“You . . . It’s . . .” He laughed softly. “Christ, I can’t even think straight after hearing that.” He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “Being with you has filled me with joy. I’ve tried to contain it around you because I wasn’t sure if you were there yet with how you felt about me.”
“But you didn’t doubt that I’d get there, right?”
“I was prepared to wait until you realized we’re right for each other regardless of how wrong we started out.” The way he gazed at me . . . stole my breath and weakened my knees.
“Let’s go to your room right now.” I tried to catch his marauding mouth, but he dodged me.
“Food first. We’re both gonna need to keep up our strength to make it until morning.”
Twenty-Four
NOLAN
Waking up with Gabi in my arms might’ve been one of the best mornings of my life.
And that wasn’t solely because she blew my fucking mind in the shower.
Although she had done that.
My thoughts scrolled to the heat of her mouth enveloping me. The scrape of her nails up the outside of my legs. The little nuzzle across my abdomen before she reached her ultimate destination. The push and pull of her teasing. Her eyes dark with playful passion as she gauged my every moan and grunt of satisfaction before she sucked me into that morass of orgasmic ecstasy.
A loud smack sounded and my ass stung. My gaze followed her as she moved to stand beside me at the sink while I brushed my teeth.
“You were thinking about that blow job again, weren’t you?”
I spit and rinsed. “Yes. Every time I have a dopey look on my face, it’s because I’m reliving our epic fuckfest last night.”
“And this morning.” She kissed my sternum and plucked my toothbrush out of my hand.
Normally I’d be grossed out by her using my toothbrush, but we’d forged an entirely different path last night where I wanted to share everything with her.
I left her in the bathroom while I dressed in khakis and a white T-shirt.
Ten minutes later she emerged still wearing just my robe.
I’d toasted two English muffins and filled them with scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar cheese and a piece of Canadian bacon. I added sliced bananas and strawberries to the plate and slid it in front of her.
“This looks delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
Just then, my phone buzzed with a text message from my dad.
AL: You coming to brunch?
ME: No. I’ll explain later. Meet me at the club at 3?
AL: See you then.
She looked at me curiously over the rim of her coffee cup.
“What?”
“Isn’t Sunday brunch with the Lund Collective mandatory?”
“No. I haven’t been there the past two Sundays because I’ve been with you.”
“Which I’ve been happy about.”
“But?”
“But nothing. I was just making sure I’m not keeping you from seeing your family.”
“You’re not.” I shoved my hand through my hair. “Up until the last year or so I had a different woman to brunch damn near every week. Maybe it seems stupid, but by not taking you to brunch, I’m keeping our Sundays private until we’re ready to let my entire family know that you’ll be a permanent fixture at brunch with me.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation, Nolan.”
“I owe you the courtesy of making sure you understand I’m not hiding this relationship. Besides, I know you have to work today and I wanted to spend as much time with you before you have to go.”
She smirked at me. “Good answer. I wouldn’t have had the right clothes with me to wear to brunch anyway. It’d be the ultimate walk of shame.”
“Brunch has gotten chaotic. Jax and Lucy and Jensen and Rowan letting Mimi and Calder run around. Walker and Trinity’s kid crying when Trinity leaves him to go throw up in the bathroom because she’s pregnant again. Brady and Lennox keeping their baby in the stroller, practically wrapped in plastic against germs. Aunt Cilla looking longingly at Selka’s grandbabies and Annika avoiding her mother’s questions about when she and Axl are starting a family. Ash, Dallas and I have skipped brunch more often than we’ve attended since the first of the year.”
“Yikes.”
“Our cousins Zosia and Zach used to come down sometimes while their brother Zeke ran the fisheries, but even they’ve avoided it.” Although, to be honest, I doubted it was the family aspect that was keeping them away.