Page 52 of Stay With Me

“Betty Boop?” I confirm.

“Good job, cowboy. I was gonna ask Noah to borrow some of her stuff, but I figured seein’ me in your sister’s clothes might be a boner killer.”

Chuckling, I nod. “Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, shit. You’re gonna need a new nickname now. Thor doesn’t quite suit your look anymore.” She pauses and steps back to analyze my humiliation. “Barney’s too old-school. I’m thinkin’ Pebbles.”

My face drops at the seriousness of her tone. “Pebbles?”

“Yeah, you have these little polka dots on your tummy that look like pebbles. Plus, it sounds like a sweet and gentle giant’s name.”

I groan as I contemplate ripping off the damn thing. “First you call me adorable, and now sweet and gentle? You’re fucking killin’ my ego here.”

“C’mon, Pebbles. We’re gonna be late!” She smiles wide and shuts the door behind her, then takes my hand when she leads us to my truck.

“Does this mean I get to give you a new nickname?” I askwhen I shift into gear and then blurt out my next words before I chicken out. “LikeMine?”

Her brows shoot to her hairline. “You wanna call meyours?”

I nod once, then reach over and grab her hand. “I know this is new, but I don’t wanna do casual with you. I’m all in. I’ve made us wait long enough, don’t ya think?”

“My inner sixteen-year-old self is freakin’ the fuck out right now.”

Lifting our hands, I bring my lips to her knuckles and brush a kiss over them. “I am too. Trust me.” Then I place her palm flat across my chest so she can feel how hard my heart is pounding.

“You’re nervous?”

The shock in her voice causes a laugh to bubble out of me.

“Always when I’m around you, Sunny.”

“I think that’s sweet. Even though you have no reason to be. We’ve known each other a long ass time.”

“Exactly. Now I gotta find new ways to impress you and this dinosaur costume ain’t helpin’.”

She gasps dramatically. “I disagree. You just went from brooding cowboy to sexy dino. It’s gonna be impossible to keep my panties on all night.”

When her eyes drop to my groin, I quickly readjust myself and she giggles.

“Sunflower, that’s not funny. You can’t say shit like that, especially when I’m drivin’.” This erection is already getting out of hand and painful beneath my jeans I’m wearing under this ridiculous costume.

“I thought you had a new nickname for me?” Her tongue teases her bottom lip like a temptation I’m constantly craving. It’s hard to focus on driving when all I want to do is stare at how beautiful she looks.

“You’ll always be Sunflower and Sunny to me.”

“Is it true you don’t give them to anyone else?” she asks.

“Yeah, I liked the attention you gave me whenever you’d call me out for sayin’ them, so I kept doing it. But after you told methey were your favorites, I stuck to them because I thought they fit you best, too.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because they reflect your energy and the way you light up a room every time you walk in. Made me smile each time I thought of you. Like a warm, sunny day before the hurricane storms enter and cause destruction.”

She snorts. “You just had to add in the hurricane part.”

I laugh, but it’s true.

She’s sunshine mixed with a little hurricane.