“I do, but I work a lot. I’ve gotten used to takeout and grabbing dinner like we do all the time. What about you? Are you like your mom?” Kyle asks as I smile.
“I’d like to try out your kitchen. It’s set up for a chef, which I’m not, but there are some old recipes worth trying.” I reply, seeing his smile. “We don’t have to eat out all the time.”
“I love that idea. It might feel like a home instead of just a house.” Kyle meets my eyes and offers me a sexy crooked smile that he only reserves for intimate moments like this. At work, he’s the friendly CEO, but the smile is fake for almost everyone. “I’m looking forward to just being there and one of us not having to leave early to get ready for work. I can’t wait to see the personal touches you give it.”
“You want me that involved?” I ask, and he nods.
“Of course. It’s your home as much as it is mine.” Kyle assures me as I smile. “It needs some personality.”
“Okay. I wasn’t sure.” I tell him, feeling a little better about this. I want to have fun there and feel like I can be myself, but something doesn’t feel right.
“You’re not sleeping in the guest room, either. There’s room for your stuff in my room because you know that’s where you’ll end up.” He reaches for my left hand, kissing it softly as our eyes lock. “This is going to be a good experience. I finally feel free to be myself with you, Laina. I always felt that way.”
“Me, too.” I reply, smiling weakly at him. We finish dinner and go back to his house and talk about my suggestions for the walls and neutral colors that came with the model. I know these aren’t going to be for me in the long run, but if it makes Kyle happy, then I can feel good about it.
I hate the idea of his future wife appreciating my ideas.
We end up having sex right there on the couch after he distracts me with kisses and he holds me afterward, stroking my hair. “It’s going to be good to have you here so we can do that all over the house.”
I laugh, pressing close to him as my body recovers from the explosive orgasm, he just gave me. “All over?”
“Yep. Morning sex, too. We’ll set an alarm just for that.” Kyle promises me, and I close my eyes and let it all sound so real. There had to be some perks to this if it isn’t real.
We move the next day, loading everything into two trips. The clothes take up a lot of the room since I went shopping for the job when I moved here. I spend the afternoon hanging everything up to avoid any unnecessary dry-cleaning trips or laundry. The closet is massive and, even with all our stuff in there, there’s extra space on the racks and shelves.
I have a lot of clothes since I love shopping. Shoes are more of just a basic need for me, and I try to have something to suit every occasion. My favorite way to be is barefoot at home in comfy clothes over heels for work or an event. I haven’t been to Rachel to buy anything lately since I do favor thrift shopping just for the fun of it.
I didn’t want to think about going to another charity event, though his family probably wouldn’t want me anywhere near them now.
We go grocery shopping on Sunday even though I tease him about having not a personal shopper and chef. Kyle admits that isn’t a bad idea, but we’ll see how the cooking goes first. We stock up on a lot of things we each like and I put it away, feeling a sense of excitement that I’m staying here now.
My favorite part is sipping wine on the deck if it’s comfortable enough outside, looking over the water. This is so much better than the tiny view I got in the apartment, and I tell myself I’m going to enjoy it at night and in the morning as much as possible. I’m going to make Kyle enjoy it and relax because the man is almost always work-minded. I can see why he’s a good CEO, but he needs to shut off sometimes.
I think his dad gave him that mindset and was probably the same way, despite being married with a son. My dad worked and supported us, but he was always around for me. We spent quality time together and lived middle-class compared to Kyle’s lifestyle.
I didn’t think too much about the difference then, but I do now. I would want our life to be more like mine if it lasted, but marriage and kids isn’t in the future.
I’m exhausted from settling in on Sunday night and I haven’t even unpacked all the boxes. There’s some piled in the extra room and I wonder why I brought so much stuff. When we go to bed that night, we lazily make love, and he holds me as we fall asleep in the enormous room.
This feels good, but I know I shouldn’t get too used to it.
18
What Just Happened
Kyle
Ilovewakingupto the alarm in my bedroom with Laina in my arms. This is what I wanted, and I look down to see her curled up against me, naked from the night before.
We spent the weekend getting her settled in and stocking the house with food so we could try to cook meals. With the way her mom cooked, I wouldn’t doubt that Laina had learned a few things along the way.
I lean down to kiss her, seeing her shift as she presses closer to me. This is the best and I hope to feel her before we have to get up for work, though there is a shower for that as well. A big shower.
Laina is the first woman I’ve had here at the house. It’s my space, and I spent so much time working that I need something separate from the rest of my life. When I’d casually hook up with women, it would be at their places or sometimes, a hotel. I didn’t want them here to see anything about me.
Most of them already knew I had money when we hooked up, so seeing my house didn’t change that. I just didn’t want the memories of them here like I did with Laina.
We manage morning sex and I go to make coffee while she jumps into the shower first. By the time we’re out, it’ll be ready to drink, and we can start getting ready. Of course, we have sex again in the shower and stall that way, so we’re both rushing to get ready when we finish.