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I don’t like what he’s saying, and I really need him to stop talking about Asher. I’ll never admit it to anyone, but I’ve always felt attracted to him. There’s just something about him that draws me in. It’s stupid, and I know nothing will ever come of it. That’s why I’ve always kept it to myself. No one knows, not even Liv, and I prefer to keep it that way.
“I really enjoyed last night,” I say, instead of acknowledging his last remark. I hold my breath, hoping he takes the bait.
He’s quiet for several seconds, and I start to fidget. The silence is eating at me. It’s almost as bad as him talking about Asher. At least with that, I know what he’s thinking. I get up from the bed and start pacing the floor.
Finally, he speaks, and I release my breath when he doesn’t bring up Asher again.
“I did, too. More than you know.”
My insides melt.
I stop at my window and peer outside, a smile pulling at my lips. Thoughts of last night run th
rough my mind. I can still feel his hands on me. I can still smell him and taste him. My eyes close as my skin starts to tingle.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” His question is quiet and husky.
I lean my forehead against the cool glass and whisper, “Yes. When can you come over again?”
He laughs deeply and it gives me butterflies.
“Unfortunately, I have to stay away for the next few nights. Family obligation. I leave in an hour and won’t be back until Tuesday evening.”
At the mention of family, my curiosity piques, the haze of lust fading away. I know nothing about him. I lift my head from the window and turn to lean back against the frame.
“Does your family live close by?” I’ve never really asked him anything personal, so I’m not sure how he feels about revealing that part of his life.
Surprisingly, he answers right away and gives me more than I asked for. “About three hours away. My niece’s birthday party is tomorrow, and my dad has a business meeting he wants me to attend with him on Monday.”
“Oh. How old is your niece?” I silently beg him to continue talking.
“She turns fourteen, but Kia likes to think she’s turning thirty. She has her uncle wrapped around her little finger and she knows it, and uses it against me.”
I can hear the love and adoration in his voice and it melts my heart. This Kia is very lucky to have such a loving uncle. I think this, but it’s hard to imagine him with a child around him. I may not know much about him, but he doesn’t seem like the type to hang out with a fourteen-year-old girl.
“She sounds lovely, and she’s lucky to have an uncle that cares for her so much.”
“You get to meet her in a couple weeks.”
“What?” I squeak.
“I told you, Poppy, that this time next week you’ll know who I am. All of me. You’ll also know just how much I’m willing to do to get what I want. We’ve already established that fact, and I won’t stop until you’re firmly implanted in my life. I don’t believe in wasting time. My family is a big part of my life, which means they’ll be a big part of yours as well.”
My mouth drops open. That is the last thing I expected him to say. I’m glad he’s close with his family, but bringing me—whatever he thinks I am—to meet his family is big. It’s huge. I don’t even know what he looks like for Christ’s sake, and he’s already talking about me meeting his family? This is moving way too fast.
“I don’t think I’m ready for that yet, Sterling. I know nothing about you. How can you already be talking about such a thing?”
“I already know everything I need to know about you, Beautiful, and if there’s something I don’t know, I can learn over time. As far as you knowing me, all that is about to change. I don’t like playing around. I go after what I want. This isn’t temporary. When I say I want you, I don’t mean for a while. I mean marriage, babies, old rocking chairs on the porch that our old wrinkled bodies will sit on as we watch our grandkids play on the tire swing.
His words scare the shit out of me, and should make me want to run in the opposite direction, but for some reason, they don’t. I can actually see myself sitting on an old porch swing with a cover over my lap and Sterling beside me. Of course he doesn’t have a face yet, because I still don’t know what he looks like. Even so, I can sense him beside me, his arm wrapped around my frail shoulders.
It’s an image that I shouldn’t have. An image that’s crazy and stupid, but still something I can imagine clear as day.
“Do they know about me?”
“Not yet, but I plan to tell them tomorrow.”
I take a deep breath. “How about we just take it day by day and see how it goes before you make definite plans for me to meet your family. Something could—”
