One year later
Shane
I entered our apartment with dread, hearing a loud *NSYNC song playing in the background and Serena’s off-tune voice shouting the lyrics.
She loved that song, said it helped her concentrate on her painting, and well, who was I to argue with her? As a result, that shit was playing all over the apartment several times a day, though she tried to put it on while I wasn’t home. I didn’t admit that all that repetition kind of made me like the song. Picturing her in her white shirt and shorts wiggling her amazing ass to the music while she put colors on the canvas didn’t hurt either.
Placing my keys on the table and the last moving box on the floor, I looked around. She’d done some cleaning, because the apartment was organized and all the boxes were gone. The smell coming from the stove was amazing, and I realized she’d cooked, too.
I loved my girl with food or not, but sometimes I was really grateful she’d learned all those things on the ranch. There were often times when she overcooked something, and I had to pretend it was good, but she knew I was lying. Later on at night, though, she rewarded me for being so cute, as she said. Win-win as I called it.
Strolling to her studio, where she created magic with her work, I couldn't fucking wait to put my hands on her. The studio was her domain, and I usually stayed out of there. Unless my girl was feeling naughty, then I was always game for some experimenting.
“Baby?” I called, but it was useless, because she couldn’t hear a thing over that music. I tried again, and finally the music was turned down.
“Shane?”
“I’m home.” I heard some rumbling as she rinsed her hands. She came to me wearing, as I said, shorts, a tight shirt, and a smile. Her hair was messy and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. I preferred her that way anyway. It didn’t mean I didn’t love her when she dressed up and used makeup to accentuate her fuck-me eyes.
I just loved everything about my girl.
She circled my neck and stood on tiptoes so we could kiss. As usual, it was hot, deep, and wet. She welcomed me home as though she’d waited all day for my return. She gave me a place where I felt I was needed, and for that, I would always be grateful.
After she forgave me, we made love that night. The next day, we flew to Houston to see my aunt and pack some of my things. Those two instantly hit it off. Aunt Tara was happy for us and told me she could finally be okay with me leaving, because, in her mind, I’d found peace. I liked the fact she was with Eric and he made her happy. They wanted to take a one-year cruise and she was excited.
As long as she was happy, I was happy.
“How was your day?” Serena asked as she played with the collar of my shirt and scratched my scalp. I groaned at the sensations she created in my body.
“It was okay, though my ass hurts from all the sitting,” I grumbled, and she just laughed, the little minx.
After I’d made my confession at her gallery opening, we talked with her dad, and surprisingly, he approved of our relationship. I wasn’t expecting that, but I wasn’t arguing with it either. She showed me her apartment, and although I liked it, I knew with my starting salary we wouldn’t be able to afford it, and we would have to move. I agreed to live there until we found something more suitable for both of us.
So we searched for something downtown and found a place. Yeah, it wasn’t something she was used to, but the rent was decent and the people too, and the neighborhood didn’t make me sweat in fear for her safety when I wasn’t there to take her home. I accepted the firm’s position and started as a finance advisor. The pay was great, but I wanted to save up for a good apartment and our future. She was studying in college and her art was selling, but I didn’t care about her money. She used it on food and rent because we were a team, she said, even though I didn’t want her to, but I should have known my girl wouldn’t let me win that argument. We took our time, saving money for the life we wanted. We planned to move back to Houston once she finished college.
We had all the fucking time in the world.
Today was our one-year anniversary since we got back together, and I had something special for my girl, something she would like. She’d already given me her gift yesterday, when she greeted me in nothing but body paint made of chocolate that I could play, lick, and taste all I wanted. We made love for hours.
“I have a gift for you, babe.” Gently, I let her go and went back to the living room to bring the small box I had for her. She looked at me questioningly, but opened it eagerly. I knew from last Christmas and her birthday that she loved presents. She took the lid off, looked inside, and froze. I didn’t know what to make of her reaction. Shit, I’d expected a lot of things, but that wasn’t one.
Didn’t she like it? She finally raised her eyes to me in shock.
“You bought me… you bought me designer shoes?”
Well, yeah, I did. The shoes were fucking expensive, but I knew she loved shoes and especially that brand, but she didn’t buy them anymore. Since we’d moved in together, she’d shifted to more affordable brands or simply used her old collection. I wanted to buy something for her that she would feel good about, but I felt like I’d just fucked up all over again.
“Yeah, don’t you like them?” I had to ask.
“I love them, baby,” she whispered, and hugged me. “I just don't understand why you would do it.”
“Because you love them?”
“But they cost so much!”
“It’s for you. Yeah, right now we can’t afford to buy them every day, but in time, it’ll be better. You’ll have all the shoes you want, babe. You have my word on it.” She deserved only the best, and in time, we’d get there.
After a second, she smiled and I felt much better. It was good to know I’d made a great move. She let go of me and pulled the red stiletto heels on, and they looked so damn sexy on her, just like I thought they would.
“They're amazing. Look at the color!” she squealed, and looked at them in the huge mirror we had near the door. I’d always loved how she walked in heels, as though she was barefoot, not a hardship at all. She took out her cell and snapped a picture. “Wait ‘til Becky sees them!” I rolled my eyes, because I knew the two of them. Surprisingly, I’d grown to love the crazy one, as I called her. She was a loyal friend, and it was all I needed to know. “She’ll be jealous.” She laughed, and sent it through Facebook, I assumed.
“It’s not like she needs them though.” I almost laughed, because for what Becky was doing right then, she sure as hell didn’t need fancy heels. Since no one wanted to give her a job here, she’d had to come up with some surprising—even for me and Serena—solutions.
“You’re right.” Then she received a message and looked stunned as she read it.
“Everything all right?” I didn’t like her reaction, and hoped nothing bad had happened.
“Um, it’s Maggie.” I knew they’d kept in touch over the last year, and she’d even come to visit for a few days once we were settled. Boy, I didn’t recognize my sister at all.
“What about her?”
“She’s in Vegas.” Frowning, I rubbed my chin, confused at the information. She’d finished her degree last semester and stayed on the ranch. What the fuck would she be doing in Nevada?
“What?”
Serena bit her lip and looked at me worriedly. I didn’t like that shit one bit. I was getting ready for the blow. I loved Serena, my aunt, and Maggie, and I would do anything to protect them. Beth and Alice were making it to that list as well, but the connection wasn’t as strong yet.
“They all went together, and based on what Becky said, well, she… um… she….”
I was getting tired of the stalling. “Baby, fucking say it before I lose my mind!”
“She got married last night.”
I said nothing to that, just stared at her as she worriedly waited for my reaction, which she knew was coming once I sorted it out in my mind.
I didn’t care whether Maggie wanted it or not. I didn’t care she was twenty-two, finished with college, could make her own life, and had the right to decide for herself.
Fuck all that shit.
I was going to fucking kill Ren or Grady, depending on which of the two had the nerve to marry my little sister in Las Vegas.
THE END