“All five feet of her. She seems exactly like the kind of friend I’d imagine you’d have. She doesn’t seem awful enough to call her that, though. I really thought her name was Lucifer. Does she know you have her saved as that in your phone?”
“She doesn’t seem that bad, because she’s probably tired. You got the tame version. She’s probably on her way to consume the soul of an unsuspecting man she met on her flight out here.”
Jack turns me and places a soft kiss on my lips. I wrap my arms around his neck and nuzzle into him. “I want to show you a few things. Some upgrades since you may have last been here.”
Jack leads me through the renovated home, and in every room we walk through, there’s something unique to love. Starting with the kitchen, it’s not the typical bright whites and monochromatic tones. Instead, the marble counters rest on top of deep blue cabinets adorned with brushed gold fixtures. The dining space and living room flow into each other, making the space feel big and bright. But it’s the back wall of windows that runs the length of the space that makes it feel massively special. It frames the beautiful outdoor living space, the sprawling field just beyond it, and I’d bet in the daylight, you can see the mountains of Strutt’s standing tall behind it all. The artist in him did the place justice. It’s breathtaking.
“I didn’t realize this place was even for sale or that David had any plans to relocate. How did you know? I haven’t been gone all that long for all of this to happen.”
“It wasn’t for sale. But everything has a price. It took David a bit of convincing to sell it to me, but I knew if I wanted you in my life that I was going to have to pull out all the stops. You said how much you loved the view here, so…”
“Jack,” I whisper. I’m not about to play dumb and think I didn’t play a role in him buying this place, but to hear that he did this out loud, I’m overwhelmed with happiness.
I don’t need a ranch and an insanely expensive home to know that he’s it for me. I won’t find this again. This feeling that lights up between us, the electricity, the understanding, and the all-consuming need to be near him. And now that I know how he feels, I know this isn’t something you explore and meander through. Even after the tears spilled, I want to go all-in now, dive with no hesitation, because I know I won’t be lucky enough to find this again. Not in this lifetime.
There’s not much furniture or personal things in any of the spaces yet; it’s still being painted and finishes missing. He was waiting to complete it with me. We walk down the hallway, then up another flight of stairs and, as we hit the top, my breath hitches. The entire top floor is floor-to-ceiling windows. And because it’s the highest point of the house, you can see above the property line of trees and out to the most breathtaking view of pitch-black darkness speckled with stars.
“Out there, just above tree line, in the morning, you’ll see that view you love so much,” he tells me. I can hear the excitement in his voice.
I’m not sure what to say, so I stay quiet, trying to understand the emotions swirling around me. It’s too much, and it’s going to end up coming out as a mess of tears.
Jack looks at me, trying to read what I’m not saying. “You told me it was beautiful and you were right. It was the best view I had ever seen.” I finally blink.
“I tend to be right about a lot of things,” I joke.
“Almost.” He pauses and comes up behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, and kisses my neck. “This view only gets better when you’re in it. And it’s the only view I want. This isn’t my place, Ev, this is ours. If you want it to be.”
I become very aware of my breathing. Slowing down this moment to absorb all of it. Relish in it. I’m always so busy rushing into what’s next and waiting for the other shoe to inevitably drop that I never just breathe in the good moments, the great moments. This is one of them.
He peppers kisses along my neck and whispers, “Move in here with me. Make this a home with me.”
I smile wide and turn around in his arms to face him. “I was planning on it.”
“I’m serious, beautiful.” His dimples pop in to frame the very amused look on his face.
Meeting his smile, I whisper back, “So am I.”
As soon as I say it out loud, I know it’s right. I can hear my best friend objecting to the speed of it. Today was a whirlwind. It started with barely being able to imagine how I’d feel if I saw him. That was this morning, and now we're living together and loving each other by nightfall. G would say something in the way of, “Maybe date for a while before you live together?” or “Maybe make him work for it a bit more before you saddle yourself to just one.” But I’m not interested in practicing cautious decision-making anymore. Not with Jack.
While there’s a part of me that thinks about life very logically, I know that there’s a catch: logic can only make you so happy. After a while, it takes out the interesting things, and you’re left with a lot of smart decisions on paper, but not much else. It’s where I’ve been residing for most of my life, always smart on paper and never too indulgent. It’s been productive, but damn lonely. And it didn’t keep me from getting hurt.
I’m a successful woman in my mid-thirties who can afford a home on my own and all the little luxuries that I want. In a nutshell, I don’tneeda man in my life to survive and thrive, but Iwantone. This one in particular. So if this doesn’t work out, if Jack ends up being a control freak with an urge to adopt twenty-five feral cats or if he develops a distorted view on domestic gender roles, then I can revisit the idea of having my own place. But, for now, I’m going to live with the man I’m in love with, in the house that he’s built for us, in the town that I adore and call home.
“I’ve figured out what you’re going to do to make it up to me.” I kiss his plump bottom lip and give it a nip. “You’re going to love me.”
He brings his hands to my face, rubbing his thumbs along my chin. It’s the simplest of gestures, but the size of his hands on me in this way makes me feel so cared for. Cherished.
“That’s already done, beautiful. I plan on never stopping.”
“Good. Then I want you to worship my body. I want your mouth everywhere my blood pulses. I want your hands on every curve. I want your tongue to tease me, and your cock buried so deep that I’ll feel every breath it takes to fuck me good.”
He groans at my words. “Everly, usually a punishment or penance is a task that youdon’twant to do.”
Jack drops to his knees and rests his forehead on my stomach. I run my fingers through his short dark hair, and he wraps his arms around my middle.
“I’ll worship you every fucking day, beautiful. You don’t even need to ask.”
Nuzzling his face into me, he takes a deep breath, as if he’s trying to breathe me in and borrow the same air that’s already coursing through me. He takes his time undressing me. He lifts my shirt just enough to kiss the skin above the seam of my pants and then sits back on his heels to start his promised task.