My entire body stiffens in anticipation. “Are you saying you’ll move in with me?”
She looks up at me and nods, biting her lip in a way that has me instantly hard.
But my cock has to wait its turn. I have something else I need to do first. “I want to show you something.” I pull her up next to me so we’re both sitting against the headboard. I get my phone off the nightstand and open up my photo app.
“What am I looking at?” she asks when I tilt my phone toward her.
“House plans.” I swipe through them. “In January, I bought two acres of land in that neighborhood you love. I’ve had an architect working on these for months. You can make any changes you see fit. I just wanted something ready to go when the time came.”
She takes my phone and enlarges the floorplan. “This is huge.”
I elbow her. “That’s whatshesaid.”
She giggles. “Seriously, Dallas.” She enlarges it even more to focus on the bottom corner where it lists the square footage. “Oh my god. Charlie will get lost. And is that an… elevator?”
“I know how much he loves the one in my parents’ house.” I swipe again, showing her the design of the pool. “And he’s going to love this.”
Her head shakes over and over. She’s still not used to the money. The not worrying about bills and budgeting and car payments. But she stopped protesting a while ago, which is why I know she’s going to be on board with this.
She studies all the pictures at least two more times, then she hands me the phone. “He’s going to love it. I love it. But more importantly, I loveyou.”
“There’s something else my architect is working on, but I want you to help design it.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m rebuilding the cabin.”
Her eyes widen. “You are?”
“At Christmas, when you said you wanted to go up there with me again, I knew right then that I’d be rebuilding. Will you help me design it?”
“There’s nothing to design. I think we should build it exactly like it was.”
I cock my head. “No bedrooms? What about Charlie?”
She nods to my phone. “Everything you’ve done in the new house is for him. The cabin—that’s just for us.”
My heart expands. That’s the thing about Martina Alexandra Carver. Just when I think I can’t possibly love her more, she says something incredible. Does something amazing. Makes me feel like the luckiest man alive—a herculean task I thought was damn near impossible.
I put my phone away, slide her back down so she’s lying on the bed, and climb over her. “Sweetheart, I’m about to show you everything I plan on doing to you when we go there.”
“Speaking of which.” She flashes me a sexy smile. “I’m really glad you put the master bedroom away from all the others in the new house. Because I can’t wait to be able to scream your name again.”
“I fucking love you, Marti.”
“Show me how much.”
“Gladly,” I say, my lips lowering to meet hers.
And for the next two hours, I show her. I show her over and over again.
Chapter Forty-eight
Martina
I come out of the kitchen holding the birthday cake and bring it to the dining room table where Dallas and Charlie are waiting.
Dallas gives me a sad, yet heartwarming smile.