CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

BRYAN

“Hey, babe.” Her sweet voice soothed him even though he only heard it on the other end of the phone.

“How’s my girl?” he asked, leaning against his car, waiting for Tyler to get his damn coffee from a shop he insisted on going to every damn day.

“Good. I just had this cute kid deliver me food.”

“Cute kid, huh?” he muttered, enjoying her giggle. “I’m going to tell them to send an old fart next time.”

“Will you be sending me lunch again?”

“If you’re a good girl when we play, fuck, yeah, I am.”

“You’re horrible. Please tell me Tyler isn’t next to you.”

“Na, he’s getting coffee.”

“Mmm, the magical drink.”

“You’re a nut.”

“You’re the one in love with me, so really, who is worse off on the crazy meter?” He shook his head as he grinned.

“I called, because I have bad news.”

“Why do I think I’m not going to like this.”

“I’ll probably be late tonight.”

“Yeah, that sucks,” she whispered. He knew what she meant.

“Sleep in bed with me tonight, though.”

“You think you’re going to be that late?”

“No matter how late I am, I want you there,” he shared and heard her soft laugh.

“Bossy.”

“You like it.”

“Whatever.” He could imagine her rolling her eyes. “I gotta go eat my yummy-looking food.”

“Alright, babe.”

“Love you, handsome.”

“Love you, too, Blondie.” He ended the call, only to look at Tyler staring at him, slightly dumbfounded. Ty’s eyes were wide and obviously surprised, but Bryan shook his head.

“Don’t start,” he warned his partner, but the shocked look on Tyler’s face told Bryan he wasn’t about to listen.

“Don’t start? Are you shitting me?”

“Ty…”

“Man, you just said the L word.”

“L word? What are you? Sixteen? Can’t say ‘love’?”

“It’s that serious?” Tyler asked. Bryan realized his partner wasn’t teasing him. Hell, if he were a betting man, he would guess Ty was genuinely interested.

“It is.” Bryan cleared his throat. “It’s serious.”

“You two just met.”

“Don’t matter,” Bryan confidently answered, because it really didn’t. He knew she was his. He might have fought it, but he was done with that shit. She was his.

Tyler looked at him, and Bryan could tell he was thinking something. About to ask, he didn’t when Tyler finally spoke. “Let me ask you something.”

“What?”

“What made you decide to take the leap?” He sounded like he genuinely wanted to know.

“I didn’t. It just happened,” he said, walking over to the driver’s side of the car, and looked at his buddy staring into the coffee shop.

“I was afraid you were going to say that.” Bryan thought he heard Tyler say but shook it off and got into the car.

***

Pulling into the driveway, he noticed an old silver Honda Civic parked at the curb with a man inside. Stepping out, he watched as the door opened and the man got out and walked into the glow of the streetlight. He immediately recognized him.

“What the fuck do you want?” he asked, his eyes never leaving Victor.

“I needed to talk to you,” Victor rumbled, approaching slowly, his hands out as if trying to let Bryan know he wasn’t a threat.

“So, you thought staking out my place in the middle of the night would be a good idea?” Bryan asked, never taking his eyes off the man.

“Look, I don’t know what that bitch—“

“You better watch your mouth. Val’s my woman and you’ll show her respect,” Bryan growled.

“I know you.” Victor smirked.

“You don’t.”

“I know your ex.” Fucking Courtney. She had been blowing up his phone until he simply blocked her number. “Man, that bitch. Fuck. Sucks like a fucking hoover giving head.” What the hell has Courtney gotten herself into?

“Bitch is chatty, too.”

“What do you want?” he asked, glancing toward the house.

“She says there’s still shit between you two. She wanted me to deliver a message.”

“Courtney and I have been done for years. Whatever she has to say, man, let me tell you, it’s probably full of shit.”

“Bitch gives great head and pays even better, so I couldn’t care less.”

“What?”

“She said things aren’t done with you two.” Victor rolled his eyes, looking bored.

“Look—“

“Night, Detective.” Victor saluted before turning back and getting into his car. Bryan stood watching him leave. He turned once the asshole disappeared from sight. A sick feeling sinking into the pit of his stomach.

“Bryan?” Val called out. He turned to see her body standing at the front door, the soft light from inside making her almost a shadow.

“Bry?” she called out again, and he walked toward her wondering if she had seen Victor and if he should share.

Reaching her, he pulled her into his arms. She was in her short shorts and tank top, tons of warm skin exposed.

“What’s the matter?”

“Victor was here,” he shared. He wasn’t going to keep shit from her. He knew better.

“What?” she asked softly. The hairs at his neck stood on end.

“I got home, he was parked across the street. I’m not home before you go to bed, you make sure to activate the alarm.”

“We don’t have an ala—“

“We’re getting one.”

“Handsome—“

“I’m not budging on this, so don’t give me any lip about it.”

“You’re just renting here, Bryan! You can’t just—“

“I can and I will,” he announced, not liking that his woman was in bed, dressed like she was, with that asshole just outside. “And in the meantime, you make sure every door is freaking locked.”

“Okay, baby,” she gave in, putting her hand on his chest. “What did Victor want?”

“He somehow met and hooked up with Courtney.”

“What?” Her eyes widened.

“Yeah. She paid him to deliver a message.”

“How would their paths even cross?”

“No clue.” They both stepped into the house, and he closed the door behind him, sure to lock it. Making a mental note to stop and get new locks and a latch for the door.

“Are you okay?” she asked, worry in her eyes.

“I’m fine, babe. Court’s crazy ass needs to realize there is nothing between her and me.”

“What I don’t understand is, she lied to you and thinks she can just come back, and what? Pick up where you two left off?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care.” He grabbed her into his arms. “All I care is who is in front of me right now.”

“Are you upset about her hooking up with—“

“She’s not mine.”

“But—“ He knew what she was trying to ask, but he needed to put a stop to it.

“She’s not mine,” he repeated, not blinking away from her. “I am completely gone for you, and when I say that I love you, Blondie, I mean it in a way I only observed with those around me. I didn’t think it was possible for me. Fuck, I envied it, because I knew I didn’t have that. Not ever. I saw it with Marc and Grace, and I saw it every day with my parents growing up.”

“I love you.”

“And I thank God you do, babe.” He kissed her forehead and felt her soften in his arms. “Come on, it’s been a long fucking day and we gotta work tomorrow.”

“Bry—“

“Come on.” He led her to their bedroom and he liked watching her settle into their bed. He wanted a lifetime of simple moments like the one unfolding before him. Curves he had memorized with his hands, her silky skin hidden away from him, he hurried to join her. Taking off his clothes, he dumped them into the hamper and slid in behind her.

“Mmm,” she moaned, her ass settling into his crotch. His hands wrapped her up tightly, her back flush with his front. “I love being in bed with you.”

“Glad, baby.”

“I wish we could stay in bed for, like, a week.” She sighed, and he nuzzled her ear with his nose, breathing in her perfume. “I thought you said you were tired,” she murmured, and his own lips lifted upward.

“I said we should get to bed,” he clarified, breathing her in and exhaling slowly, his eyes pinned to the bare skin of her shoulders and the goose bumps that appeared on her soft skin.

“Do you think we should worry about Victor and Courtney?” she asked. He tightened his embrace, leaning his head forward to kiss her shoulder.

“You’re my girl, right?”

“You know I am,” Val sighed with a smart-ass undertone, and Bryan fought from laughing at how adorable she was when she was feeling sassy.

“Then as mine, you have nothing to worry about,” he vowed.

“Are you?” she asked cautiously.

“No,” he answered, hoping he was right.

VALERIE

Opening my eyes slowly, I realized I was alone in bed, Bryan no longer lying next to me. At a glance at the alarm clock, I couldn’t help but groan. I only had ten more minutes before I had to wake up, and I still felt exhausted. Instead of staying in bed like I wanted, I got up, used the facilities, and headed to the kitchen in search of Bryan.

“You need to stop with this shit, Courtney. I’m not kidding,” I watched him growl, running his hand through his hair right before his eyes met mine. “We are done. We have nothing else to say to each other,” he bit out sternly, then pressed end on his cell and clenched the device in his hand like he was trying to stop himself from throwing it across the room.

Without thinking, my feet took me right to him, not afraid of him in the least. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I took his cell phone away and put it on the kitchen table next to us.

“Hi,” I whispered against his lips and felt his hands at the back of my head stroking my hair.

“Hey, baby. You sleep okay?”

“I’m guessing that I slept better than you did.” I took in the heaviness in his eyes and wondered if I should worry about his crazy ex.

“I told her not to call again,” he shared, even though he knew I’d heard. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything at all. “She will see that whatever she thinks can’t happen, won’t.”

I opened my mouth to reassure he was probably right when his phone started to beep. One after another, texts blew up his phone, but I didn’t move my eyes toward it. I stared at him. His eyes were pinned to me, so I moved my hands to his face.

“It’s you and me, right?” I asked. He opened his mouth, and his phone rang. His jaw twitched. I could feel the anxiousness that radiated off him.

“We should get ready for the day,” he gruffed, and I stilled. He hadn’t reassured me. He had ignored my comment completely. I wondered if it meant something. Swallowing, I stepped away and gave him what I hoped would pass for a smile.

“Sounds good, handsome.” Running my fingers through my hair, ignoring the incessant beeps chiming from his phone, I straightened and looked at him. “Go shower. I’ll make breakfast,” I suggested, because he didn’t need to be right next to his phone every time his crazy ex-wife messaged him.

“You don’t have to do that, Val, I can—“

“You can get your hot ass in the shower and after, eat the breakfast I’m about to make you,” I pressed on, and his eyes finally warmed, the air around us not as tense as it was.

“You’re too good to me.” His hands cradled my face, and I playfully rolled my eyes.

“Probably.” Then with a wink, I stepped away from his touch and started breakfast.

***

I knew he was in the room before he even made a sound. Something about him was connected to me in a way that I could feel his presence. When his mouth touched my neck, I turned to him.

“Hi,” I whispered, and in the darkness only lit up by the soft glow of moonlight outside, I saw the beauty in his eyes.

I took a shower after breakfast, and by the time I was out and back in the kitchen, he was dressed and ready to go. With a murmured good-bye and kiss to my forehead, he was out and I was left wondering what was running through his mind. Luckily, or not, depending on how you looked at it, I had to hurry to work and had had a busy enough day, so had not been able to let my imagination run wild. I knew we were new, but I also knew we were real and solid. Which was weird in itself, but I knew it in my gut.

“I woke you up.” His hand ran through my hairline and into my hair. I sighed at how good it felt.

“It’s okay.”

“How was your day?” his voice rumbled. I sighed on the inside.

“Crazy.” I smirked with my eyes still shut to him.

“I’m sorry about this morning,” he admitted, and I opened my eyes. He was closer now, his lips hovering over mine, his breath warm and minty.

“You were stressed out,” I needlessly pointed out and shrugged slightly.

“I shut you out.”

“You did,” I agreed, my hands greedy to touch his bare chest. “But who is to say I wouldn’t have done the same thing?”

“You have a nut case ex?” he asked, obviously still pissed at Courtney. I turned to switch on the lamp at my nightstand and rolled back to my side.

“All I’m saying is, I get it,” I gently shared, wanting him to understand that I wasn’t playing games or saying things just to say them. I meant them.

“I know, Blondie.” His eyes were tired but warm. “But what I’m saying is, I’m a grown man and should have dealt better with it.” That was sweet.

“Did it get any better throughout the day?” I asked sitting up in bed and watched him roll to his back, his palms on his eyes as he exhaled a deep groan. “I’m guessing that’s a no?”

“Not even a little bit,” he voiced, the agitation in his voice palpable throughout the room. I wanted to soothe him. Calm him.

“Maybe today was a fluke?” His hands left his eyes before he turned to me.

“Maybe.” One roughly uttered word, and just like that, my skin was covered with goose bumps. That’s when I remembered what I’d worn to bed. An ice-blue satin nightie with tiny spaghetti straps and off-white lace at the neck line. “Fuck, baby,” he growled as he took in what I was wearing, pulling my sheet lower.

“What are you—“

“Fuck,” he cursed sitting up and immediately leaning his body over mine. “Jesus.”

“You like?” I smiled, but my smile faded as he stayed silent bringing his sexy body over mine, pulling me below his.

“No. I don’t like it,” he roughly whispered against my lips.

“Hmm.” I shut my eyes as his hand went up my thigh under the satiny material, making me shudder a breath, my own breathing shallow.

“Satin?”

“Surprise,” I mumbled, aching for him. Biting my lower lip, fighting to keep my eyes on him, not wanting to miss his reaction.

Bryan was expressive.

He wasn’t like any of the men I knew, who simply grunted and let sounds answer for them. He always let me know where I stood with him. But when I watched him close his eyes, his hand moving from my thigh to the mattress by my face, I had no idea what to expect.

“Bry?” I called out to him, something reflecting in his eyes

“I have no fucking clue what I did in my life to deserve a treasure like you, Blondie. But if I knew what it was, I’d do it every second of my life to make sure you would never leave it.” It was flowery and maybe a little cheesy, but his words hit the mark and my eyes burned. “I left here behaving like a dick, yet you still came home, put on a sweet nightie and waited up? For me?”

“You weren’t—“

“I love you.” My stomach flipped and warmth rushed through me. There was something beautiful about the easy way he gave me those words. Because coming from him, they were more than words. They were truth. “Love everything about you, Val, and whatever the fuck Donnie was up to that had his path cross with Vaughn, thank fuck.”

“Donnie?”

“Shhh.” His lips touched mine. “I’m going to show you tonight how much I love you.”

“Mmm… That feels good,” I whispered as his lips traveled away from my lips and toward my chin, his nose skimming my skin.

“I’m going to make you feel even better. Show you how much you mean to me.”

“We work tomorrow,” I reminded him.

“Mmmm….” his voice rumbled. “We’re going to need lots of fucking coffee.” His voice vibrated against my neck, covering my body with goose bumps, my body arching toward him. “Lots and lots of coffee.”

I love coffee.