Initiative (Suncoast Society #31)(35)

He gently nibbled on the side of her neck. “I think we can keep you in that state for quite a while. Maybe even for the rest of your life.”

“I hope you can.” She turned in his arms and draped them around his neck. “If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me up. I don’t want to wake up and go back to the nightmare I was living.”

“You’re not dreaming, sweetheart. You’re really here. We’re really here.” He smiled. “And tonight we’re having dinner with everyone.”

“So how are Rusty and Eliza?”

“As fun and freaky as ever. As you will soon see.”

“I can’t believe a lifetime has gone by since I’ve seen them. But it feels like I wasn’t apart a day from you guys.”

“And we don’t want to spend a day apart from you, either.”

“What about when Kyle’s home?”

“Kyle will have to get used to you being around. We’ll figure it out, don’t worry.” He cradled her face in his hands. “Seriously,” he said. “I’m his dad, and believe me, if I thought this would be a problem, I’d be speaking up. He’s not a toddler. He’s going to be thirteen in a couple of months.”

“It’d be easier if he was a toddler,” she grumbled. “He wouldn’t know any different as he grew up.”

He pulled her tightly against him. “I’m not giving up a second chance with you, and neither is Grant. So don’t worry about it.”

She rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. In some ways, it was hard to downshift from the survival mode she’d kept herself in the past couple of years.

And in other ways, it felt like coming home.

She knew she’d get used to the dichotomy sooner rather than later, but she also didn’t want to upend the men’s carefully constructed lives.

“I want to put it out there,” she said. “If something should happen with your job, don’t worry about it.”

“I pull my own weight.”

“That’s not what I meant.” She tipped her head back and looked into his eyes. “If you ever lose your job, either of you, I’ll find something for you to do at the dealership to draw a salary.”

“I am not a salesman,” he said. “And I know diddlysquat about working on cars, so that’s out.”

“You don’t have to. You can learn parts. Or learn office stuff. It’s not very complicated once you get the hang of it. Seriously, there are plenty of things you can learn how to do, administrative stuff. Probably better benefits than you have now.”

“Fringe benefits?” He waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.

“Yeah, those, too.”

Grant emerged from the bathroom. “I wouldn’t go in there for a few minutes,” he joked.

“Thanks for the warning,” she said.

“So what do you two look so serious about?”

“She was telling me if we ever get canned that she’ll put us on the payroll.”

Grant snorted. “I don’t know nuttin’ about sellin’ no cars.”

“That’s what I just told her.”

“Guys, seriously. You both took care of me back then. You were my safety net. Let me be yours now. Hopefully, it won’t be an issue. Just in case it ever is, I’ve got it covered.”

Grant pulled her into his arms. “Right now, let’s focus on us, okay? If I have my way, this is for life.”

As she stared up into his gorgeous blue eyes, she knew she wanted that more than anything. “Yes, Sir. That’s what I want, too.”

Grant took the keys to her car. After checking out, they went to the men’s house first so they could pick up what they’d need to spend the night at her house and leave right from there in the morning.

There was a picture on the wall of the two of them with a boy at Disney. “Is this Kyle?” she asked Darryl.

“Yep. That’s him. Two years ago, for Christmas, we took him over to Epcot.”

“He looks a lot like you.”

“He looks even more like him now,” Grant called out. “It’s spooky. Wait till you meet him tomorrow night.”

She froze. “Tomorrow night?”

“Yeah.” Grant emerged from their bedroom. “He’s spending Monday and Tuesday night here.”

“Oh.”

“She’s thinking again,” Darryl warned.

Grant walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. “What part of ‘for life’ didn’t I make clear this weekend?”

“You did, Sir. I just…” She rested her head against his chest. “Sorry. Trying to adjust to all the changes. The good kind of fear.”

“It’s okay. But you have to trust us.”

“I do.” She took a deep breath. “I will.”

“Good girl. Did I hear you say you have a pool?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Do we need swim trunks?”

She giggled. “No, Sir. I have a fence around my backyard.”

“Excellent.” He kissed her. “Then guess what we’re doing this afternoon?”

“Pool sex?”