Reluctantly Yours(88)

Barrett’s hand lifts to his forehead, his fingers rub back and forth there. Those long, firm fingers that gripped my tits this morning when he fucked me in the shower.

I can’t let Barrett’s fingers distract me. Or soften the irritation I feel that he’s been keeping this from me.

“You’re right. I signed for the package.”

“And?” I prompt him to keep going.

“And I put it in my desk.”

The image of Barrett spreading me wide on his desk comes to the forefront of my mind. Focus, Chloe.

I shake my head to dispel the image. Clearly Barrett’s fingers and mouth and dick have made it hard to be annoyed with him.

“When were you going to tell me?” I ask.

He sets his wine glass down on the counter, and I do the same when he moves his hands to my hips and pulls me closer to him. My hands grip his forearms, the skin there is warm, the muscles beneath taut, both reminding me how nice it feels to be wrapped in his arms.

“Never.” He says it so earnestly my nervous reflex is to laugh.

“You’re kidding, right?”

His gaze is piercing, unwavering. But then his mouth breaks into a grin and he shrugs.

“Eventually. When the kids ask about your first place in the city and it reminds you that you used to live somewhere else.”

“We have kids? If you’re trying to not freak me out about living with you, talking about our future children isn’t the way to go. You haven’t even asked me to move in. We’re not even a real couple. Are we? I mean things have obviously changed between us, but we haven’t discussed anything official.”

“I thought that was implied. You know, by not telling you your apartment is ready.”

“I can’t move in with you. It’s too soon.” It’s too soon for a lot of things. Mostly the way I feel about him.

“You’re already here.”

“Only because Ralph skittered across the floor and freaked me out. Although he was kind of cute.” I think about that little gray mouse and wonder where he is now. Hopefully relocated to a nice farm he can roam around. “I just didn’t like the surprise of him being there. But that situation is resolved now.”

“Is it? How do you know for sure?” Barrett asks, his eyebrows lifting with feigned skepticism.

I don’t know what’s happening right now. Barrett wants me to live here with him, yet he’s said nothing to me about changing our previous arrangement. We’re set to break up next week and he’s talking about kids? What the hell is going on? Did I miss something? The confusion must be all over my face.

Barrett leans down and kisses me gently on the lips. A reassuring kiss.

“Chloe. I want you here with me. I want our arrangement to end and us to be together because we want to. Keep your apartment. It’ll be there if you want it. But if you want to be here, I want you here. Sleeping in my arms. Waking up every morning together.”

As Barrett says the words, I let out a shaky breath. More than moving in with him permanently, the reassurance that he wants to make our relationship real makes my stomach fluttery and my heart pound happily against my ribcage.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to negotiate.

“Access to the study?”

“Unlimited.”

“Rose would continue to stock the fridge with cookie dough ice cream?”

“Yes.”

“I’d get half of your closet?”

He shakes his head.

“There’s a second closet identical to mine.”

I tap an index finger on my lips in consideration.

“How much tennis will I have to play?”

“Only when you want to, but the outfit is required bedroom attire.”

“I was thinking I would take lessons. Frankie said there’s an excellent tennis pro.”

Barrett shakes his head. “I’ll teach you.”

I shrug. “Okay.”

“Sex?” I question. As if it’s going to be an issue. We can’t keep our hands off each other.

“Lots.” He backs me against the counter, his hands cupping my ass. “Are those your only demands?”

“I’m easy to please,” I shrug, “ice cream and orgasms.”

I wrap my hands around his neck and pull him to me. Our kiss turns me hot and needy in five seconds. My fingers are zoning in on Barrett’s belt, but he reaches for his phone. Heck of a time for a work call.

I bite my lip, waiting as patiently as I can while he taps on his phone.

“Here,” he says, turning the screen toward me. I recognize it as the security camera footage from JoAnna’s apartment the night of Lauren’s party. “Delete it.”

My eyes lift from the phone to meet his.

“Go ahead.” He hands me the phone.

I press the delete button on the screen and confirm it when it asks if I want to permanently delete the video. Barrett removes the phone from my hands and sets it aside.

His hands resume their position on my thighs, inching underneath my skirt. His lips trace along my jaw, the featherlight kisses making my clit throb.

“Now tell me you’re mine because you want to be.” His voice is low, a hoarse whisper that sends my pulse skyrocketing.

Without that video there’s no evidence of the party. Barrett’s telling me I could walk away, if that’s what I want.