Mustang frowned. “Babe, I don’t want you spending money on me.”
“I didn’t,” she insisted. “I did it for me. Kai took me to the huge swap meet thing at the stadium one afternoon, when I was going stir crazy. I was really careful though, and we didn’t stay long. I saw the chair and couldn’t resist. It’s got the most comfortable cushions and you just sink into them. It’s ugly as hell, I’ll warn you right now. I need to get it reupholstered to cover up the orange and brown flowers that are all over it, but I figured I could do that later. I put it right in front of the window in your bedroom, and it’s amazing to sit there with the window open and listen to the waves. And…it’s big enough for two.”
Mustang could picture her sitting there in his mind, and he couldn’t wait to share that chair with her. “How much was it? I’ll pay you back.”
“You will not,” she said forcefully.
“Whoa,” he said in surprise. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She sighed. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump down your throat. It’s just that you’ve done so much for me, Scott. You’ve made me feel wanted and cherished, which I needed…you have no idea how much. A chef is usually in the background, and only thought of when something’s wrong with the food. And in New York, I was just the hired help. Then I was on the run, trying to stay under the radar.
“But you saw me. Me. You’ve asked for nothing in return for all your kindnesses, and I hate feeling as if I’m mooching off you. When I saw this chair, I knew it would be perfect for that spot in your room, next to your bed. I don’t want you to feel as if you have to pay for every little thing. I’ve been on my own for a very long time; I don’t want or need to be a kept woman. Okay?”
“Okay,” Mustang said immediately. “But you need to understand that it’s not in my nature to let you pay for shit when I know how little you have. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just not escaped my attention that you have very little in that room you rented. I want to give you the world, El, and I don’t want you spending your hard-earned money on me. If you want to buy something, by all means, go for it, but be forewarned, I’m never going to be comfortable with you spending a ton of money on me.”
“I understand. This chair was as much for me as it was you, though. Same goes with food. I don’t want you getting weird when I come back from the grocery store with ten bags full of food.”
Mustang pressed his lips together. He didn’t want her spending her own money on food they’d both eat, but he understood where she was coming from. “How about this, when we shop together, I pay. When you’re on your own, I won’t complain when you pay.”
“Are you going to let me go to the store by myself when you’re not on a mission?” she asked.
It was a very insightful question, and it told Mustang that she knew him pretty well already. “Yes?”
She laughed. “Right. We don’t have to hash everything out right this second, but as long as you realize that I’m in my thirties and not twelve, and expect to contribute to our relationship and not mooch off you, we’re good.”
Mustang couldn’t believe that he wanted to continue arguing his point. He should be glad she didn’t want him to pay for everything. If she was any other woman, he’d be grateful she wasn’t trying to milk him for all he had, but with Elodie, he wanted to pamper her. Wanted to make sure she wasn’t denying herself anything. She’d had a rough time of it lately, and all he wanted to do was make her happy.
As if she could read his mind, she said, “Just being with you makes me happy, Scott. I don’t need anything fancy. You know I’m happy shopping at the ABC Stores. I love that they’re on almost every corner here. If we ever move, I don’t know what I’m gonna do without my Maui Onion potato chips, and being able to bop down to the ABC to get sunglasses, fresh pineapple, sunscreen, and a swimsuit cover-up…all in the same shop.”
“It’s called Walmart,” Mustang teased.
Elodie wrinkled her nose. “It’s not the same thing. Believe me.”
“It kinda is. You know all the crap in there is mostly made in China, right?”
“Shut up. You’re ruining my Hawaiian experience.”
Mustang laughed.
She beamed. “God, it’s good to have you back. I’d gotten way too used to talking to myself. Even more than usual.”
“Is that chair big enough to have sex in?” he blurted.
Elodie stared at him for a second, then her smile widened. “Oh, yeah,” she breathed.
“Good. Because that’s what we’re doing first,” he informed her.
“Fine by me. You gonna strip me in the foyer again, or are we gonna try to make it to the bedroom this time before we get naked?”
“You keep talking about being naked, and we might not even make it up to my apartment.”
“You’ve showered, right?” she asked nonchalantly.
“What?”
“Showered. I’m not making love with you if you’ve still got crud on you from whatever country you were in.”
Mustang did his best not to run them off the road as he burst out laughing. God, Elodie was the only woman who could make him this happy. “I showered, babe. You definitely would’ve known if I hadn’t when you first saw me. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Okay. Chair sex, then I’ll give you a tour of the freezer and you can decide what you want to eat, then I want to be on top in our bed. I’ve been sleeping there by myself and fantasizing about fucking you for way too long. Then maybe we can shower and sit in the chair and watch the ocean together while you tell me what you can about your mission.”
Mustang almost choked. “Damn, woman.”
She beamed. “Hey, women can get horny too, you know.”
Luckily the entrance to his apartment complex was just ahead. Mustang didn’t know if he could wait any longer to be inside her once more.
“Oh, and I should probably let you know that I did do something else while you were gone.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I called Kalani two days after you left and asked if she’d go with me to the women’s clinic. She picked me up…and I’m now the proud owner of a birth control implant. It’s in my arm and will last up to four years. If I want to get pregnant before then—which, if I’m being honest, I probably will because I’m not getting any younger—it can be removed.”
Mustang parked his truck and stared at her for a long moment. She was smiling shyly over at him. He could barely wrap his mind around what she was saying. What was she saying?
“I also got tested while I was there, just in case,” she added. “I didn’t think anything was wrong, but I wanted to let you know that it was okay to have sex with me without a condom.”
“I…you…” Mustang cleared his throat. Shit, he had to get himself together, but his cock was pulsing so hard, he wasn’t sure he could walk. “I’m clean too,” he managed.
“I figured. So…I’m thinking we can ditch the condoms…if you want. It’s okay if you’re not comfortable with that yet though. I know it’s still early in our relationship and I—”