Never Far Away (The Never #2)(79)

“There’s some sort of game going on in there, Porter. I couldn’t hear anything. I’ve only been out here for a minute.”

“You can’t be alone, Ella. Especially out here, out in the open. Next time go in the bathroom or the kitchen. Anywhere but outside by yourself, ok?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to come out here.” She eyed the flowers in his hand. “You don’t strike me as a flowers kind of guy,” she said cautiously.

He smiled at her. “Good, cause they’re not for you. They’re for my mom.” Her expression changed from questioning and softened into a more loving look.

“You brought your mom flowers?” She asked, her voice jumping an octave or two.

“Yes?” He was surprised when she leaned up and kissed his mouth, but it only took him a second to catch up before he wrapped his arms around her waist, trying not to flatten his mother’s flowers in the process. Her tongue darted out and swept across his lips and he let out a groan, reaching down with one hand and grasping her ass. “Mmm,” he said when they finally parted. “Wait a minute. Why don’t I strike you as a flowers kind of guy?”

She raised an eyebrow at him and laughed a little. “Porter, you gave me a box of jumper cables with a bow wrapped around them.”

“And?”

“And…” she trailed off. “Jumper cables are a far cry from flowers.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Porter,” she said as she placed her hand on the side of his face. “You are the most romantic man I have ever met. You say things that make my head spin. You make these sweet gestures, like picnics on the beach and in the hotel, that fill my heart with love. But I cannot say that you excel in the ‘thoughtful gift’ category.” He frowned at her while racking his brain, trying to remember all the gifts he’d given her.

“I bought that ring on your finger,” he said triumphantly. She looked down at her right hand, the tiny silver arrow ring starring back at the both of them.

“You mean this ring?” She said, holding her hand up so that he could clearly see it. “This ring right here that I was already going to buy?” She said laughing. “That’s not a thoughtful gift. That’s a nice gesture, buying a trinket for a woman you were trying to woo, but it wasn’t a premeditated and thought-out gift.”

“I wasn’t trying to woo you,” he said, pouting. “And what about the hotel and the lingerie?” He shifted, not liking the conversation and where it was leading.

“Babe,” she said, now placing her other hand on his face so that she palmed both cheeks. “I love you and you are wonderfully romantic, sweet, and thoughtful. But the hotel and lingerie were just as much for you, if not more, than for me. I loved it all, but let’s get real – you wanted to see me in that lingerie just so you could get it off me.”

“You’re making it sound like I don’t appreciate you or show you that I care.” His pout was out in full force now, and he just wanted to give his mother the flowers and go home to sulk.

“Are you…? Wait a minute, are you seriously insecure about this?” She asked, sincerely surprised, concern flashing across her face.

“Well, shit, Ella. I don’t want you to feel that way about me. I want to give you everything.”

She continued to look him in the eyes and she looked as though she was weighing her next words carefully.

“Porter, I don’t need you to get me anything. I’m so happy just being with you. There’s nothing you could buy or give me that would make me even half as happy as your touch makes me, or sharing books with you makes me, or even just sleeping in the same bed as you makes me. I’m not looking for flowers, or gifts, or large declarations of love here. I’m just looking for you. for us. I’m sorry if what I said made you think otherwise.”

He looked into her eyes for a moment more, making sure he believed what she was saying. He knew she wasn’t looking for material things, but if she had a need he wasn’t meeting he wanted to know about it. “Promise me you’ll tell me if I’m not giving you what you need. And…” he placed a finger over her mouth when she tried to interrupt him. “And I’m not just talking about gifts. I’m talking about more than that. I want to be your everything, Ella. I want to give you everything.”

“Will you promise me the same thing?” She whispered against his finger which sent shock waves directly to his stomach, causing the familiar aching he had grown accustomed to. He nodded and she moved in to press her lips against his. “I promise,” she said with her mouth brushing against his.

This kiss was slow and sensual, a promise between the two of them. Silent vows to give each other the reassurance they both needed. He would always be willing to promise her everything. His hand found its way into the hair at the nape of her neck, and he ran it’s softness through his fingers. She whimpered quietly as his tongue slowly eased its way into her mouth and he knew he needed to stop torturing himself and get them home. He pulled away and heard her sigh.

“Where’d you learn how to kiss?” She asked breathily. He laughed out loud at her question.

“The summer before I turned eighteen, I spent many weeks tucked away in the sand dunes kissing a girl named Wendy.”