Page 29 of Treasured
“I shouldn’t. I’m not… deserving.” I wasn’t sure how to be in a relationship, but Dwayne gave me butterflies in my gut and warm goose bumps on my arm just from that sexy smile of his with those dimples. My own lips curved higher as I said, “But yeah, maybe I’d like for you to stick around.”
He squeezed my thigh. “You’re worth far more than you give yourself credit for.”
“I don’t know the future.” I curled my arms under his. “But for the first time in my life, I’m happy, and you’re a part of that.”
“So you trust me as more than a booty call and babysitter.”
My lips parted fast and heat rushed to my face, but I narrowed my eyes and said, “Well, it’s a start.”
He nodded as we drove onto my street. “I suppose, but I should warn you that my mother wanted to talk to you.”
I inhaled and held it for a moment. He just leveled up, though my mind screamed that I’d trusted him with Bruce. “Your mother?”
He motioned with his head to the backseat. “She heard Bruce in the background and assumed you were my girlfriend.”
I ignored how my insides were twisting and decided to tell him how I felt instead of hiding it. “I’m not ready for that.”
“She lives in California and hates flying, so don’t worry.” He parked the car. “Moving too fast?”
I lowered my head and reached for the door handle. “Yeah, but it’s wonderful at the same time. It’s a Catch-22, because I want you here.”
He got out and carried in everything for Bruce while I picked up my son from his car seat. “Don’t overthink, Mary. Instead, give me time to prove myself.”
Bruce opened his eyes for a second, and he clasped Dwayne’s finger. We headed to the house, and he held his hand. “My son is clearly enjoying your company.”
“He’s a good kid,” he said.
The stars shone above us like we were graced with wonder, and honestly, I was happy. I refused to entertain any other thought, though as we neared my door, Dwayne asked, “What’s your normal evening like without me here?”
We opened the door, and he locked up as I rushed to get my boy into bed. He followed with a bottle to lay beside him for when he woke up in less than an hour for his late-night drink. “It’s Wednesday, so we’d be at home and probably just finishing tubby time.”
We snuck out of the room, and as I closed the door, he hugged my waist and said, “So you’d be naked already.”
I turned toward him, and his fingers brushed against my breasts. “Funny. No. We’re usually curled up in the living room, and I’m looking for something to watch on TV. What about you?”
I left his embrace and took out the bottle of wine he’d brought over the other night and poured us two glasses. “I’d be working out still.”
I met his gaze and noticed how his cock was standing at attention for me already. “Really?”
He sauntered over to me and scooped up his glass. “I have my morning routine and evening routine. I usually finish the evening with a run on the beach.”
We both sipped from our glasses, but my body was already melting as we stood next to each other. “That sounds hard. I’ve never been a big exerciser.”
He glanced at me like I was dessert. “I’ve worked you out pretty hard the past few nights.”
I laughed, though I was getting hot all over. “Well, that’s fun.”
He rested his hands on the counter behind me and put his glass down. I finished my drink and put my glass beside his. “Mary, you’re beautiful, and I respect you. Plus, you make me calm just by being near you.”
I hugged him. “And you make me laugh.”
He unbuckled my pants as he said, “Then we’re both good for each other.”
His lips suckled my neck as he helped me step out of my pants. “I guess.”
“You guess?” He tickled my ribs.
I laughed and pressed my hands to his chest. “I surrender. You’re good for me. Just… nothing in my life has ever been easy.”
