Page 46 of Tru Blue
She laughed, loving this new Truman. “Sorry I fell asleep on you last night.”
“I’m not.”
“But you…” Made me come several times. “And I didn’t reciprocate.”
“I’ve gone my whole life not being touched the way you touched me last night.” His words were laced with deep emotions. “I want to make love to you, but what I want more than that is to be close to you and to feel everything that’s brewing between us. To see your sleepy smile as you touch me and hear all those things you said to me last night. I never thought…I never imagined…”
He embraced her, his cheek resting against the side of her head. “I never thought I needed anyone, but I’m starting to think I was just waiting for you.”
TRUMAN WHISTLED AS he stood in the back of his pickup truck, maneuvering the mattress he’d just bought to the tailgate, where Bear was waiting to help him carry it upstairs. It was seven o’clock in the evening and Dixie was watching the kids. He’d been in the best mood all day. He’d been peed on twice while changing Lincoln’s diaper, and even that hadn’t put a damper on his mood.
“Someone got laid last night.” Bear gripped the mattress.
“Nope.” Truman jumped from the tailgate and shifted the mattress so he could get a grip on it.
They carried the mattress around the shop to the steps leading up to the deck. Gemma had a late birthday party at the boutique, and she wouldn’t be off work until nine, which gave Truman just enough time to get things ready and put the kids to sleep.
“Then why are you in such a good mood?” Bear asked as they hefted the mattress up the stairs.
“Because she came back, man. And she makes everything better.”
“Gemma? She came back?”
Truman couldn’t suppress his grin. “Yup.”
“And she’s cool with your past and the kids and Quincy?” At the top of the stairs Bear rested the mattress on the railing. “Get the door. I’ve got this.”
Truman pulled open the door and they carried the mattress inside. “I think she’s okay with it, maybe not totally cool with it, but I wouldn’t expect her to be.” He nodded to the couch. “Let’s lean it against the back of the couch.”
“Cool enough to warrant a mattress.” Bear smirked. “Which means you will be getting laid soon enough.”
“It’s not like that. I mean, it is. Don’t get me wrong; she’s hot as fuck, and I can’t wait to get closer to her, but it’s not like that’s all there is.”
“Good, man. I’m happy for you. Not many women would be okay with all the shit going down in your life. You hear any more from Quincy?” Bear asked.
“No. I left him a message offering to get him help…again.”
“No one can say you’re not a loyal son of a bitch.”
Despite his heartache over Quincy, he smiled at Bear’s words, thinking of Gemma. Tru Blue.
“He’s family. I may not want him around the kids when he’s fucked up, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give up on him for good.” Needing to change the subject, Truman crossed the room to the alcove where he kept his tools. Quincy was the one person who could ruin his mood. “Help me out. I want to get all this stuff downstairs.”
“All of it?” Bear cocked a brow. “The workbench, too?”
“Yup. I’m making this one-bedroom apartment into a two-bedroom. Eventually we’re building a wall here.” He waved to the front of the alcove.
“We are? Isn’t this my place?”
“Oh, right. You mind?” Truman began taking the tools off the wall and putting them into a box.
“Nah. ’Course not.” Bear was busy texting.
“Hot date?”
“Yeah, with my brothers.” He glanced at Truman and shook his head, then turned back to his vibrating phone. “Bullet and Bones are on their way over to help.” He shoved his phone in his pocket.
An hour and a half later, Truman, Bear, Bullet, and Bones had relocated all of the shop paraphernalia downstairs and brought up the box spring, pillows, sheets, rug, and other things Truman had bought.
