Page 11 of Finding Home with You

I beckon her over with my finger, but she doesn’t move. Raising an eyebrow at her, I do it again and this time she walks slowly over. “You fell asleep,” I tell her as she comes to a stop beside the bed. “You looked exhausted, so I let you sleep and I took care of it.”

“Shit, Ryan,” she whispers, and I can see how surprised she is. “Thank you, really.”

I grab her hand, threading our fingers together. “You’re welcome. You looked like you needed the sleep.” She nods at me now and I can’t believe I’ve rendered her speechless twice in twenty-four hours. “You okay?” I ask, tugging her onto the bed.

“Yeah…” she says, still staring at me. “I just don’t know what to say.”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “How about you don’t say anything and get back in this bed instead.”

Erin stares back at me, seemingly lost for words all over again.

I smile up at her as I pull her against me. “Come here, Red.”

And then I wrap my arms around her and kiss her hard on the lips.

Chapter Four

Erin

I’m lying next to Ryan, the room silent as he runs his fingers softly up and down my back. I’m still trying to process what has just happened and how to respond. I’m not used to someone doing something for me just because. Ryan’s kindness far exceeds anything I could ever imagine and I find myself falling in love with him.

My chest clenches, a sudden tightening of anxiety as I think about what that means for both of us. He has no idea what my life was like before I came to Rockport. In all honesty, he knows nothing about me, because my life is a well-guarded secret.

I came to Rockport to hide, to get away from a life that would have likely consumed me the way it did my mother. But there are still moments that I fear for my safety even though it’s been almost a decade since I’ve had any contact with my father. The phone calls are enough to bring it all back. I had needed to leave; needed to disappear in the hopes of separating myself from the people my family became involved with.

I push the thoughts from my mind, because I won’t let something from my past ruin this moment. I’m also not certain it’s something I want to share with Ryan, not now, and possibly not ever. Ryan’s job is stressful enough and the last thing I want him to worry about is my drama-filled past. I’m not the only one who seems to like the escape of a small town I think, noticing the peaceful look on Ryan’s face.

This is as close as I’ve come to a perfect moment in my life and I press closer to Ryan, feeling the warmth of his body.

It’s been years since I’ve let someone get this close and I know it’s because I’m completely falling for him.

What I never bargained for, what I didn’t see coming at all, was his kindness and his ability to actually care about me. Underneath all that rough, harsh exterior is a man who knows how to take care of a woman, and not just any woman.

Me.

Someone who deserves none of it, especially after the way I treated him yesterday. I can’t believe he’s still here, let alone the fact that he just made four-dozen cupcakes for me, gave me multiple orgasms and put me to bed. Only to wake up to me flailing around like an idiot, confused and shocked into silence.

I know I need to do better than just a simple thank you, so I let my guard down just a little bit.

“Ryan, seriously,” I say, once again stumbling over my words. Lying on top of him in the bed, I shift so I’m straddling his hips, my hands resting on his chest. “This is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Seriously.”

I feel my face flush at my honesty and I look away from him. Ryan’s fingers brush my cheek bringing me back to him. He laughs, his face lighting up and his eyes twinkling as he sits up so his face is even with mine.

“Red, I think this is the most inarticulate you’ve been since I met you. What happened to my smart-mouthed little minx?”

“Some amazing guy with a hot ass body and the ability to bake like a French pastry chef has made me fall for him. Hard,” I respond, whispering the last part with the hope that maybe he misses my vulnerability completely.

He tucks my hair behind my ears and leans even closer, his warm breath caressing the sensitive skin below my ear as he whispers, “This is for my minx and the sweet, sensitive girl that’s here with me right now. I’m falling hard for her, too. All of her.”

All the air escapes from my lungs and my heart stops beating. If he thought I was speechless before, my mind is blown now. My body finally catches up as my heart starts racing inside my chest.

Ryan can see something in me change and sensing my panic, he cups my face in his hands. Stroking his thumbs down my cheeks, he kisses me softly on the lips, then gliding his lips to my cheek and then to my ear. “Babe, settle down,” he murmurs into my ear, his voice like warm bath water, calm and soothing. “Let’s just see what happens.” His tone is casual and he doesn’t seem at all put off by my response to him.

What did I expect to happen? The chemistry between us is off the charts and I’d be kidding myself if I said the time we spent apart isn’t just fucking brutal. I miss him like crazy when he’s gone. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, so to have him respond back with the fact that he’s falling for me too, shouldn’t come as such a shock.

I guess it’s not so much that I’m surprised he’s feeling this way, it’s more about what his admission is doing to all the old feelings I’ve kept bottled up inside. Pushing all of it away because I’m just not ready to confront that part of my life, I nod in response to his words before I lean in and kiss him.

“I owe you way more than a thank you,” I say, as I slide my body off of his until I’m lying with my head cradled against Ryan’s arm, our bodies fitting perfectly together. We sit in silence for a few minutes, my fingers absentmindedly stroking up and down his chest. It’s peaceful and for the first time since we met, I find the courage to ask about his life, to let a small part of me care.

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