Limitless Love (Lotus House #4)(62)

“What? Tell me! What’s so funny?”

After several deep inhalations where I attempted and failed to catch my breath, I said, “I was comparing Kyle’s and Clay’s dick sizes…” I kept laughing.

“Oh wow. That bad, huh?”

“So bad. Clayton’s got a monster co—” I covered my mouth as Lily burst into my bedroom holding her wand, wearing a princess gown and a pair of my dress shoes.

Mila groaned. “Don’t leave me hanging. Hanging! Get it?” She busted up laughing through the line.

“Lily honey, you look cute as a button, but Mommy is having a private conversation with Auntie Mimi. Go see what Clay is doing. I think he’s measuring the window in your room,” I offered.

“Oooh…maybe I could use my wand and make magic!”

“Sounds great, honey!” I plastered on a smile for her as she teetered on my heels and clopped her way down the hall.

“King Clay! I’m gonna fix the window wif magic!” she hollered, her voice getting softer the farther away she got.

I waited until I couldn’t hear her anymore.

“Moe…I’m dying.”

“You know that saying, he’s hung like a horse?” I offered with a saucy lilt to my voice.

“Mmm-hmm.”

I grinned, loving that I was finally able to have real God’s-honest girl talk with my best friend about a guy. When Mila was dating Atlas and had finally committed to being his girlfriend, she didn’t shut up about all the ways he made her scream in the bedroom. Now it was my turn, and a giddiness overcame me.

I whispered, “He’s that times a hundred!” and giggled.

A hoot and holler blasted through the line and was so loud I had to hold the receiver back away from my face. “Praise Jesus, halleluiah! Can I get an amen for my sisters out there who deserve some good hard lovin’!”

We both fell into a fit of laughter. Once we had ourselves under control, Mila’s tone changed, a seriousness overtaking the levity.

“Moe, I’m really happy for you. I like Clayton, a lot. He’s a good guy.”

“The best,” I said, awe coating my tone.

“And you gotta know he loves you. I mean, it’s written all over his face and the way he dotes on you and Lily—”

I cut her off. “He told me he loved me last night.”

“Holy shit. Okay…um… And what did you say?”

“The truth.”

“Which is…” She let her question peter out.

“That it was too soon…”

“Ugh. Moe! Goddamnit!” She blasted me with her frustration.

“But that I loved him too!” I finished, but it was too late. She’d already started in on her lecture.

“You have to let him in. He’s the right man… Wait? What?” Her argument stopped immediately.

I chuckled and raised my head when the door opened and Clay entered. I had taken a seat in one of my high-back reading chairs near the window in my bedroom. One of my knees was cocked up against my chest, and I had most of my weight on one hip to relieve any pressure from my back. Watching him watch me, I knew a rosy hue was crossing my cheeks because they warmed shamelessly.

With a boldness I felt deep in my heart, I looked right at him but kept speaking into the phone. “I told Clay I loved him too. And I do. So much.”

Clay’s chest lifted and fell as he breathed, watching me from across the room as though I was his prey and he could pounce on me at any minute.

I straightened my spine and blew him a kiss. He shook his head, his face filled with happiness.

“Fuckin’ love that, woman,” he mumbled low, turning around and heading back out to leave me to my call.

He’d only come to check on me. I’d been gone a solid thirty minutes, and something inside his protective nature made him look in to ensure I was safe. Another piece of the wall I’d erected around my heart after Kyle fell away, and the space filled in with Clay’s love and affection. Soon, he’d own it all. My body, my heart, and my soul.

“Moe, I’m so proud of you. This is big. Huge. Oh! I know, we need to commemorate this! I need to paint you guys! Together! Oooohh naked!”

“Mila, I’m not so sure Clayton would be okay with that.” I didn’t know if I was okay with that. My best friend seeing my man’s business. A snarl of jealousy teased at my senses.

“Why not! I’ve seen him naked tons of times in Atlas’s classes, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. That man is built, and I mean built! And you’ve seen Atlas naked a bazillion times. You can’t tell me that it would be uncomfortable. I call bullshit on that.”

Would it be uncomfortable? I honestly wouldn’t know unless we were put in the position. “I don’t know, Mila. We’ll see. Right now, I’m healing, and I need to focus on my gun training and self-defense classes. As well as the chaperones I’ll be taking to work for a while.”

Remembering I had a handful of my male friends planning to act as bodyguards for me while I worked was enough to make me hate Kyle and wish him dead. And I’d never wished a single soul dead. Until now.

“Yeah…” Mila mumbled around eating what sounded like a potato chip. She crunched in my ear several times before continuing. “Atlas signed on for Fridays. Told Silas about what happened, and he offered to take a turn on watch.”