Page 105 of Inevitable
Framed pictures lined the wall, and I still couldn’t get over the fact that this was our home.
After Ian’s birthday, we’d returned to Palo Alto, and I moved into her apartment. I’d already been scoping out houses with a realtor. Alexis had connected me with someone more local, someone with more of an eye for historical homes. I hadn’t wanted just any property; I wanted something unique. Something we could make our own.
We’d found a house we loved and closed on it quickly. Keys in hand, I’d immediately started working with a team of contractors. The kitchen had been the first big renovation. Sumner had given some input, but mostly deferred to me.
With that completed—and me sick of driving back and forth between the house and the apartment—we’d moved in to one of the downstairs bedrooms while we updated the master suite. And day by day, a little more of the house was completed. Floors refinished. Hardware installed. Windows cleaned. It was a work in progress and a good outlet.
“Can I look yet?” she asked.
“Almost.” I angled her so she had the best view of the room. “And…now.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and the moment she took it all in, she smiled. “Oh my god. Is this—”
“Your new office.”
She squealed, moving around the room, touching everything. “It’s amazing. Did you do this all by yourself?” she asked, skimming her finger along the bookshelves before running a hand over the curtains.
“I had a little assistance with the decorating.” Alexis’s friend Lauren had helped with the design.
The hardest part had been keeping it a secret. But with Sumner busy with finals, I’d been able to manage it. It meant our master bedroom wouldn’t be ready as soon as we’d hoped, but seeing her reaction was worth the delay. Besides, I didn’t care where we slept, so long as we were together.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said, pressing up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. “Thank you.”
“I wanted to give you a space to work, free from distractions. And I thought this would be a great spot to meet with clients, since it has a French door off the side for easy access.”
“You are incredible,” she said and then faltered. I followed her gaze to a frame on the bookshelves, where an image of her and Ian was displayed. I’d considered removing it, but I thought she’d want it there.
I stepped behind her, wrapping my arms around her. “Do you want to take it down?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s nice. I just—”
“I know, baby. I hope he’ll come around too.”
“Thanksgiving is next week.”
“Do you want to go somewhere? Spend a week on the beach?”
She shook her head. “I just want to be with family.”
“You’re my family,” I said, knowing she’d understand just how much that meant to me. “And I love you.”
“And you’re mine.” She kissed me then nestled into my side. “I knew this wouldn’t be easy, but I’ve always spent it with my dad, even after the divorce. Even Lea won’t respond to my texts. And it hurts.” She sniffled, and a small piece of me broke. It shouldn’t be this way. She shouldn’t have to choose between Ian and me.
“Enough about that.” She stepped out of my arms, wiping her tears with her sleeve. “I can’t change it, and I’d rather focus on all the things I have to be grateful for. Like my amazing boyfriend and this beautiful office he built for me.” She grinned.
“I’m grateful for you. Every single day.” I kissed her.
She pulled out the desk chair and sank down in it. “How do I look? Professional, right?” she teased, alluding to her yoga pants and long-sleeved off-the-shoulder shirt.
My mouth went dry, some of my earlier concerns forgotten. Sumner had a way of doing that to me. Of making me forget anything but her. “Sexy as fuck.”
She grinned, crooking her finger. “Come here. Let me thank you.”
“Mm. I like the sound of that,” I said, kneeling between her legs.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, slanting her mouth over mine. I could taste the saltiness of her tears, I could taste her hopes, her dreams, her fears. They were the same as my own.
The kiss turned fevered as it always did. We were explosive, kinetic, communicating without words. She tugged on my shirt, and I took the cue, yanking it off from behind my neck. Her hands were on my skin, blazing a trail, making their mark. I fumbled with her leggings, eager to remove them, desperate to sink inside her.
