Girl Crush(70)

His friends treated me like one of the guys, which I adored, and my friends treated Collier like one of the girls. I sat back on the lawn chair, taking in the sight of our horde as they played in the pool. Ronnie hung out next to me in the sun, but since West and I had become an official couple, I hadn’t had the time alone with her that I had in the past. It finally made sense why Trish had been bothered by our relationship, but I missed her.

“You look happy, Gizzy.”

I turned toward her and shielded my eyes from the sun. “I am. I didn’t realize things could work like this. They never did with Chris, not even when things were new and good.”

“Beck says he adores you. And she’s over the moon that you guys worked things out. She thinks he’s going to pop the question soon.”

I shot up and threw my feet over the edge of the chair. “What?” I wailed. Things were perfect just like they were. “Has he told her that?”

“Nah, I don’t think so. But I don’t know that for sure.”

“How would she know then?” I didn’t want to risk bursting our bubble. But as the words started to sink in, I realized just how much I wanted it to be permanent.

“No clue. I don’t ask that kind of crap. You know that. As long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about. I don’t give a shit if you have a ring on your finger or not.”

“God, Ronnie. Don’t freak me out like that. Unless you have concrete evidence of monumental change, keep that crap to yourself.” I relaxed back into the seat and returned my attention to the pool.

As if he sensed my stare, he turned toward me and winked when his eyes met mine. I wondered if this feeling would ever go away. Never in my life had I been so hopelessly in love with another human being. The way he moved, how he talked to our friends, his devotion to me, all the way to his work ethic was more than I could have ever dreamed of.

In the car after dinner, with my hand on his thigh, Collier drove through the streets toward our house. My love for this vehicle came in a close second to my love for the man driving it. I rolled my head over to face him. “Are you ever going to let me drive your car?”

He laughed but didn’t take his focus off the road. “Giselle, I’ve ridden with you. I know how you drive. So it’s safe to say the answer will always be no.”

“That’s just rude. I haven’t damaged my car or gotten a ticket. And I’ve never been in an accident.”

“Yeah, but at this point, it’s just fun to turn you down. You’re really cute when you pout.”

I popped him playfully on the chest. “Jerk.”

I hadn’t turned away when he changed the subject. “Did you get to talk to Beck today?”

“Yeah, I mean, we chatted, but there were other people around.” Ronnie’s words came rushing to the front of my mind, and all I could think of was if he was about to bring up marriage. Then my thoughts bounced down the rabbit trail of what that would be like, but before I could get lost in that daydream, he continued talking.

“She’s moving back in with Stella.”

“Really? That’s fantastic. I take it that means she’s done well at work? That was the deal with Stella, right?”

“I guess. I don’t know. All I know is she’s leaving.”

“You don’t sound all that thrilled about it.”

“It’s not that.”

He parked next to the Camaro, and we continued the conversation while walking inside. “Then why do you seem bothered by it?”

“There won’t be anyone living there. We need to decide what to do about the house.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Sell it. But, Giselle, don’t you think we need to consider buying something bigger? It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but we’re cramped here. Your nail polish has more cabinet space than I do in the bathroom.”

“I thought you were okay with my collection?”

“Babe, I am, but surely you can find another place you love as much as this one that fits our needs better…and has a pool. Let’s be honest, no matter where we live, I’m not giving up seeing you in a bikini.”

“I’d rather just get rid of some of my stuff. And if the pool is a big deal, we can put one in the backyard.”

He started to undress when we reached our bedroom, and I had a hard time telling him no when he was naked. I wasn’t sure if he was aware of that fact, but based on how the discussion continued, I think he planned to use his sex appeal to his advantage.

I toed off my shoes and watched him shed his clothing. My mouth watered as he bared more skin. He smirked when he caught me staring, and I wiped a bit of drool from the side of my lips. “You’re not playing fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war, babe.” And with those words, the last bit of fabric fell to the floor.

That one word.

Babe.

It rolled from his lips straight to my heart. I’d give him the world if he asked for it.

He came to me, and as he talked, he stripped me bare. “I know you love this house, but I want us to have something that we picked out together.” My shirt joined his on the floor. “Something that will grow with us.” He pushed my shorts and panties past my hips, and they landed at my ankles. “Where our lives are joined.” A flick of his wrist unsnapped my bra, and I dropped my hands, ridding myself of the confining material. “Mine and yours.” The warmth of his tongue tickled my skin when he pressed an open-mouthed kiss against my neck. “Legally binding.”