Page 68 of Bull Riders Don't Swoon

Turning my head, I take in his profile. Handsome, with a light scruff along his jaw, and when he turns his head to meet my gaze, his expression makes me want to hand him my heart on a gilded platter.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I want us to move in together.”

No preamble, just…here it is. That’s Jamieson.

“You’re already here every night. If you want to change your address to mine, I’d not be opposed.”

Jamie’s lips quirk into a half smile, and he bites his lip.

“I probably should have waited until we weren’t covered in drying cum to have this conversation, because that’s not what I mean.” He brings my hand to his lips for a kiss. “Just give me a minute. I’ll be right back.”

He leaves me and I hear the water running in the bathroom before he comes back with a warm cloth to wipe me off. There’s something about Jamieson that’s just different now. Not in a bad way. Or maybe I’m seeing this side of him because I didn’t allow myself to before.

He’s extra gentle. Almost…soft in that giant teddy bear way.

When he’s finished wiping me off, he kisses my belly button and then raspberries my belly, so I laugh before he flops beside me again.

“What’s on your mind, Jamie?”

He lies on his back and grabs my hand again.

“I want us to get our own place. A new start.”

“Okay. We can look at places with more parking. I’m totally up for that.” He turns his face on the pillow again, and his brow dips a little. I run a finger over it, then pry the bottom lip from his teeth. “What’s bothering you?”

“The couple who rents my grandmother’s house have given their notice.”

“You want us to move there?” It’s a cute house in town with a little yard and garden, if I remember. I helped him mow the lawn once when his dad’s property manager didn’t send someone.

“I want to buy it.”

“Oh.” Buying a house needs money, and I don’t think I’m in that position anymore. “I spent my savings on Dad’s program. I can’t help with that.”

He rolls over and pulls me to him. “You don’t need to. But…I have an idea and if you’re on board, I’d really like to do it.”

“I’m not sure if I want to have you carry the burden of a mortgage, Jamie. We can always find a bigger apartment. I can afford that.”

“Listen to me first.” He kisses me before drawing back. “I have enough for a down payment and my dad will sell the house at fair market value privately. No extra real estate fees. The mortgage I can cover on my own. I was pre-approved, and it’s a number I can manage. You can contribute to other bills, so you don’t feel like it’s charity, because I know that’s where your mind is going.”

“It was,” I admit. “But what else aren’t you telling me? This isn’t just you asking us to live together, which I one hundred percent want to do. There’s nothing better than waking up to you every morning.”

Jamieson bites at his lip again, and I run my thumb over it and rescue it. “Stop doing that. You’ll make it bleed.”

“The basement of the house has an in-law suite. There’s a separate entrance and we just need to do some renovating to freshen it up.”

“I don’t understand? You want us to live together but on separate floors?”

Jamie remains silent for a moment, cupping my cheek with his palm.

“I want your dad to live there.”

“What? No.” I try to push out of his arms, but he holds me closer.

“Griff, listen to me. I’ve thought about this, and I want to do this. You said it yourself; your dad will need you more than ever. He’s isolated in his trailer and that town. He can live downstairs, and we’d be able to help him. He can even pay rent; I don’t carehow much, but whatever it takes to make you both feel like this isn’t a handout.”

“Jamie…that’s a huge…we can’t.”

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