Page 104 of Marry Me, Maybe?
“At least hold the flashlight properly, so I can see what the hell I’m doing.”
“Ah, grumpy Matt is so fucking hot.”
“I’ll show you grumpy.” I dropped to my knees in the grass beside him, caught his wrists, and shoved them over his head. Then I crushed my mouth to his, swallowing his startled sound like I owned it.
He pushed back at first—more instinct than fight—but I didn’t let him win. I kissed him harder, deep enough to steal the air from his lungs, tilting his head to get at him exactly the way I wanted. I drove my tongue into his mouth, claiming every inch, grazing my teeth over his bottom lip until he gasped for me.
I drank that sound down too.
The longer I held him there, the more he melted. His muscles softened under my hands, his body went pliant, and his moans grew more desperate. By the time I eased back, he was breathing hard, lips wet and swollen, eyes glassy with that wrecked, hungry look that always made my blood heat.
I picked up the flashlight, pressed it into his slack hand, and grinned. “Be a sweetheart and hold this for me while I finish setting up our bed. You’ll need a comfortable place to pass out after you ride me hard tonight.”
He huffed but curled his fingers around the flashlight. I stood, brushing the grass off my knees, and unzipped the tent bag. The familiar clink of poles and soft crinkle of nylon filled the air.
I didn’t have to think about what came next. Dad and I had done this every year since I turned eight. For a while, Carter had gone with us but stopped when he was in highschool. At first, I only continued going because Dad looked sad after Carter said he didn’t want to go anymore, but once it was just Dad and me, it became a lot more fun.
My hands knew the motions. Stake the corners, slot the poles, snap them into place. The movements were muscle memory. Hudson lay in the grass, watching me like I was stripping instead of assembling a two-person tent. The weight of his gaze slid over me, hot enough to make the back of my neck prickle.
“Feel free to step in anytime to learn,” I said without looking at him.
“Why do I need to learn when I have a capable man who can do it for me? Plus, it’s more fun to admire the view from back here.”
I shook my head. “I’m gonna kick your ass when I’m done.”
“All I hear is you’re going to kiss my ass, and for that, I’m so ready.”
“All right, be lazy. You wait and see. When Ivy’s old enough, I’ll teach her, and then we can leave your ass at home and go camping together.”
Hudson didn’t fire back with another quip.
The silence stretched so long I finally glanced up from the half-raised tent. He was still on his back, the flashlight aimed toward me, but his eyes weren’t teasing anymore.
“Everything okay?” I straightened.
“You think about the future? With Ivy, I mean?”
The question hit me in a way I didn’t expect. “Of course I do.” I set down a pole and leaned my forearms on my knees. “I had a proper thought about it, actually, wondering what kind of dad I’d be to her, comparing myself to mine. But listen, Hudson…” I dragged in a breath. “I don’t think I can be as chill raising Ivy as my dad was with half the shit I pulled. Of the two of us, you’re gonna have to be the reasonable daddy.”
That got the corner of his mouth twitching. “I kind of figured you would be, but I love that for Ivy.”
I grunted. “She’s probably gonna hate my guts when she’s a teenager and wants to start dating. There are a lot of predators out there, and I’m gonna protect her from them.”
“That’s sweet. She won’t hate you. She already loves you so much.”
My heart swelled. “Yeah?”
“Hmm. Matt, Ivy deserves a second dad like you.”
“Do you plan to tell her about Heather?”
“Maybe not the whole truth. To be fair, I think Heather really tried, but she wasn’t cut out to be a mother. Maybe it’s best that she realized that before she left lasting damage on our daughter. Wherever she ends up, I hope she takes care of herself. Maybe once Ivy is older, they will have a better relationship.”
“You’re a good man to want that for them. You know me already and the grudges I keep.”
“I’m just glad she gave me Ivy. It’s enough. Now I have you.”
I gave the fabric one last tug and stepped back. “Yup, because you have me, you have a tent to lay your head tonight.”
