Turning my head, I press my lips against his cheek. “Why don’t you guys go out tonight? I’m beat. A shower and the bed are calling my name,” I murmur against his ear.
Wyatt grunts, he turns his head to look at me. Lifting his hand, he cups my cheek. “Be ready for me, I’ll wake you up when I come home,” he mutters.
My entire body shudders as a shiver of excitement rolls through me. A few moments later, Louis and Wyatt are out of the hotel room. I shower quickly and climb into bed, completely naked, ready and waiting for Wyatt’s return.
Chapter Twenty-Two
EXETER
We’re the last to arrive, again. It seems as if it’s a trend with us. Though, I can’t deny that I don’t mind, especially since the reason we were late both times was because Wyatt was delivering some of the best, almost earth-shattering, orgasms I’ve ever had.
Walking toward the front porch, I can’t help but blush. I remember the first time I spent the night here, it was as a one-night stand. I didn’t know what would become of that night, I assumed absolutely nothing. Little did I know that it would bring me a man who means absolutely everything.
Inwardly, I cringe. I need to tell him. I need to tell him all of my past, all of my truths. If I don’t, then we’ll never be more than we are right now, we can’t. I know that he hides some of himself from me as well, I can see it behind his eyes, sitting there, begging to be let free. He’s like me, he’s keeping it back, probably afraid that it will run me off.
He doesn’t know that there is nothing he could say to me to push me away.
I love him.
All of him.
“You okay, sugar?” he asks as we walk up the steps to the front porch.
I look at the front door, then back up to him. “Yeah,” I murmur.
Tonight is the night. I can feel it. He’s received the call that they will most likely leave in a couple of days. He needs to know the complete truth before he goes. I owe him that much. I need him to know everything before I move in with him. That way if he doesn’t want me, then I’ll still have my trailer to go back to.
The door swings open and Rylan stands in front of us. He’s got a grin on his face, and a bottle of water in his hand.
“Got the meat in the truck,” Wyatt says as his greeting.
Rylan lifts his chin. “I’ll help you, ‘bout time you showed up.” He looks over at me and gives me a wink.
My face feels hot, as if he can read my mind and knows exactly why we’re late. My eyes move from his to his neck, unable to look in his brown gaze for fear of expiring right on the spot with embarrassment. Rylan skirts past me, and Wyatt releases my waist when he does.
“Channing’s inside, only woman in a house of men, probably needs to be saved,” Rylan chuckles.
The two of them walk toward Wyatt’s pickup, so I decide to go inside and see if Channing needs any help. There is a loud television on in the living room when I enter. I freeze at the sight. There is Louis and Ford, two men I’ve only seen a couple of times, but that isn’t what has me frozen. It’s the fact that this living room looks almost the exact same as it did the last time I was here.
Meaning, Wyatt didn’t take much of anything when he moved out. The same sofa is facing the same oversized television on the wall. The men don’t realize I’m standing, staring at them like a weirdo. Turning, I make my way toward the kitchen. I can hear low country music pouring out of the room when I enter.
Channing is standing at the stove, her back to me, and working between two different pots and a pan. “Hey, can I help you?” I ask. She jumps, then turns to me with wide eyes. Slowly her face softens, and a smile replaces her startled gaze.
“Exeter,” she says. “I’m so glad y’all made it. Could you maybe throw the salad together? Everything is on the top shelf of the fridge.”
Walking over to the fridge, I begin pulling the veggies out for the salad. I bite the corner of my lip, wondering if I should ask about the television, about the furniture, and then I decide against it. I’ll bring it up with Wyatt, if I bring it up at all. I don’t want her to think that I’m judging or anything. I’m not. In fact, I think that if Wyatt left it for them, knowing that they didn’t have much, that it makes me fall just that much deeper in love with him.
“Did you have to work last night?” Channing asks, interrupting my thoughts of love and Wyatt.
I clear my throat. “No, I was on day shift,” I say with a nod as I begin to chop up the veggies. “How’s the baby?” I ask.
She hums, her hand automatically touching her stomach and something inside of me twists and my entire body aches at the simple gesture. I bite the inside of my lip and go back to the veggies as she goes about answering my question. She gushes about the new life inside of her. It’s beautiful, to see a woman so excited about having a baby, to see her just so damn happy.
“I’m a little nervous about these hurricanes though. If they’re gone for months, I’m afraid that I’ll be giving birth to this one alone,” she confesses.
“You have me,” I state without even thinking about it.
She does have me. She’s Wyatt’s cousin by marriage, obviously important to him, but also very kind and sweet in her own right. I nod, licking my lips and continue to cut the tomato that I’ve been working on.
“Really?” she breathes.
I hum. “I’m down there more often than not anyway, I would be more than happy to stay with you and the baby to help.”
There is a beat of silence, and I’m afraid that I’ve said something wrong, so I stop chopping, set the knife down and turn around to face her. She’s got tears streaming down her cheeks and I blink, unsure of what to say, or do. She closes the distance between us and wraps her arms around me.
“Thank you, Exeter. I didn’t know, after everything that happened with Emily and that day, I wasn’t sure if you’d really want much to do with me,” she admits.
I jerk my head back slightly. “What do you mean? It wasn’t your fault what happened to Emily.”
She looks down at her feet, then brings her watery eyes back to me. “I just wasn’t sure. I know she’s your cousin and you love her,” she murmurs.
Shaking my head, I reach for her hands and take them in mine. “Emily is her own person. I knew something wasn’t right. She’s getting the help she needs now. That’s all I care about. You didn’t make her do anything, she did everything that day of her own free will.”
The sound of heavy boot falls interrupt our conversation and we each take a couple steps away from one another when Wyatt and Rylan walk through the doorway. They are both carrying some meat with Louis and Ford on their heels.
“We’re going to get these on the grill,” Rylan announces, his smile widening, then softening when his eyes meet his wife’s.
My heart flutters at the sight of them. They really are beautiful together. Rylan and his colorful body, his seemingly hardened exterior that completely melts away when he’s anywhere near Channing. And Channing, she looks exactly like a good, sweet, girl and doesn’t seem like the type that would be with a man like him. But they work, wholeheartedly.