Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him back in the same way—it was wet and messy, but she kind of liked how dirty and sexy it felt.
“More, Jamie,” she panted against his lips. “I want more.”
“Anything you want,” he murmured as his hands slid under her shirt to cup her breasts. “Tell me what you want and it’s yours.”
It was a heady feeling knowing how much he wanted her.
“Don’t go slow,” she told him as she pulled her top up and over her head. Kicking off her shoes, she added, “I want it all right now.”
Pulling back slightly, he gave her a heated look. “That’s my girl.”
After that, Fallon wasn’t sure who was in control or who moved faster; all she knew was that it was perfect. It was everything. And she was finally home.
“You know this isn’t part of the schedule.”
“I know.”
“And you realize that without a schedule, things can get chaotic and difficult.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then how come you’re allowed to do it, but whenever I did, you got mad?”
With a huff of annoyance, Fallon turned and looked at him. “We just had mind-blowing sex and we’re lying here in bed while I feed Asher, and you’re complaining?”
He shrugged with a boyish pout. “I’m just saying…he normally doesn’t get his bottle for another hour.”
“And he also took an unplanned nap. It’s okay to go with the flow once in a while.” Besides, this felt so good and she was so happy that she’d gladly let the schedule go for one afternoon. “Now get back under the blankets with me,” she cooed. “I already miss having you next to me.”
Wearing only his boxer briefs, he did as she asked. Asher’s cries had come not long after they finished making love, and while Jamie had gotten up to get him, Fallon slid his shirt on to cover herself. No need to be naked while feeding the baby.
“This is good,” he said gruffly, kissing her shoulder. “Moments like these are what I missed the most. Just the three of us.” He kissed her again. “Thank you.”
Meeting his gaze, she asked, “What are you thanking me for?”
“For not giving up on me.”
Her heart melted a little because that one sentence spoke volumes. No matter how confident he tried to appear to the rest of the world, he was still vulnerable. And she had a feeling she was possibly the only person who ever saw that part of him. She doubted he even showed his siblings.
“Then I should thank you for the same thing. We have such a negative history with each other to overcome, but I’m glad we overcame that and realized what we could have is so much better.”
They snuggled closer while Asher finished his bottle. “What do you think the chances are that he’ll immediately go back down for a nap?”
Laughing softly, she shook her head. “Not even a tiny one.”
“Maybe I can convince him.” Reaching for his son, Jamie cradled him in his arms. “Hey, buddy. I know you’re just as happy as I am that Fallon’s home, so maybe you can find it in your heart to take another nap so we can have a little more private time. What do you say?”
“Jamie…”
He shushed her and went back to talking to Asher. “If you do this for me, I promise to get you a pony and an ATV and a puppy and a…”
“Oh my goodness, stop!” she laughed. “Just accept the fact that you cannot charm a baby!”
“Sure I can,” he countered easily. “I can buy him all these things and…”
Shaking her head, she tried to sound firm. “There is no way you are giving this baby a pony or an ATV. And besides, it’s not like he understands what you’re even saying right now.”
“Which was my point to you not that long ago.”
Groaning, Fallon knew that life with Jamie would never be boring and—more than likely—more than a little frustrating.
“Jamie,” she whined.
“Okay, okay. The pony and ATV aren’t practical. But what about the puppy?”
She’d always wanted a dog, but was now the right time?
“How about this,” she carefully began. “Let’s get some other aspects of our lives settled first.”
“Like what?”
“Like daycare for Asher, me finding a job and a place to live because I do not want to keep living with my parents, and you dealing with your folks when they come home and find out you have a son!”
He was quiet for several long moments. “I hear what you’re saying, and I already have some solutions.”
“Already? Okay, lay them on me.”
“For starters, you move in here. I know it’s small and not totally ideal, but I think we can make it work for a while. Maybe next year we can think about moving, but for now we can handle being…cozy, can’t we?”
It wasn’t the worst idea and it would be the place she’d be happiest, so…
“Done,” she said. “What’s next?”
“Really? Wow, I thought I was going to have to do and say a lot more to convince you.”
“Is that your way of trying to back out?”
“What? No! Definitely not! I loved it when you were staying here. And now knowing it will be permanent? I’m freaking thrilled!”
She sighed happily. “Okay then. What’s next?”
“My folks are going to be a no-brainer. My mom is going to be so freaking excited and I think she can help a lot with taking care of Asher. Between the three of us, I think we can get through the next several weeks until we find a reputable daycare for him.”
She nodded. “Agreed. So that just leaves me and my nightmare of a job search.” Then she told him about all the things she’d applied to and interviewed for lately and her possible plans for opening a place of her own.
“That sounds like so much work, Fallon. Are you sure you’re ready to take on such a big project?”
“I thought I was, but it feels like every day there’s something else to consider and there really isn’t anything available that I can go in and retrofit, you know? Maybe Patrick just hasn’t found the right place yet.”
“Believe me, if the place exists, my brother is aware of it. It’s insane how much he knows about real estate in this area and how much of it he is either buying, selling, renting, or managing. I mean…it’s still only Laurel Bay, so it’s not like he’s a big-time real estate tycoon, but he’s certainly doing more than his share to improve the town.”
“Oh, I know he’s good at what he does, but I just don’t think what I’m looking for exists right now.”
“It’s possible. But then…where does that leave you?”
“There was a place I interviewed at down in Magnolia. It was for a daycare center coordinator.”
“And?”
“I told Ryleigh about it. It was really disappointing. I ended up reporting some violations I noticed when I got home from the interview. Plus, the pay wasn’t great.”
“Damn. Okay, so…that was a big no.”
“I thought so. I mean, the place had so much potential, but it was like nobody cared about it anymore. It needed a complete overhaul. The location was great—near the south side of Magnolia Sound—but it’d need so much done to it for me to be comfortable there.”