Page 32 of Irreconcilable Attractions (Westwend Boys #1)

Derek

The morning after our talk, Colton called his parents to schedule a time to meet.

My heart had swelled with pride, knowing how big of a step it was for him.

He was going to see them in the next few days, and I was thankful he wasn’t giving himself much time to back out.

But, the grin that had split his face after he’d ended the call had sent little shivers through me.

I’d practically tackled him to the couch where he then proceeded to show me the wonders of frotting.

The orgasm had been just as mind-numbing and incredible as all the others I’d shared with him.

“Damn, I should do the hard things more often if this is the reward I get in return.” He’d joked while we both panted after our releases.

When the day came, though, it was clear Colton’s mind was running away with him. He paced the living room, checking the clock every few seconds like he expected it to be different from the last time he looked.

“Colton, you’re going to wear the floor down to nothing with all this back and forth.” I glanced up over my files from the kitchen table.

“I’m not sure I can actually do this.” His skin looked ashen, chest heaving, and arms crossed over his stomach like he might be sick. When his eyes met mine, they were panic-stricken.

I was out of my chair almost instantly, going over to gently rub his arms as the need to comfort him took over me.

“Let’s take some slow, deep breaths together. Can you do that for me?” I kept my tone calm and smooth.

He nodded, somewhat frantic in the motion, and I slowly inhaled through my nose.

He followed my lead, his breaths sounding shaky and stilted as he exhaled through his mouth, hands gripped tightly at my sides like he was trying to anchor himself.

We stood there, staring at each other and breathing in tandem till Colton’s shoulders relaxed, the last of his apparent anxiety sliding out of him in one final whoosh.

Pressing my forehead against his, I whispered, “Better?”

He nodded, holding our position for just a moment before he pressed closer and wrapped his arms around my waist. His face settled into the crook of my neck and he sucked in a slow breath, relaxing further into me on the exhale.

“Do you need me to go with you?” I asked.

He didn’t respond at first, and just as I was about to repeat myself, he shook his head.

“No. I want to do this on my own. I can do this on my own.” The resolve in his voice gave me some reassurance and an overwhelming dose of admiration.

This was hard on him, but he was facing it head-on.

I kissed his temple, pulling back slightly.

When he lifted his head, my lips pressed gently to his forehead.

“You can do this.” I echoed. “Your beautiful brain just needed to be reminded.”

“Yeah, thank you.” He murmured, squeezing my waist softly.

I glanced over at the clock on the mantle, noting it was nearly time for him to leave.

Pulling back completely, I cupped his face in my hands.

“I will be here when you get back to give you all the kisses, or hugs, or whatever you need afterward. But, if you need me sooner, you just need to call me.”

That statement had his face smoothing over and he gave me a warm smile that had my heart knocking around in my chest.

I felt like I was seeing my husband off on his first day of work as I leaned against the frame of the front door, waving to Colton as he backed out of the driveway.

I’d always pictured myself with women, but how casually things had shifted from ‘wife’ to ‘husband’ in my head had me pausing. Things between Colton and I were still new—hell, we hadn’t even gone on any dates.

But new doesn’t mean it isn’t right. Look at how easy everything has been.

I shook my head at that. We had already been physically affectionate before we’d admitted that we were attracted to each other.

Progressing to kissing and sex had felt natural.

I didn’t know what more I could offer Colton, but I knew he wasn’t my husband and I wasn’t planning on making him one anytime soon.

There were other things I could be spending my brain power on, anyway, like the stack of case files on the kitchen table I’d left.

Resuming my previous work, I looked over the material for an upcoming hearing on child support payments ,and a will that had been executed wrong but would probably fall into the harmless error rule.

By the time Colton walked through the front door again, all thoughts of wedding bells and what our future looked like were long gone.

When the familiar sound of a key sliding into a lock came through the space, nothing else mattered than the man walking through the front door. Our gazes met as he walked in, my eyes bouncing all over him as if I could find some hint of what had transpired by his outward appearance.

“Well, how’d it go?” I prompted, standing from the table to meet him. I wanted to assume that things had gone well given he hadn’t needed to call me. He beamed, his grin so vibrant and joyous, I couldn’t help letting out an excited laugh.

“So good,” he confirmed, pressing into my arms for a warm hug.

My chest expanded at the sheer happiness I felt for him.

Words clogged my throat and I tried to convey every emotion swirling through me in my embrace.

His trust in me—not only with the information but with helping him move forward—had meant more to me than I felt capable of expressing.

“Good job, babe,” The pet name slipped from my mouth, but, considering Colton had called me baby multiple times already, I wasn’t going to overanalyze it right now. It felt right to call him that.

“Thanks,” he whispered before pulling back. “They were really awesome about it. I swear my mom can read minds, too. Out of the blue, she just goes, ‘You know, you shouldn’t feel bad about telling us this. I’m getting to know my son better and I always love learning more about you’.”

I chuckled, unsurprised that Ellie would be able to pinpoint the exact words Colton needed to hear. They were more alike than either of them realized.

“See? So easy. You should have no problem telling your brothers now, huh?” I teased, bumping his shoulder with mine, and shooting a wink his way.

He scoffed, “Damn, let me bask in my accomplishment for like, five seconds.” But the way his smile still split his face told me he wasn’t offended by my ribbing.

“You get two seconds, tops.” I smirked before turning to head into the kitchen. “How about some celebratory drinks?”

“Actually,” The tone in Colton’s voice had me looking back at him. “I was thinking maybe we could go out for dinner.”

“Not that I don’t like your cooking!” He rushed to add. “I just thought maybe it would be good to have a break and go out once in a while.”

It was no secret I enjoyed cooking, but looking at Colton as he stared back through his lashes made my heart jackhammer in my chest again. There was something in his tone that told me this was more than just a simple request to eat out.

“Sure,” I practically whispered, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.

Colton’s face lit up, sending my heart into an erratic dance inside my chest. When had I ever been this excited over going out with another person? Or as nervous?

There was something about this moment that felt both softer and heavily weighted with expectation at the same time. But, I wanted to meet it. Whatever Colton wanted from me, I wanted to give. And that realization thrilled me and scared me in equal measure.

Colton reached his hand out to me and as we laced our fingers together, I had two thoughts almost simultaneously.

I wondered if he could tell how sweaty my hands were and I knew that Colton Shaffer would either be the best thing to ever happen to me or the worst heartbreak of my life.

Colton took me to this place about thirty minutes outside of Westwend.

It was this old honky-tonk looking barbecue place that supposedly had won awards and had even been featured on Food Network.

As we pulled up, the fragrant smoke mingled with the aroma of meat grilling making my mouth water.

The place itself looked like a barn that had been converted into a restaurant with a large fire pit in front full of pecan shells, which explained the particular scent in the air.

There was a line to get into the building which gave me hope the food would be as good as Colton raved about.

“Best barbecue I’ve ever had—just under my dad’s.” He said the last part quickly and glanced around like he expected his father to burst from the bushes, offended he hadn’t been the top choice. At my laugh, Colton turned back and shot me a wink.

We passed the time chatting as the line slowly inched its way forward.

Closer to the front, there was a small bin for menus that allowed us to peruse our options.

It seemed like the portions were made family-style and were meant to be shared.

Colton pressed in close, resting his arm on my shoulder, while he read over the options and we discussed what to order.

A series of vibrations came from my pocket and I pulled my phone out to check who was calling. Lucy’s blonde curls and a goofy grin on her face filled the screen and I shot Colton a glance.

“Need to answer it?” He asked.

I shook my head, clicking the side button to send her to voicemail. “I’ll call her later.” After sending her a text saying just that, I pocketed my phone again.

When we reached the front, we ordered a brisket plate that came with coleslaw, potato salad, and beans as sides along with a blackberry cobbler to share. Colton requested extra pickles and onions, causing my nose to wrinkle.

“Keep them on the side for him, please.” I said to the teen girl manning this part of the counter.

Colton scoffed like he was offended, “You don’t like pickles?”

I shot him a disgusted look. “No, and I’m considering never kissing you again depending on how many you eat today.”