CHAPTER 8
REESE
I hum along to the music pumping through the little café which has given me a home and a purpose for so long, my hips moving as I dance, not realizing I’m even doing it. It’s all because I’m happy. I don’t even mind waking up in the morning now because I have the best alarm clock ever.
Anderson.
Who doesn’t want to be woken up by orgasms and the man you love between your thighs?
We haven’t said the words, but I know it’s true. I know he loves me too.
He’s proven to me over the last two weeks he’s not as grumpy as I thought he was. He loves Boomer and the feeling is mutual. They have this special little bond, forged through walks in the park and treats.
What’s not to like?
He doesn’t know it, but I’ve read his books. I’ve always been more of a romance girl than suspense and while I don’t think I’m entirely a convert, I love Anderson’s books. I wonder about the book he’s writing now. I’ve asked him how it’s going, but I haven’t asked to read it or anything.
I don’t want to be another person who puts pressure on him. He does it enough all by himself and then there is his publisher and all the other people who help him manage his author career. I had no idea there was so much to it, not until getting a glimpse behind the curtain.
It’s impressive as fuck and I’m so proud of him.
He’s been lighter in the last few weeks since we went on our walk and Boomer started spending the day with him. He seems happier since he made good on the attraction between us.
I realize now he was all bark and no bite. I couldn’t see it at first when all I heard were his complaints, but it’s so clear to me now. He’s a good man and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. When he looks at me, his steel gray eyes boring into me, I know he feels the same way.
I’ve almost told him so many times, but I hold back. I’ve been told before that I’m too much. I don’t want to be too much for him.
Ruth shimmies next to me and bumps my hip, a big smile on her face. “You’ve always been in a good mood, but something has been different recently.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me, as if she knows all about what makes a woman happy and didn’t recently fall in love for the first and only time herself. It makes me giggle. She was shy when I first met her, unsure of who she was and her place in the world, but she’s come out of her shell and it’s beautiful to watch. “Want to tell me all about it?”
I feel my smile growing wider. There is part of me which doesn’t want to share, a little afraid if I talk about it then it will disappear. So many times, I’ve felt like happiness, true happiness which runs deep and is everlasting, is right out of reach, slipping between my fingers the moment I have a hold of it. It hasn’t stopped me from appreciating the good things, but this is different.
Being with Anderson, knowing I love him, it’s a different feeling and I desperately want to protect it.
Ruth cocks her head to the side and whisper yells, “This is about your grumpy neighbor, isn’t it?” I arch an eyebrow in question, and she giggles. “You haven’t mentioned his complaining for a little while. It’s not hard to figure out,” she chastises me and shrugs one shoulder casually.
I take a moment and admire just how far Ruth has come. When I first met her, she seemed so lost and alone, but now I know she’s not. She’s with Micah and they’re happy. She’s part of the family and we protect our own. It’s why I hired her, but she’s the one who has kept the job. She’s smart and capable, far more so than she ever gave herself credit for before.
She’s blossomed. I’m proud I got to have a part in it.
My cheeks start to ache from the smile on my face and nod. “Yeah, it’s Anderson.”
“Oooo,” she holds out the vowel, trilling it sightly in a way that has both of us giggling. She points at my face, “I know that look and smile. You’re in love.”
I sputter slightly, but I’m not going to outright lie about the feelings I have for Anderson. Even thinking about denying the truth makes me feel sick to my stomach. I nod slightly at the same time Ruth’s eyes move over my shoulder and her eyes round.
I spin around so fast I almost trip over my feet, but I reach out and grip the counter before anything too embarrassing can happen. Anderson’s standing there, a bouquet in his hands and a big smile on his face. My cheeks heat and I wonder if he heard our conversation.
Does it matter if he did? You do love him.
Yup. It’s true. I push away the pull of embarrassment and rush around the counter, not stopping until I’m standing toe-to-toe with the man I love. His steel gray eyes take me in, sparkling with something I’ve never seen when a man has looked at me before.
“What are you doing here?” The question comes out breathy, but can you blame me when I’m looking at the man I love and he’s holding flowers?
Anderson grins at me as his hand cups the nape of my neck, pulling me a step closer to press his lips against mine. The feeling of him so close, the way I can feel his heart beat for me, has everything disappearing around us. When he releases my mouth, he presses his forehead against mine, our breathing labored and loud between us.
“I’m here to take you out, Reese.” He pulls back enough to look down into my eyes and then at the flowers. “I got them at the shop around the corner, do you like them?” There’s an insecurity in his voice that only makes me fall a little more in love with him, “I wasn’t sure what kind of flowers you like best.”
I lean into the bouquet full of so much color and variety it reminds me of the perfect rainbow as the sun comes out from the clouds. “They’re beautiful, Anderson.” I swear he puffs out his chest and pulls me against him a little tighter, pride weaving its way through him. “So, you met Fern? She’s amazing and a regular,” I tack on the last part when he arches an eyebrow in question.