Page 50 of The Reality of Wanting Him

Blake:

If you didn’t want grumpy, you shouldn’t have left me alone in bed.

Liam:

I’m making you coffee, baby.

Blake:

Not the point.

I smirk to myself as I pour a cup, questioning why I’m so worried about what Blake will think about my life. While he may be rich as fuck, at the end of the day, he’s still just Blake—clingy, needy, kind of a brat.Mine.

I take a sip, leaning against the counter just as he comes stumbling into the kitchen, hair a mess, eyes still half-lidded with sleep. He spots the mug in my hand and frowns.

“Where’s mine? Thought the whole reason you had to leave me all alone in bed was to make me coffee?”

There’s my needy brat.I turn and hand him the cup I made for him, and he smiles at me with so much affection that I feel my heart skip a beat.

After he takes a sip, he turns to me and waggles his eyebrows. “So, about last night… I want to do that again, and again. Basically, all the time. I’m so happy I picked you. I had no idea dating a man would be the best thing I ever did.”

I freeze mid-sip, my coffee forgotten, not nearly as interesting as the words that just came out of his mouth. He’s lookingat me with that wide, self-satisfied grin of his, and I can feel my own smile take over my face.

“You’re serious?” I ask, watching for any hesitation or flicker of doubt.

His grin only grows. “Dead serious. But I want the real deal too. If your fingers and mouth were that mind blowing, I can’t wait to see what your cock feels like. That was the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever done in my life. I don’t know why I wasted so much time thinking I only liked women, when clearly, I’ve been missing out on this the entire time.” He gestures between us before taking another sip of his coffee, still looking at me like he just won the lottery. “And by this, I don’t just mean being with any guy. I meanyou, Liam.”

I’m completely awestruck. I didn’t realize how badly I needed to hear those words. How big of a deal him saying it really is.This isn’t just some experiment to him.He keeps proving over and over again that he’s invested in this. Inme.

I step in close, gently taking his face in my hands. “Jesus, baby… you really know how to make a guy emotional first thing in the morning,” I say with a soft laugh, sure my smile is revealing how hard I’ve fallen. “This—you—mean so much to me, too. It’s not just that you’re hot or full of surprises. It’s the way you make me feel like I can just be myself. I didn’t expect something real here… but I found it. With you.”

“Me too,” he says with a nod of his head. “I mean every word, Liam. I don’t care that I never expected this. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I’m so glad I have you.”

I close the distance between us, pulling him in by the back of his neck, pressing my lips to his. He kisses me back instantly and sighs into my mouth. There’s no way I’ll ever get used to this feeling. How right being with Blake feels.

When I finally pull back, he’s breathless and his cheeks are flushed. “Fuck,” he murmurs, lips brushing against mine. “See? Best decision of my life.”

Blake decidesto spend the day treating me like a tourist in his city, which, apparently, means overpriced brunch, unnecessary shopping, and checking out every landmark. The brunch alone costs more than a week’s worth of groceries, and when the bill comes, Blake doesn’t even glance at it before handing over his card. Somehow, instead of annoying me, though, it makes me laugh.

As we make our way through the city in cabs and on the subway, I think about how much fun I’m truly having with him. As a person who genuinely dislikes crowds and commotion, I never thought I’d truly enjoy being here, but Blake has this way of making everything feel exciting. He talks a mile a minute, pointing out things like a native New Yorker giving a tour as we briskly walk from building to building to get out of the cold, and even though I have a feeling that half the “facts” he told me are completely made up, it’s still the best tour anyone could’ve given.

He lights up every time he shows me something “quintessential New York,” and I find myself watching him more than the sights. Although, I have to admit, the views are cool too. We hit up all the classics—Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and some fancy coffee shop that Blake claimed was the best in the city. It’s a nice break to get out of the cold. He tells me it’s the same place he mentioned when we were at the gym back in Atlanta, and though the drinks really do cost twenty dollars each, I’m not blown away.Not about to tell him that, though. The whole time, I try my best to ignore the camera person following us around, and eventually, I can almost forget they’re there, especially since there are so many other people surrounding us, filming everything on their phones.

By the time we make it to a high-rise bar with an incredibleview, I can definitely understand why Blake loves this place so much. It’s special in its own way. For the first time since we started this grand tour of NYC, we aren’t rushing anywhere and can just enjoy the night. I don’t care about the cameras or the other people around us; I’m locked in on Blake and how happy I am to be here with him before we drive to the farm tomorrow.

When we get back to the apartment later that night, I’m exhausted. Between the running around, the cameras, and Blake himself, it feels like I’ve lived an entire week in two days.

Blake made me fall a little in love with his world during this visit, but I have no idea if he’s going to feel the same way about mine.

All I can do is hope.

25

BLAKE

Producer:You’ve never been on a real farm, but you seem pretty confident about wanting to live on one. What makes you so sure you’ll like it?

Blake:Okay, true. I’ve only been to a pumpkin patch when I was a kid, but I kind of feel like it could be exactly what I need. I love animals, and I’m excited to have the space and time to dedicate to more of them. And honestly, I just want to see what Liam’s life is like. He gave the city a chance for me; I’m ready to see his world.

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