Page 45 of The Little Things

His head reared back in confusion. “So?”

I applied a little more pressure to his chest, but it was like trying to move a brick wall. He wasn’t budging and I wasn’t going anywhere. That much was clear. “What do you mean so? We haven’t discussed going public like this,” I continued to whisper. “You’re my boss, Zach. I don’t want people to think?—”

“Fuck what people think,” he growled, his arm around my waist growing impossibly tighter. “I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks. I’m not your boss, I’m your man, and I’m damn well gonna kiss you when I want to. I don’t give a shit who’s around to see it.”

“But—”

He proved his point by closing the rest of the distance and sealing his lips with mine. The kiss wasn’t soft or slow. It was hard and possessive. He was proving a point, not only to me but to whoever was around to see it. I would have been lying if I said it didn’t turn me on.

My legs had gone wobbly by the time he finished, and I had to lean deeper into him to stay upright. The frown he’d been wearing a second ago was replaced with a smile that lit me up from the inside. I would have given anything for a lifetime of smiles like the one he was wearing right then.

“Let’s try this again,” he said, giving me an affectionate squeeze. “Hey, baby.”

I blushed on my own grin, feeling downright giddy as I whispered, “Hi.”

“I knew it!”

Ivy’s loud declaration shattered the moment, reminding me that we weren’t alone. Instead of letting me go, Zach shifted me to his side, making sure to keep that arm around me like he was afraid I’d run. My entire face felt like it was on fire as Ivy gawked and Becky smiled like she’d just won the lottery.

“Ivy,” Zach greeted amiably, his tone softening as he shifted his attention to his grandmother. “Grandma. Lookin’ beautiful as always.”

“Ooh, I like this. I like this a whole lot. My boy gets himself a good woman and he goes from a miserable grump to a smooth talker with the flip of a switch.”

I looked up at him in confusion. “You’ve been a miserable grump?”

Affection shone clear as day in his eyes as he traced my jawline with the tips of his fingers. “For the past week and a half,” he admitted, making my heart skip a few beats before it righted itself. “But that’s all been straightened out now.”

It sure had.

“How long has this been going on?” Ivy asked, that excitement from earlier having returned.

“Just since yesterday,” I answered at the same time Zach said, “Since the day Rae arrived.”

My head whipped back around, my jaw falling open as my belly swooped. “Really?”

He let out a raspy chuckle and shook his head good-naturedly. “Christ, you’re pretty.”

I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of hearing him say that. I also wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to it. If my flush got any deeper my face would look like a stop sign.

“Seems you two have a little more communicating to do and a little less bed shaking, if you know what I mean,” Becky said with a waggle of her eyebrows.

I barked out a bewildered laugh as Zach let out a pained groan. “Christ, Grandma. Can you not?”

She held her hands up innocently as Ivy cackled with delight. “I’m just saying. Seems like you two aren’t quite on the same page yet. It’s important in every relationship for that to happen quickly.”

Was that what we were in, I wondered to myself. A relationship?

As if reading my mind, Zach looked back down at me, that strong resolve of his returning. “I plan on taking care of that right now.” he said, shifting back to Becky and Ivy. “It was good to see you both, but if you’ll excuse us, I’m gonna steal Rae away for lunch.”

“Oh, but I don’t think I have time?—”

“See you when you get back,” Ivy butted in, her face saying it all. She was thrilled for me and wanted me to enjoy my time with my new man.

“See you soon,” I returned, smiling goofily as Zach began to lead me away.

“Oh, sweetie,” Becky called, bringing us to a stop. “You know I’ll be telling your mama and daddy all about this the first chance I get. So we’ll all be expecting you to bring her to the party tomorrow night.”

He let out a groan and dropped his head back. “I tell you guys every year, we don’t need to have a party.”

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