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“I didn’t exactly pick her. I was standing in line at a coffee shop. She said hello. I was polite. She bought me my coffee, and she seemed normal at the time, and to clarify, she asked me out.” She was beautiful and had a nice smile, and I thought, why not? Gwendolyn was driving me crazy next door, and I decided to move my attention to someone who seemed more my speed.
“Didn’t your mother teach you not to take candy from strangers?” he jokes. “Sorry, I meant coffee.” He chuckles before he turns more serious. “You’re lucky, though. Any other woman would have hightailed it out of here. Gwen’s one of the good ones. She gave you a chance to explain.”
“She almost did bolt. I held on strong until I called the station. She saw right away that I was fighting Karen off me.”
“Scary part is that Karen now knows you have a girlfriend. Your unwanted visitor might decide to pay a visit to Gwendolyn,” Damian says, his brow raised and concern on his face.
“Shit! That bitch just might.” My hands curl into fists. “It’s one thing to mess with me, but if she goes anywhere near Gwen, I’ll wring her scrawny little neck.”
“I think you’ve got to tell Gwen how serious this might get. She needs to be aware of the danger.” He steps closer to clasp a hand on my shoulder. “Karen’s not right in here.” He points to his head. “Unbalanced is not safe. Gwen’s a soft touch. Who knows what story that bitch will feed her?”
“After dinner, I’ll talk to her.” I hate that I have to have this conversation, especially after the insane hostage situation from the other day being very recent. I’m hoping Damian’s wrong about Karen and that this has scared her off for good.
EIGHT
I’m Ready
CALEB
“Take it,” I insist.
“This is silly. It’s just Chinese food,” Gwen counters, putting the abundant overflow of food in my fridge.
“Gwen, I said take the money.”
“Caleb, you’re being ridiculous.” She matches her tone to mine, mimicking my stance with her hands on her hips, trying to look formidable. Instead, she looks so freaking cute that I have to fight the pull to throw her over my shoulder and toss her onto my bed.
“You get that I’m a guy, right?”
She throws out a hand and says, “Well, duh! What’s that got to do with it?”
“I pay. I invited you over for dinner. And just to be clear, whenever we go out together, I pay.”
She gets bug-eyed. “This isn’t the Middle Ages. I’m more than capable of paying for a meal. And what if I want to surprise you one day with something special? Do I have to ask permission?” She’s getting riled, and cute is turning quickly into adorable.
I like her this way. A kitten with claws. I bet when she purrs, it’ll be the greatest sound of all. “You wanna do something special, go ahead.” I take a step closer to her. “But make no mistake, babe, I want to take care of you.”
Her expression softens, and she runs her hands down the sweet camel-colored skirt that stops right above her knees and hugs her ass, giving me an awesome view of her tight booty.
“That’s very sweet, but I’ve always paid my own way. I learned fast to be independent,” she says, licking her lips. I suppose she did. She took on so much responsibility at such a young age. Caring for a child is no small feat for two parents, let alone one young woman with a sick child.
“Come here, baby.” Without hesitation, Gwen walks right into my arms. Christ! It’s the most heavenly feeling in the world. The scent of her shampoo, her soft body pressing against mine… She’s the perfect height, and when she looks up at me the way she does, I feel like I can do anything. “Couples have to work together. I’m the kind of man who wants to pull out your chair, open the door for you, pay the bills, take out the trash, and buy you nice dinners. It’s not because you aren’t capable, it’s because it makes me feel good to do nice things for you. For us.”
“What do I do? For us.”
“You made me breakfast. You came into a terrible scene and gave me time to explain. Christ, the way you look at me tells me that you care. Let’s not forget taking on a houseful of crazy females who, although they had the best of intentions, showed up without notice. You accepted it and went with it. You did that for me. Don’t think I don’t know or that it went unnoticed. I see you, my doe.”
“That’s normal stuff.”
“To you, yeah. But based on past experiences, I haven’t found that to be the case.”
“Maybe.” She thinks about what I’m saying. “How about we forget about paying for tonight,” I’m about to protest, but she presses her index finger over my lips. “And tomorrow we start fresh.”
I want to argue with her, but after the day we’ve had, I decide to let this go. I give her a grin. “I’ll give in this one time.” I kiss her softly. “Want to watch a movie?” Gwen remains silent, but heat creeps into her cheeks, turning her a pretty blushing pink. “Gwen?”
“Um, did you see my, uh…bag?” she murmurs, her voice soft as she peers at me through her lashes.
She’s nervous about tonight. “I put it in my bedroom.” Gwen remains quiet, looking past me to the hall leading to the bedroom. “There’s no rush, baby. I’m happy to hold you in my arms. Whatever happens with us will happen because you want it as much as I do. If you’re not ready for more, then we’ll take this slow.”
