Sierra huffed out a small laugh. “You’re totally overthinking something, I can tell.”
Grover loved that she was able to read him so well. “Maybe,” he admitted.
“The room is great,” she told him.
“But it makes you uncomfortable, which is unacceptable. I want no inch of this house to bring back any bad memories for you,” he said as they walked back into the great room.
“It’s not a big deal,” she protested.
“It is to me,” Grover said simply. “How about we eat now and I’ll show you the rest of the house after?”
Sierra put her hand on his arm and stopped their forward progress toward the kitchen. “Grover?”
“Yeah?”
She stared up at him for a long moment. He couldn’t read the emotion he could see in her eyes.
“I’m happy I’m here,” she finally said.
“Me too, Bean. Me too. Come on, let’s have some dinner. I’m making a huge salad too, just like I said I would. I’ll order that pizza I promised you another day.”
“Awesome. What can I do to help?”
Grover couldn’t keep the smile off his face as they got the salad underway. He loved this. Working with her, showing her where everything was in the kitchen, felt good. Intimate. It was the first of hopefully many, many meals they’d prepare together.
Chapter Fourteen
Sierra sighed in contentment, just as relaxed now as she’d been during their time in New Mexico. She and Grover were on his back deck. He’d poured her a glass of soda and he was nursing a beer. He’d shown her the rest of his house after they’d eaten, which consisted of four bedrooms on the second floor, another full bathroom, and a gorgeous laundry room. He’d told her it used to be a small fifth bedroom, but he’d converted it to the laundry room because he didn’t want to haul his dirty clothes up and down the stairs all the time.
She’d blushed a little when he’d shown her the master bedroom and the amazing bathroom attached, but did her best to act cool and composed. It was hard when all Sierra could picture was Grover standing in the glass-walled shower, butt-ass naked. Or in the walk-in closet getting dressed. Or in the huge king-size, four-poster bed that took up the majority of the room. The bed was old fashioned and nothing like what she’d assumed Grover would sleep in every night.
He explained that it had belonged to his grandparents, and when they passed away, no one else had been interested in keeping it, so he’d claimed it for himself. Hearing that was just another layer revealed on the man she loved. Every time she learned something new about him, she admired and respected him all the more. Keeping an old bed wasn’t exactly something most men would care about, but Grover did.
His entire house was a revelation. It was well thought out and Grover had done an amazing job with the renovations. From the doors he’d saved from the old barn on the property, to the modern touches like the second-floor laundry room, to the over-the-top mancave he’d put together. It all just fit him. And Sierra liked every little thing she’d learned about him simply by touring his space.
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Grover asked.
They were sitting in separate chairs, which she thought was probably a good idea considering how with every second she spent around him, she wanted him more and more.
“I like your house,” she said simply.
“Me too,” he said. “I used to be all right with living in an apartment. It wasn’t really a home, it was just a place where I spent time between work, hanging out with my team, and deployments. But I got to a point where I needed a refuge. Somewhere I could completely relax and wind down. My job is stressful, so I wanted a home. I know the Army could move me to a different post at any point, but I’ll end up back here eventually. I built this place with permanency in mind. If I’m lucky enough to get married, this is where I want to live with the woman I love.”
He looked over at her. “I want to do this. Sit here in the evenings, talk about my day and hear about hers. I want to watch for deer and armadillos. Hang out and relax.”
A pang of desire hit Sierra, and it was almost painful in its intensity. She wanted to be that woman. Wanted to sit here, just like this with Grover, years from now.
Without breaking eye contact, she leaned over and put her cup on the ground next to her chair. Then she stood and walked over to Grover. As if it was second nature, she climbed onto his lap, straddling him. She’d done this a few times before, but this time felt different.
Grover put his own drink down and took hold of her hips. His large hands were so warm, she could feel his heat through her clothes. She kept her gaze locked with his and reached for the buttons on his shirt. She undid the top one. Then the next.
“Sierra?” he asked, with a small tilt of his head.
She stilled her hands. The last thing she wanted was to do something he wasn’t ready for. She was breathing hard, from both nerves and excitement. For the first time in many, many months, she felt desire. There had been no time for anything but survival when she’d been a captive, but now, back in the States, safe, with Grover…her body was coming alive.
“I want you,” she admitted, not recognizing the sound of her husky voice.
His hands came up and grabbed her own. “Are you sure?” he asked gently.
Sierra nodded. “Yes.”
“A few weeks ago, you just wanted to be friends. You weren’t ready for more. I just want to make sure you really want this before we go any further. I know things changed between us while we were at The Refuge, but I don’t want to rush this if you aren’t truly ready.”
“I know, and I am,” she said. “When I told you that, I was scared. Scared of how important you were to me after such a short period of time. I was trying to protect my heart. But after those two weeks in New Mexico, I realized I was fooling myself. And that life is short. I know that better than anyone. You’re one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met. And I’m not just saying that because you did something incredibly selfless and brave. I have a feeling even if we met somewhere completely normal and safe, like a bar or the grocery store, this crazy chemistry would’ve still been there. You make me feel as if I’m the most important person on the planet. You make me want to be better, to be more. I know I’m not explaining myself very well, but Grover…I wouldn’t be here, in Texas, at your house, in your lap, if I didn’t want more between us.”
For a moment after her impassioned speech, he didn’t move. He simply stared at her as if trying to read her mind. Then his fingers tightened on hers and he inhaled deeply. His nostrils flared, and she could see the change in his eyes. She had a split second to brace herself before he pounced.
His hands released hers and he leaned in, kissing her hard and deep.
He tasted like beer, and while she wasn’t a huge fan of the stuff, on him, it was practically an aphrodisiac. Just like that, Sierra realized he’d been holding back all the other times they’d kissed. He took her mouth almost desperately. One hand went to the back of her head to keep her in place and the other gripped her hip so hard it nearly hurt…in a good way.