Page 32 of Forever my Love

ChapterTen

They drove home in silence. He could tell Hailey was deep in thought and tired from the obviously emotional evening.

When he parked in the driveway, he realized that they had left her truck at Baked.

“I can drive you to work in the morning,” he said, shutting off the truck.

“I’ve made up my mind,” she said, turning slightly towards him.

He waited, removing his seat belt as she removed her own.

“Okay,” he said when she didn’t continue.

“I’d like to go to Vegas with you,” she said with a slight smile.

He smiled quickly. “Okay. I’m leaving on the fifteenth, the day after Valentine’s day, and returning two days later.”

She nodded. “I’ll ask for the time off.” She turned to look at the house. “What about Ali?”

“Hannah is going to watch him.”

She nodded and then turned back towards him.

“I’ve made up my mind about something else as well.” She spoke so softly, he had to lean closer.

“What’s that?”

“Us.” She shifted and suddenly she was sitting in his lap, her mouth fused to his. “This,” she said against his lips.

He would have liked to think that he wouldn’t be so easily distracted from the previous topic, but this was sex and he was a man. And he’d been fantasizing about Hailey for over a year.

With all those factors, it was any wonder he could think at all. Facts were, however, facts. They were currently sitting in his truck in his driveway, which was not the place he’d dreamed of doing this with her for the first time.

“Let’s go inside,” she purred against his ear. She sucked on it and it felt like his eyes crossed.

“Yes,” he agreed eagerly.

While she dislodged herself from him, he tried desperately to compose himself. They walked into the house, hand in hand.

When Ali bombarded them, he knew the dog needed a pee break and some attention. Sex was just going to have to wait.

“I’ll let him out,” he said, feeling his heart jump at the way Hailey was looking at him.

She nodded and, instead of heading up the stairs, she followed him and the dog through the house towards the back door.

“I don’t want a moment alone to reconsider,” she admitted when the dog darted into the backyard.

Just knowing she was second-guessing herself had him pulling her into his arms.

“If you have doubts,” he started, but she stopped him by kissing him again.

“I don’t have doubt that I want to be with you,” she admitted. “I do, however, have doubts about how it’s going to make me feel. You know my past. But I don’t think you know yet that you’ll be my first.” She avoided his gaze.

He shifted his hold on her until he could nudge her chin up enough for their eyes to lock.

“First since…?” he asked. When she shook her head, he frowned.

“First ever. First one that I wanted.” Her voice cracked slightly, and he waited until she took a deep breath. “If that night hadn’t happened, you would be the only one ever.”