Teena wanted to run, Patrick had been alone with not just one, but both of her friends. For how long, Lola wouldn’t tell her. She smelled food cooking and her stomach rumbled. “I see you met the girls.” She felt proud her voice didn’t waiver. Too much.
“I did,” he answered with a smile. “I believe they’re joining us for breakfast. How was your run?”
He’s just acting like this is normal everyday behavior for them to barge in and invite themselves to share a meal.
“Good. I’ll be right back, gonna clean up.”
Lola pushed by her. “Take your time. We’re fine out here with him while you go.”
Teena noticed the look of appreciation Lola sent the shirtless man in her kitchen. She met Mellie’s gaze and her friend gave a small nod. Mellie would keep her in check. Even so, she took one of the quickest showers in history.
Departing her room, she tugged the hem of her shirt down over her hips. She walked into her open kitchen and moved to Patrick’s side where he stood talking to Mellie.
Lola was just sitting there, staring at him with lust in her eyes.
“What’d I miss?”
Patrick turned to her, dropped an arm around her and kissed her lips. She sighed and pushed up slightly on her toes to mash their lips together more.
“Don’t mind us.” Mellie’s dry tone broke their kiss.
“Never do,” she retorted.
Mellie made a very unflattering comment to her in Cajun. She responded in kind and just shook her head at Patrick to waylay the question she knew he had.
Breakfast went well, they ate and talked. As they separated, both women hugged her.
“Don’t muck this up. I like him,” Mellie said. “He’s good for you.”
Lola smiled. “I’ll take him if you don’t want him anymore.”
“Lola, he’s not a toy I’m sharing.”
She shrugged. “He makes your eyes smile.” Lola pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Okay, I’m going to go see what I can do today. Bye!” She bounced off, back in her own little world.
Patrick wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. “They are something else.”
“An acquired taste. But they are my girls and haven’t ever let me down.”
“Lola is different.”
“Yes, she is. She’s come a long way. She doesn’t really like people and tends to speak her mind. Smart as a whip and has four degrees, actually.”
“I like them.”
“They liked you as well.”
“What’s her obsession with your shoes?”
“She likes mine. I’ve purchased her some like I have but she still wants to borrow mine, so I buy more and leave them in my closet for her to take when she wants. Not sure, one of her quirks.” She thought about his question from prior to her running. “Thank you for breakfast. I thought you wanted some beignets.”
“I wanted to keep you to myself longer.”
She chuckled. “Didn’t work out so well, did it?”
“I need your friends to like me. So I’m fine with it.”
“And you?” She turned, so she could meet his gaze.
“And me what?”
“Do you have friends in Fort Mavis that I need to like me?”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “Does this mean you’re coming with me?”
“It means I’m asking if you have friends there.”
“I do. I grew up there. And I know they’ll like you but I’ve told them about you from the moment we met.”
“Why?”
“So they’d stop trying to push girls on me. When they knew I was yours, that stopped,” he stated it so matter of fact. As if it wasn’t something he had to think about and create an answer she may want to hear, but it fell from his tongue as if it were the truth.
Her skin pebbled as pleasure washed over her with his words. “I’m not sure what to make of you West.”
“I’m easy enough to figure out. Now come on. You’re supposed to show me the city and unless you want to get undressed, I suggest we leave and be out amongst other people.”
She dragged her tongue along her lower lip and pushed her hands beyond the waistband of his pants. “If we go later, it will be warmer out, probably more people.”
“But we probably won’t get as sweaty out there as we’re about to in here.”
She grinned. “I was hoping you were going to say that.” Teena pushed his pants down. “We can go out later.”
Patrick claimed her mouth and nothing else mattered.
Three hours later, they sat on one of the St. Charles line of streetcars passing Tulane University, she had her head resting on his shoulder as he looked around. She loved this city, loved what it offered her. Even having lived here her entire life there was always something new to discover. But today she was doing what he wanted to do, later she would take him places that weren’t in the tour guides, but this was one she enjoyed doing.
“It’s a beautiful city,” he murmured in her ear.
“It is that.” She fought a yawn…he was wearing her out. In a delightfully good way, but she was exhausted.
“You’re tired.”
“I’m fine. I will need a bit more sleep in Texas though. Where am I staying?”
“With me.”
“You have a house in Fort Mavis?”
He laughed. “I do. I love my hometown and bought one.” He tugged on a curl. “Does this mean you’ll come with me?”
“I’ll meet you there. I have some more things to do but yes, I’ll come see you in Fort Mavis.”
“Excellent. I want you to see my town.”
She may not be all up and excited about going back to his home but she couldn’t deny what he’d said earlier. She did love the country, it did calm her despite the fact she lived in a city. She needed both.
That night as she closed her eyes, wrapped safely in Patrick’s arms, she felt content with her decision. She wasn’t going to say he would be the future husband but she felt good about where their relationship was at and the direction it was headed. She wanted it to work out.
αβ
Patrick looked around his house.
“It’s fine.”
He turned to stare at his friend, Jake. “What?”
“Christ, you’re worse than a woman. The house is clean, all is well and your woman will be here in a little bit.”
“I want it to be perfect.” He’d had his eye on a ring he wanted to grace Teena’s left hand.
Jake headed to the door. “I’ll swing by and meet her later, but I have to get going. Not good for me to be late to work.”
Alone, Patrick paced. It had been two months since he’d seen her in New Orleans. She’d been sent on a few assignments as had he and their schedules just hadn’t meshed. Until now, but she was already two hours late and now he worried that she’d been called back to work.
He pulled out his cell and scrolled through to her name and number. Finger hovering over the call button, he took a deep breath.
His doorbell chimed.
“Just come back in Jake.”
“I’m not Jake but can I come in?” Teena’s voice wove by the door to his ear.
He tossed his phone to the couch and yanked her into the house, kissing her.
Patrick pushed his tongue deep into her mouth, stroking it along hers. Her body trembled in his arms and she sank her hands in his hair, tugging slightly as she nipped his invading tongue. His cock went rock hard and he backed her to a wall, using it as support for her, while he tugged her shirt up.
She purred as he covered her breasts, thumbs skimming along the taut nipples hiding behind her satin bra. He pushed up her shirt and bra, freeing her boobs. Then he took her nipple into his mouth.
“Oh God,” she panted, pulling on his hair harder as he laved attention from one tip to the next. She repositioned her hands on the waist of his pants and undid the top button, sliding her hand down and curving her fingers around his cock. It jerked at her touch and he bucked his hips.
Patrick lowered the zipper on his pants, taking possession of her mouth once more, yanked hers pants down and lifted her as she kicked free of one leg. He grunted in pleasure as he pushed into her wet heat with a single stroke. She wrapped her legs around him, holding him as deep as he could be.
He thrust in and out of her, faster until they both came hard at the same time. Staring down at her, he gave her a soft kiss. “Hi,” he whispered.
“That is one hell of a welcome.”
“We’re just getting started. I’m going to tell you right now, I’m in love with you. I want to marry you. Full disclosure, just so you know where my mind is.”
Her eyes widened slightly before her internal muscles flexed around his cock. “I love you too, West. Have for a long time now, just was too damn chicken to do anything about it.” She rotated her hips and he groaned as he hardened once more. “Can I have an encore of that welcome?”
“Hell, yeah.” He kissed her again. Later, he would show her off to his friends. Right now, she was his. Teena had been his since the first time he’d seen her and started watching her. He didn’t plan on letting her go.
This woman was his future. His life. Patrick could see family and kids with no one else.