Alice crashed back down to earth at the bald-faced criticism. “Guess I won’t force you to visit me, then. Lucky you.”
That earned her a swift glance before he made things worse for himself by laughing. “Look at you, getting all pissy. I wasn’t insulting you.”
“You don’t get to tell me when I should and shouldn’t feel insulted. That apartment’s the best I can do on the money I make, so kiss my ass, pal.”
“Glad to.” Still chuckling, he tied off the condom he’d used while she slid off the table and jerked her jeans on. Now, if she could just locate her panties… “You can’t hold me responsible for shit I say when my brain is fried from the best sex I’ve ever had. Listen to what I mean, not what I say.”
That made her pause. “Okay, I just listened to what you said, and I have no idea what you meant.”
“I meant that while the two of us don’t fit comfortably in your apartment, we work just fine here at my place.”
She looked around the kitchen. “No argument there. We certainly did all right on your breakfast table.”
“Let me put it another way. How big is your bed?”
“A double.”
Do you think the two of us would be able to fit comfortably there night after night?”
She tried to envision it and figured one of them would eventually wind up on the floor. “It’d be a tight fit.”
“And then there’s your couch.”
“What’s wrong with my couch?”
“It’s not a couch. It’s a loveseat.”
“So?”
“So, I like to sprawl when I’m vegging in front of the TV, and I know I’m going to want room for you to be there with me. I’m over at your place for a hang, there’s no way in hell any of that shit’s going to happen on a damn loveseat. And yeah, I’ve seen your shower. Your entire bathroom could fit in my closet.”
She found one of her shoes and just managed not to throw it at him. “Do you have a point, or are you simply determined to make me feel bad?”
“Stems, I’m just stating the obvious. The two of us together fit better here than at your place. We agree on that much, right?”
Duh. “Not everyone can indulge in a Cali king bed.”
“Answer, Alice. Do you agree with me?”
Oh, my God. “Yes, I agree with you. In fact, I agree with you so much that I promise to never again invite you over now that I know you feel so strongly about it.”
“Not my point. I got something for you, and that should tell you what the hell my point is.” Ignoring his own state of nakedness, he bent to retrieve his pants, digging into the pockets for something before finally fishing it out. “Here. It’s yours.”
Hastily she caught the rectangular box he chucked her way and heard the metallic rattle from within. Baffled and still more than a little pissy, she pried the lid off and stared at the Badtz-Maru keychain, complete with a couple unfamiliar keys.
“It isn’t a stuffed animal like your other keychain, but I liked that one because that little dude was kinda dressed up like a biker.” His voice seemed unusually loud in the kitchen as she lifted the keychain and held it up for a closer examination. “Gold key is to the front door. I’ve taped the alarm code to the top of it, so memorize it and rip that part off as soon as possible, yeah? The black key is for this door,” he added, gesturing toward the kitchen door that led to the garage behind him. “Once you’ve got yourself a car, you’ll get an opener for the garage door. My bike can be parked in the workshop area, no worries, so there’s plenty of room for another car.”
“I…” Alice couldn’t seem to stop looking at the keychain. Badtz-Maru was dressed like an ‘80s version of Bruce Springsteen, with a bandana around his head and a jeans jacket to complete the look. As silly, touched tears stung her eyes, all she could think was how sweet Loki was to remember such a trivial detail about her. “I can’t believe you got me a new Badtz-Maru.”
“My woman likes a penguin with an attitude, so fine. She gets a penguin with an attitude.”
“It’s perfect.” She was so gaga over the keychain it took her a minute to catch up to the not-insignificant event of receiving keys to his place. Whoa. “Wait. You’re actually trusting me enough to give me keys to your place?”
The way she put it surprised him, if the way his brows shot up was any indication. “Why wouldn’t I? You planning on trashing the place or robbing me blind?”
“No.”
“Then yeah, I’m trusting you. Besides, having keys to a place you’re moving into is kinda necessary. You’re not going to ring the bell every friggin’ time you come home.”
“Home?” The floor dropped out from under her feet. “Did you just say… Wait. What?”
Those brows began a downward descent that was lowkey-ominous. “You heard me. You’re moving in with me. This is your home now.”
Holy crap. This had to be some kind of trippy dream she was having. “I…wow.”
Yep, there it was, the scowl that could knock holes in a brick wall. “What?”
“This is just so sudden. Isn’t it? Doesn’t this feel sudden?”
“Hell, no, it doesn’t. You’re my old lady now, and I’m your man. We claimed each other.”
“Yeah, but—”
“And facts are facts, Alice. Your apartment’s too small for the both of us, so the next step is obvious. You, here. It’s not complicated.”
She looked down at the keys in her hand and wondered why her heart was trying to climb its way out of her mouth. “Funny thing, though. I don’t remember saying yes to this. I don’t even remember being asked.”
“Why ask when we both know this is what we should be doing? We’ll take it in stages, if that’s what you want. Little by little, you can move your shit in and make yourself at home. But every night, you’re in my bed,” he added, as if that was some kind of hardship she was going to object to. “And every morning, my face is the first thing you’ll see as I fuck you good and hard and make you come so beautifully the glow of it stays with you the rest of the day. That’s how this is going to go.”
Just the way he described it made her lady parts tingle. “I’m just trying to catch up, that’s all. I mean, a month ago we didn’t even know each other.”
“That was a month ago. Now we’re here. Do you like the idea of waking up alone?” he went on when she didn’t answer. “Because I sure as hell don’t. Yeah, this might be fast, but I know you’re in the world now. That means I’m not going to be happy until I have you where I want you, and that’s right the fuck here, with me. Tell me that’s what you want too, and I won’t push this for the rest of the day. But I’ll start in on you tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that, and I won’t stop until I get what I want. You, with me, until the fucking stars burn out. Now, tell me what you want.”
“I want to be with you.” Her fingers closed over the keys, and her biker Badtz-Maru, while her heart just kept climbing and climbing until it soared in a way she’d never known before. “That’s what I want.”