Page 34

Sierra

I feel like someone is giving me the biggest bear hug I’ve ever gotten in my life. My eyes slowly drift open and I look at the semi-dark room. Light from outside starts to come in from the side of the curtain. I feel him right at my back as his body embraces mine.

His one arm is under the pillow while his other arm is wrapped around me, his hand holding my breast and making me smile. One leg tangled in the middle of my legs as his face is buried in my hair.

I take an extra second to bask in it before I slowly start to disengage myself and try not to wake him.

By the time I finally slip out of bed, I feel like I’ve run a marathon because I’m panting hard.

On my way to the bathroom on my tippy-toes, I grab his T-shirt he put on last night when we finally went downstairs to eat food after we fucked in the bathroom.

Sliding it over my head and then untucking my hair from the back of it, I go to the bathroom before walking over to the sink and washing my face.

When I walk back to the bedroom, I find him still softly sleeping, and I take a second to watch him.

He’s, without a doubt, the best man I know.

It’s also, without a doubt, when I realize what I feel for him isn’t some sort of crush.

It’s the real fucking deal. The minute my mind realizes what my heart is thinking, my stomach drops, and my hands start to get sweaty.

I feel almost sick thinking about the fact I fell in love with him so quickly. Fuck, I love him.

I put my hand to my stomach, turning and making my way out of the bedroom and downstairs.

They finished the stairs this week, and they’re more beautiful than I thought they would be.

They stained each step in the garage and then just put them in.

I look over at the empty living room, seeing all the built-in custom shelves Theo made me, and I’m still in awe.

All my furniture is coming today, and I could not be more excited.

The house is finally going to be my home.

I take a deep breath before turning and walking toward the kitchen.

Turning the lights on, I go over and start the pot of coffee.

I went all out on the most beautiful coffee maker that grinds up the beans right before it makes the coffee.

I press the button for my latte before walking over and grabbing the milk.

Pouring it in the milk frother, I then press the middle button to get it warmed up before I put it back and decide to start making Caleb breakfast.

I snatch up the bacon and then the sausage, putting it on the island before going to the oven and opening the bottom drawer to grab one of the baking dishes.

I work peeling the potatoes, then slice and place them on the parchment paper, my mind trying not to think about what is going to happen once this is all over.

Where is this going to leave us? He moved in here to take care of me, but when I find out who my parents are, is he just going to go back to his house?

Will we even see each other daily? The thought of not waking with him in the morning and not going to bed with him at night is something I don’t want to think about, yet it’s the only thing I can think about.

I take a sip of my coffee before I start on the pancakes, opting to make regular and blueberry. I’m at the stove, pouring the batter in the pan, while the smell of bacon is now filling the kitchen, when I hear footsteps coming toward me and smile softly to myself.

I hear him right before I feel his arm wrap around my stomach, and he buries his face in my neck, inhaling deeply. “You snuck out of bed,” he accuses me, his voice still heavy in sleep.

“I did,” I confirm. “Thought I was training for the American Gladiator contest to get out of your grip, though.” I take my hand with the spatula and flip the pancake.

“You could have woken me up.” He kisses my neck gently, pressing me tighter to him. “We could have made breakfast together.”

“I wanted to do it for you. Start the day with romance. I was even thinking of bringing you breakfast in bed to show you how romantic I can be.”

He snorts before his head moves from my neck. “You are lying right now.”

Flipping the other pancake, I turn to look at him, seeing him wearing his boxers and nothing else. My mouth literally waters as I look at his body. “I’m going to romance the fuck out of you tonight.”

“Are you?” He turns and walks toward the coffee machine, and I admire his ass, which, besides his cock, might be my favorite part of him.

“I feel you staring at me,” he notes, not even turning around.

“I’m admiring the view.” I use his words back at him every time I catch him looking at me.

“If you stayed in bed, you could have admired it more closely,” he points out, and I shake my head, turning when I hear the oven timer beep.

“Bacon and sausage are ready.” I pull the dishes out of the oven and place them on top of the stove.

“Do you want scrambled eggs or poached?” I ask, and he shrugs. “That isn’t an answer, Caleb.”

“I’ll eat whatever you cook.” He takes a sip from the coffee, leaning back on the counter.

“That isn’t what I asked you,” I huff out. “Scrambled or poached?”

“If I had to choose”—he puts the mug down beside him—“I would pick scrambled.”

“Good.” I walk over to the fridge. “Was that so hard?”

“Yes,” he says. “Can I do anything to help?”

“Yes.” I look over at him as I grab a mixing bowl. “Go sit down.”

I motion with my head while I start preparing the eggs. “What are your plans for the day?” I ask him as I take a serving platter out and start putting everything on it.

“I’m off this weekend,” he tells me, “and I heard from a little bird that you are getting furniture today.”

“A little bird?”

“Theo,” he tells me, and I shake my head.

“Snitch,” I grumble under my breath. “So you are going to just stay here and wait with me.”

“I figured, if anything, we can keep each other busy.” I look over at him just in time to see the smirk and then his wink.

We sit side by side as we eat breakfast, and when I’m about to start cleaning up, he pushes me out of the kitchen. “The rule is the rule—you cook, I clean. Or if I cook, you clean.”

“But it’ll go faster if I help, and then we can keep each other busy.” I move my eyebrows up and down twice. “If you catch my drift.”

He laughs at me, holding my face in his hands and kissing my lips. “Go get ready for me.”

“What does that mean? Get ready for me?” I ask, trying not to smile big but failing. “Should I, like, get naked and take my toy out? Should I wait for you in the shower?”

“If you don’t get your ass out of this kitchen, I’m going to fuck you on this floor.” I look up to the side, thinking that I’ll win either way in that scenario. “Get upstairs.” He laughs. “It’ll take me no time at all since you like to clean as you go.”

“It’s easier,” I tell him, turning and walking toward the stairs. “I feel you staring.”

“Enjoying the view, baby,” he compliments, and I move his shirt higher, showing him my bare ass. “That ass is going to be red by the time I’m done with it.”

I literally stop in my tracks, turning on the bottom step and facing him, folding my arms under my chest. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Really?” He puts his hands on his hips. “Okay, then.” He smirks and turns around to walk back into the kitchen.

I’m making the bed when he comes into the room. He puts one hand on my hip and the other between my legs, and making the bed is a thing of the past.

“That,” I say, heaving, “might be the best sex I’ve had.” I’m on my stomach, looking over at him on his back, his hand on his chest as he looks at the ceiling.

“Might be.” He looks over at me, his hand at his side comes out to rub my ass. “When I smacked your ass, I thought your pussy was going to strangle my cock.”

I smile at him. “I wasn’t expecting it, and then?—”

“Yeah, and then,” he teases me as he turns on his side and kisses my neck, “and then I couldn’t stop.”

“I should get up,” I say but don’t move. “They said they were going to be here between nine and ten thirty, and it’s already…” I look at him. “What time is it?”

He does an ab curl, grabbing his phone from beside the bed. “Nine forty-five.”

I turn on my side and get out of bed. “I’m going to need to shower,” I state, going to the bathroom, “alone.” I point at him. “Listen for the truck.”

Fifteen minutes later, I’m walking out of my closet at the same time as he’s getting out of the shower when the doorbell rings. “In record time,” he says, and I roll my eyes at him.

I run down the steps, opening the door and seeing the big truck in front of my house. Two guys wait at the truck while two guys are on the porch. “Hi,” I say, “bring it in.”

It takes them an hour to unpack the living room furniture and then another hour for the dining room.

The big table was the biggest challenge for them since it was so heavy.

Three hours later, I’m closing the door and looking around at the state of my house.

Everything is piled in the middle of each room.

“Now the magic happens,” I tell Caleb, who is looking from one room to the other.

He’s about to say something to me when my phone rings from the kitchen. I run to get it, seeing it’s an unknown caller. I put it on speakerphone as I head back into the living room with Caleb. “Hello,” I answer, and it takes a full minute for the voice to come out.

“Is this Sierra?” The woman’s voice is low, almost as if she’s whispering or she’s afraid.

“This is she.” I look at Caleb, trying not to show that I’m a little freaked out. “Who is this?”

“You need to stop what you are doing.”

“Who is this?”

“Doesn’t matter,” she replies, and I feel Caleb beside me.

“Is this Ms. Casey?” I ask, but she doesn’t answer.

“You need to stop what you are doing before you get hurt.” Her voice trails off.

“I am not going to stop looking until I find out everything,” I announce, my voice coming out shaky at the end.

“You’ve been warned,” she says before she disconnects, and the phone goes back to my screen picture.

“That had to be her, right?” I look up at Caleb, who is looking like he wants to throw something across the room. The anguish on his face makes me take a step back. “Are you okay?”

He shakes his head, and I don’t know why, but something inside me turns to stone when he says the next words. “This is over.”