way I get to touch him, like it’s okay because we’re together and this hardworking body of his is a personal gift, my playground, my wifely reward.
