Closing the distance, I buttoned the shirt all the way up. Laney watched me with a smug smile.
“Come on. Let’s feed you.” I turned her around by her shoulders, wrapping my arms around her waist. We walked like that to the living room. It wasn’t the fastest way, but feeling that ass rub against my crotch with every step was more than worth it. We stumbled on each other’s feet and promptly burst into laughter, almost walking into a wall.
“I thought you were supposed to look out for us.”
“I was too busy feeling you up.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“What’s your excuse?”
“I was too busy enjoying you fondling me.”
“Fair enough.”
“So I got my full-body massage, and now you’re feeding me? Just so you know, I’m liking you more and more.”
“You belong to me. I want to take care of you.”
She shuddered in my arms. I kissed the side of her neck before letting go as we reached the kitchen. It was state of the art, but the only appliances I used were the fridge, the microwave, and the coffee machine.
“I’m not much of a cook, but I always have plenty of takeout. Since Skye married Rob, I practically have a delivery subscription from his restaurants.”
“Works for me. I eat vending machine crap half of the time and cafeteria food the rest of the time. This is actually an improvement.”
We ate bacon sandwiches and salad, standing at the counter.
“How come you decided you wanted to be a doctor?” I asked her.
“I don’t remember a time I didn’t want to be one. I honestly never considered anything else. It was particularly alarming in my last year of college, when I had no plan B in case I didn’t get into med school. You? Always knew you wanted to work in real estate?”
“Not at all. I just wanted to make money, honestly. I know, it’s shallow.”
“No, it’s not. Wanting to have a comfortable life is a valid reason to pursue things.”
I liked that she wasn’t judgmental. “When Hunter asked me to work with him, I didn’t hesitate. I was young and hungry to prove myself, hungry for a high-paying job. My siblings and I had wanted to help Mom every way we could.”
“Oh?”
“Back in Boston, we lived in this huge house. Right after Dad left, she’d thought that she would at least get half of the house. Dad had hidden from her the fact that he’d put up the house as collateral for a personal loan. It had been in his name only, so he hadn’t needed her signature. I knew she really wanted to own the place where she lived.”
I had this vague memory of eavesdropping on Mom talking on the phone with her sister.
“We won’t even have a roof over our head. What am I going to do? I’ll never be able to afford buying a place to call home.”
It had haunted me for years. I didn’t want Mom to ever feel that desperate or unsafe ever again.
As soon as we were all working and had a decent income, we chipped in with more than enough for a down payment. Hunter had flat-out offered to buy Mom’s apartment, but she’d given him such a stern speech that we both grimaced every time we remembered it. She’d used his middle name, and that was saying everything.
“And you succeeded,” she said with a smile.
“Yeah.”
“You’re a remarkable man. Did I mention I like you?”
“Several times, but I love hearing it so you can repeat it as often as you want. Now, time to answer some questions.”
“Oh?”