My phone rang almost immediately, and I said hello to Libby with a smile. I spent the next 10 minutes filling her in on everything that had happened since I’d picked Josh up from the Brass Hall. She was excitedly repeating everything back to Mason, who must have been with her, and as I told her about our boat ride on the lake and the flowers Josh had arranged around the room, I heard her squealing and jumping up and down. She took great pleasure in reminding me that she had always said Josh wanted to be with me, and although she kept asking what had kept us apart, I didn’t want to break Josh’s confidence and managed to steer the conversation away from herquestions.
Hearing a knock on the door, I promised to call her as soon as we were home. Hanging up, I rushed out of the bathroom and through the bedroom. I wanted to surprise Josh with breakfast in bed, and to do that I needed him to stay asleep for a few more minutes. Swinging open the door to the suite, I was greeted by a young waiter and a huge cart full of food. I watched as his eyes glanced down to my bare legs and I felt my face flush with heat. In my eagerness to open the door, I’d forgotten that all I was wearing was a pair of panties and one of Josh’s t-shirts.
“Erm…come in,” I stuttered, trying to shield my body behind the door; that worked until he was actually in the room. Then, after shutting the door, I had nowhere tohide.
“Are you here alone?” he asked with a smirk, his eyes roaming my body. “I could keep you company if youlike.”
I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. “Are you this inappropriate with all the guests you wait on?” I asked, watching as the smirk fell from hislips.
“Only the ones who are asking for it,” he replied angrily, his voice gettinglouder.
“How dare you! I think you better leave, now!” I exclaimed, turning and opening thedoor.
“You stuck-up bitch!” he shouted, anger radiating offhim.
“Oi, jackass!” I heard Josh shout from the bedroom door. “Don’t speak to my girlfriend like that! Get out,now!” He crossed the room and grabbed the waiter’s arm, dragging him toward the door. Josh was much bigger, and it took little effort from him to throw the waiterout.
“I’ll be speaking to your manager, and you’ll be lucky if you have a job when I’m done with you,” Josh exclaimed before slamming the door on him. Turning to look at me, his face was like thunder. “What were you thinking, opening the door dressed like that?” he snapped, looking me up anddown.
“I was thinking I’d get you breakfast in bed,” I said, shocked that he seemed angry with me. I tried to push past him but he gently grabbed myarm.
“Stop,” he said, his voice softening. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you, I’m sorry. I just lost my shit when I saw that asshole looking at you.” I let him pull me into his arms and buried my face in his bare chest. To my horror, I felt tears pool in my eyes, and before I knew what was happening, I was crying. Lately, the smallest thing had me bursting into tears. Gently pushing me off his chest, Josh forced me to look at him. “God, you’re crying,” he whispered, pulling me back into his arms. “I swore I’d never be the reason you cried again, and here you are crying on our first date,” he mumbled into my hair, the devastation evident in hisvoice.
I shook my head and pulled out of his embrace. “I don’t know why I’m crying!” I exclaimed, taking a deep breath and forcing the tears tostop.
“I know why—it’s because I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry sweetheart. I never meant to shout at you, but you’re mine, and I don’t want anyone seeing you likethat.”
“I didn’t even think when I opened the door, I was just excited to get you breakfast inbed.”
“Come on, let’s have breakfast and then I’ll show you my favorite thing to eat in bed,” he said with a wink, his lips brushing against mine. Heat pooled between my legs at his words and I bit down on my lip. He laughed, seeing my reaction. “Breakfast first, and then I’ll take care ofyou.”
“Promise?” Iwhispered.
“Always,” he whispered back, kissing me again before leading me back into thebedroom.
A couple hours later, we were heading back to Marble Falls. Breakfast was good, but not as good as the hour we spent in the walk-in shower. Josh kept his promise by showing me exactly what he liked to eat in bed, followed by what he liked to do in the shower. I smiled and squeezed his hand, which was wrapped aroundmine.
“Thank you for an amazing first date,” I shouted, the wind whipping around our heads as we drove with the top down. “I wish it didn’t have toend.”
“Me too baby…” He trailed off. “My parents are away for a few weeks, so what do you think about me staying at your place?” He looked nervous as he asked me, and I grinned athim.
“I’d love that!” I exclaimed. “But are you sure you want to be at my tiny cottage rather than at your place?” There was no getting away from the fact that my cottage was nowhere near as comfortable as hishouse.
“I want to be wherever you are Sav. We’ve wasted enough time being apart, I just want to be with you.” We’d hit some traffic and were stationary, so taking my chance while we weren’t moving, I flung my arms around his neck and kissed hischeek.
“I’ll take that as a yes then,” he said with a chuckle, and I nodded, sitting back in my seat. “We also need to talk about what happens when the baby comes. I want us to be a family Sav, one where we’re all together. I know this is pretty new between us, and I don’t want to rush you into something you aren’t comfortable with…we can talk about it when we don’t have to shout,” he said as the traffic cleared and he picked up speed. As I sat next to him, my mind raced—did that mean he wanted us to live together? Where would we live? I’d only just moved into the cottage, and I wanted to be by my parents when the baby came. As nice as it was to be riding in a convertible, I wished we weren’t so we could actually talk. I felt Josh squeeze my hand and I looked over athim.
“I can see your mind working overtime,” he shouted. “We’ll make it work.” I smiled at him and nodded. He’d said he didn’t want to rush me into something I wasn’t comfortable with, but I’d wanted to be with him for as long as I could remember. Now that I knew he wanted me and the baby, I couldn’t wait for the three of us to be afamily.
We drove back in comfortable silence, my hand wrapped in Josh’s the whole way. An hour or so later, we arrived back at the ranch and parked in front of the house. I could see Brody working in the barn, and I glanced over at Josh, noticing that he too had seen him. “I think I need to go have a word with Brody, tell him about us,” Josh said, lookingworried.
“I’ll come with you,” I told him, seeing hisapprehension.
“I think I’d better go on my own, if you don’t mind?” His eyes were still fixed on Brody, whose back was to us so he hadn’t seen usyet.
“Oh, okay. He’s going to be fine though, I promise.” I was a little upset that he didn’t want me to go withhim.
“You’re his little sister, and I’m his best friend—I think he’s going to have something to say about it.” He scoffed, his eyes leaving Brody and finding mine. He looked anxious and I tried not to laugh. “Glad you’re finding this amusing!” heexclaimed.