Page 73 of Once Yours (Love & Wine)

“We are,” I reply, checking out the job he’s doing on the appetizer. “Looks like that’s almost ready, huh?”

“Yep, just gonna put it in the oven to melt the cheese and we’ll be good to go.”

We chat over dinner, talking about anything and everything. Sharing stories from when we were growing up, to college and some of the funny stuff that has happened to us as adults. It’s interesting to listen to Dylan talk since I knew Hannah when we were younger, but I never really knew anything about her family. And since I don’t have any brothers or sisters, it’s been a blast hearing about all the stuff they got up to as kids. Their poor mother must have been losing her mind.

But listening to all this, makes me realize I want a big family. I want kids, possibly three of them and I just keep hoping that Dylan feels the same way. It’s the one thing that we are still avoiding discussing, and I keep reminding myself that he’s young. We still have time to grow into this relationship, to see if we want the same things. I haven’t brought it up since we had the argument about it, but there has been a shift in our relationship. Things are different. He keeps telling me he wants everything with me, and while he hasn’t come right out and said, “let’s have babies together”, he’s made it clear that he’s sticking around.

“How was the chicken?” I ask, as I watch Dylan lick the last of the sauce off his fork.

“It was so good. Was this something new? I don’t think I’ve seen it on the menu.”

“Yeah, Leo whipped it up just for us with some extra ingredients he had lying around the kitchen. I think we should tell him to add it to the menu though. It went great with the chardonnay he recommended.”

“Thanks for putting this all together, Tess,” Dylan says, reaching across the table to take my hand. “It was a great night.’

“You’re welcome, but it’s not over yet. We still have dessert.”

“Shit, I’m spent, but I’m sure I can make room for something,” he replies. “What are we having?”

“Actually, I don’t know. We don’t have to make this. Leo bagged everything up for me and told me to keep it in the fridge. I gotta go see what it is.”

“Fuck, I hope it’s the flourless chocolate cake from Apple Jacks,” Dylan replies, stretching his arms above his head.

“Funny because I hope it’s the Dutch apple pie,” I reply, winking at him.

“Whoa, hang on a second, I’m not sure we can do this,” he says, motioning between us. “Fruit is not dessert.”

I laugh out loud, shaking my head. “Pie is not fruit. It’s covered in sugar.”

“It has apples in it,” he argues, his hands on his hips, glaring at me.

“Apples covered in sugar,” I bite back, making him laugh.

“I guess we have to agree to disagree on this one,” he concedes, letting out a huff. “I left my bag in the car. I’m gonna run out there and grab it,” he now adds, and I have to say, it’s hard to hide the shock on my face.

“A bag?”

“Yes, Tessa, a bag. My bag. My bag for staying overnight here if that’s okay.”

This is the first time he’s made it official. He’s spent the night, but it’s usually an unprompted thing, like it just happens, and we end up in my bed asleep. But today, he’s planned for it.

“I’m not sure I invited you to spend the night,” I reply, clenching my teeth. “That’s embarrassing. I might not have tonight open. Early morning tomorrow, I might be thinking about inviting my other boyfriend over.” I shrug sheepishly, playing with him.

“No one else is fucking you, Tessa. I can be damn sure of that. So yes, I’m spending the night and you better be ready because I’m dropping off a toothbrush in your bathroom too.” He smirks at me, wetting his lips, he pulls me against him. “This is it, Tessa. You and me. I’m not losing you a second time.”

I’m not losing you a second time.

I hear him, his words echoing around in my head, reminding me that we’re both in this for the long haul. I don’t want to lose him either.

“You won’t lose me,” I reply, pressing up on my toes to kiss him. “I’m not the same girl I was then.”

“That’s for sure,” Dylan says, smirking at me, his mouth now sucking at my neck. “I’ll be right back,” he whispers in my ear now, leaving to get his things from the car.

I let out a hard sigh, feeling the relief of being so content in my relationship with Dylan. I walk over to the fridge and pull out the bag Leo gave me. Inside I find the flourless chocolate cake and a slice of Dutch apple pie. He knows us well. Also in the bag is a canister of whipped cream and I can’t let this opportunity pass me up.

I move fast, throwing my clothes off, I hop up on the counter, pulling my bra off as I do. I quickly cover my boobs in whipped cream, hoping he doesn’t find this to be completely ridiculous. Because in all honesty, I feel ridiculous and holy shit this whipped cream is cold. I shudder, trying not to move too much or this shit will be in a pile on the floor rather than on my boobs.

What the hell is taking him so damn long? Did he pack his entire house? I feel like I’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes, the whipped cream is beginning to warm up against my skin. This is certainly not as sexy as I pictured it in my mind. In a minute it’s going to be a soupy mess rather than a whipped cream bikini.

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