Page 80 of The Homemaker
“What’s the most unforgettable thing a man has ever done to sweep you off your feet?”
“It’s … nothing. Let’s just finish this chapter. You haven’t fallen asleep. Just close your eyes and stop talking.”
“I’ll stop talking when you tell me.”
She sighs. “I fell for a guy who would stop just before our lips met for a kiss, and he would grin and whisper, ‘Hi.’”
“Hi?”
“I know. It’s hard to explain. But it was intimate, like he wanted to take that extra second to make sure I knew it meant something more than an uncontrolled act of passion.”
“Hi?” Hunter questions again.
Alice giggles. “I’m just saying, it’s the little things. Legit, the tiniest gestures areswoony.”
I lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes. Me. I’m the guy who said “hi” before I kissed her. And I’ve never done that with anyone else. Why did I follow the laughter? I didn’t need to hear her say that. It’s easier to get over her if I don’t think of what we had as real. Butthatjust made it so fucking real.
“Hey, sexy. Miss me?”
I swivel in my desk chair and grin at Blair standing in the doorway. “As a matter of fact, I did.”
She kicks off her heels and saunters toward me in her tight jeans and white blouse, straddling my lap. I slide my fingers into her long, blond hair and kiss her because I love her. I inhale the saffron and rose because I love that too. We’re getting married. And that’s all that matters. If only Icould stop mentally reciting the reasons. If only I could say that I thought about her nonstop while she was gone.
“Shut the door,” I whisper in her ear before kissing her neck. Maybe all I need is to bury myself inside of her and forget about everything and everyone but her.
“Baby, I have so much to tell you.”
I begin to unbutton her blouse. “We’ll talk later.”
She pulls my hands away and giggles. “Stop. I’m serious.”
I blow out a long breath and lean back, scratching the back of my head. “Okay then. Let’s hear it.”
“Well,” she climbs off my lap and plops onto the bed, crisscrossing her legs, “the studio plans are beyond my wildest dreams.” Her voice escalates into pure giddiness.
I can’t help but smile.
“And I hope you were serious about letting my mom and me pick out an apartment because I found one within walking distance of my studio, and I put down a deposit to hold it. Look at these pictures.” She taps her phone and hands it to me.
I scroll through them. “Looks good.” I hand the phone back to her.
She deflates. “Good? Baby, did you see the hearth over the fireplace? It’s a work of art.”
I nod. “That’s what I meant. It looks like a work of art.”
Blair rolls her eyes. “You suck. I’m glad I took my mom. She knows how to be appropriately happy for me.”
“What was herappropriateresponse?”
“Jumping up and down and squealing. Then we headed straight to Restoration Hardware and ordered furniture.”
I nodded. “Great. Thanks for doing that.”
She grins. “You’re welcome.”
I gesture toward the door. “Now, can you close the door and take off your clothes?”
Her nose wrinkles. “What’s your deal? When I suggest we have sex during the day, you get uptight about my parents being awake and hearing us, but now you’re ready to just go at it at”—she inspects her watch—“four in the afternoon?”
