Page 180 of Boss of Me
“You’ve just given me another reason to call you kitten.”
“What made you start in the first place?”
“It was the way you told me off and slapped me the night we met. Such a gorgeous little spitfire with sharp claws,” he says, chuckling fondly. “I was lucky to escape with my eyeballs intact.”
“Yourballs, you mean,” I retort dryly.
He laughs. “Those, too.”
I grin and snuggle closer, gazing around the bedroom. “It’s so good to be back here again. I’ve missed this place so much.”
“The feeling is definitely mutual. Which reminds me, Mrs. Calder really misses Sansa. She wants her to come back home.”
“And what about you?” I tease, tipping my head back to grin at him. “Doyoumiss Sansa?”
He grunts, looking embarrassed. “Maybe.”
I laugh. “You totally do.”
He rolls his eyes, and I laugh harder.
He tries not to grin. “I got used to having her around.”
“I know you did.” I nip at his jaw, smiling. “Sansa will be overjoyed to move back. She hasn’t been the same since we left. We made quite the pair, two miserable peas in a pod.”
“Plenty of that going around. Speaking of misery,” Gunner grumbles, “I’m glad things didn’t work out with that drummer.”
I give him a surprised look. “How did you . . . ?”
“I saw a picture of you with him, backstage after a concert.” He angles back so he can see my face. “Were you dating him?”
“Not really. I mean, I went out with him a couple times because I was lonely and depressed. He was cool, but I didn’t feel any sparks. I just . . .” I trail off, shaking my head at Gunner. “You’ve ruined me for anyone else.”
His expression softens. “We’ve ruined each other.”
I smile at him, and he smiles back.
“We have so much catching up to do,” I say quietly. “There are so many things I want to share with you. And I want to know everything I’ve missed in your world.”
“We can stay up all night and talk all day tomorrow. Like you said, we need to make up for lost time.” He runs his fingertips down my back, leaving a trail of tingles on my skin. “Dad bought a horse ranch outside town.”
“Really? A horse ranch?”
“Apparently it was a childhood dream.” Gunner smiles. “I’ll take you there on Sunday. Dad and Mrs. Calder will be thrilled to see you. We can go horseback riding with them and stay for dinner.”
“Sounds wonderful. Can’t wait.” I grin at him hopefully. “Do you think they’ll get married someday?”
“They will if Dad has anything to say about it.”
“God, that’s so sweet,” I say with a sigh. “I’m so happy for them. I hope everything works out.”
“Me, too.” Gunner gazes down at me, caressing the length of my hair. “I love you so much, sweetheart. Now that I have you back, I’m never letting you go again.”
“Good,” I say softly, “because I don’t want you to let me go. Ever.”
He rolls me over so I’m lying under him, his hips pressed to mine as he takes my mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. I melt right into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and hooking a leg around his thigh.
He drinks me in, licks me slowly and tugs my bottom lip between his teeth. When I moan into his mouth, he gives me a sexy little smile, and I smile back.
