“Fine.” I close my eyes. I feel him step behind me and rest his hands on my hips. His body is aligned with mine.
“Small steps,” he says, his lips next to my ear. “You’re doing great,” he assures me, helping to guide me where he wants me. “Okay. Stay here. No peeking.” He kisses my cheek, and then his body heat is gone, and all that remains are the sounds of his footsteps and something scraping across the floor.
“Open.”
I blink, open my eyes, and take in my surroundings. “Wait. Are those what I think they are?” I ask.
“If you’re thinking that they’re bookshelves for your own library, then yes.”
“Sterling!” I rush him, and he’s ready for me, catching me with ease and lifting me into his arms. I wrap myself around him and fuse my lips to his. I put everything that I am into this kiss. All my love for him, hoping he can feel it.
“Do you like them?”
“I love them!”
He smiles. “That’s why I was in your spare bedroom that day. I stepped in to get a few measurements. Mindy found me there. That’s what you saw.”
“You were making sure the shelves that you were making me would fit?”
“Yes, and no.”
“Now I’m confused.” I laugh as I blink away my happy tears.
“That’s why I was there, but Mindy interrupted me, and I didn’t get a final measurement.”
“Oh, well, do you think they’ll fit?”
“I’m sure that they will, but on our way back to my place this morning, something else came to mind.”
“These are perfect. I don’t know how you could make these any better. I love them. You welded them, right?”
“Yeah. The frames, then cut and stained the wood for the shelves.”
“I love them. I love you. Day. Made. I got my guy and my library.”
“Hold that thought. Come back to the house with me. I have something else to show you.”
“It’s not going to top this, Tank.”
He chuckles. “Come on.” Again, with my hand locked in his, he leads me back into the house, this time to the basement. “So, this area is unfinished.”
“I know you’ve been meaning to do that for a while now. Did you finally decide what you want to put down here?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to clue me in?” I ask, laughing.
“I think a storage area here.” He points to where a box holding his Christmas tree is sitting. There are a few totes that I know are ornaments and decorations because I picked them out when he bought this place.
“That’s a good idea, for sure. Hide it all away.”
“Yeah, and then over here, I was thinking a pool table, a bar, a big-ass sectional and a big screen, or maybe a projector for when my brothers come over to watch games.”
“I like it.” I nod, picturing the layout in my mind. “All good choices.”
“Then, over here, I thought we could build you your library. Wall-to-wall bookshelves, a comfy chair, or one of those big-ass bean bag chairs you showed me not long ago. We can paint the area and hang lights on the shelves, and well, it can be anything you want it to be.”
“You want to build a library for me at your house?” I ask, my love for this man overwhelming me.