“How is that possible?”
“Never wanted to until now.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, Owen. I’m a big girl. I can take it.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest. I want her as close to me as possible. Always. “I’m telling you the truth. I’ve never been serious about anyone. I’ve never had a girlfriend. All of my experiences have been casual and never overnight.”
“What? You bring your dates here, and then kick them out of your bed?” She grimaces as she asks the question. No one wants to talk about this shit—especially not me when the woman of my dreams is in my arms.
“They don’t come here. We go to their place or a hotel, never here. This is my home.”
“A hotel? That’s such a waste of money,” she says.
“That’s all you got from that confession?” I ask with a smile. “I can afford it. Besides, those days are done.”
“Done?” I can hear the hope in her voice.
“Why would I need them when I have you?” Her mouth forms the perfect O, showing her surprise. “You’re the only one I see, Layla.”
“I guess we should move me into Sawyer’s place today. I didn’t realize that I was breaking a rule,” she says, pulling out of my arms. At least she tries to.
“Hey,” I say, pulling her back into me. “What are you talking about?”
“No one stays here, and I’ve done it now two nights in a row, and you didn’t even get a happy ending,” she says, her frustration showing in her voice.
“Layla, you’re not listening to me. I wanted you here. I want you here in my bed next to me. I want to sleep beside you every night and wake up to you every morning. You’re the exception.”
“I shouldn’t have come,” she says, once again, trying to pull out of my hold.
“You are exactly where you should be. Where I want you to be. Where is all of this coming from?”
“I moved to a state where I literally know no one, and he tells me that he doesn’t have serious relationships. I thought we might have more. I hoped that we would be, but now you tell me this. I need to go.” She tries to move away, and I do the only thing I can think of to stop her.
I kiss her.
My hand slides behind her neck, holding her lips to mine as I trace them with my tongue. She opens for me, and my tongue moves against hers. I kiss her until we’re both starving for breath. Only then do I pull away.
“I want you to be mine, Layla.” She opens her mouth, but I stop her. “Before you say I don’t own you, I know that. I don’t want to control you, but I want you in my life. I want you to be the one I call after I’ve had a shitty day and the first one I celebrate with when I’ve had a good one.”
“That’s what girlfriends are for, Owen.” She sighs.
“Beautiful, Layla.” I lean in and kiss her cheek, my lips trailing to her ear. “Will you be my girlfriend?” I whisper—five words I’ve never said in the same sequence before in my life. My heart is pounding as I wait for her to answer me.
“Owen,” she breathes.
“Only you, Layla. I want you here with me. I don’t want you to go to Sawyer’s apartment. I want you to live here with me. I want you in my bed every night.”
“H-How can you say that? Are you doing this for sex? Because I’m warning you, I might be bad at it.”
I might be bad at it. Her words repeat over and over in my mind. Does that mean? No, she can’t be. Can she?
“Oh, God.” She covers her face with her hands, and the action snaps me into motion. She moves to slide off the bed, but I’m able to sit up and pull her into my lap before she gets too far.
“Layla, what do you mean you might be bad at it?”
“Do you not understand the English language?”
“Baby, are you a virgin?” The words feel like grit. I can’t believe I just asked her that question. She’s fucking gorgeous, with a body that would bring any man to his knees. How is she a virgin?
“My life growing up was rough. I didn’t want to end up like my mother, and I knew I needed to get out of that house, out of that town. So it was better for me to abstain. Once I made it to Florida, I was barely keeping a roof over my head and food on the table. No way could I take care of a child too.”
“Yet, you fed the homeless men, who looked like a group of thugs that sat outside on the stoop of your building.”
She shrugs. “They needed it, and it was like they looked out for me. They scared me at first, but as time went on, they looked out for me. It was nice knowing there was someone around if I needed them.”
“That’s me. I want to be that someone.”
“What is your family going to say? I’ve never met them, and you what? Just want me to move in with you? Come on, Owen. Think about what you’re asking.”
“I have thought about it. I know what I want. You’ve met Royce and Sawyer, and the others will love you just as much as we do. In fact, you get to meet them today at Sunday dinner.”
“Love me?” she croaks.
“My sweet, Layla. My heart is yours. Piece by piece, you’ve stolen it from me, and I never want it back.”
“S-Sunday dinner?” she croaks.
I’m overwhelming her and didn’t want to do that, but that’s just how this conversation happened to turn out. “My parents have Sunday dinner at their place every week. Those who can make it do. Now we’re all living in town, it’s very rare that any of us miss.”
“I can’t meet your family today.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m me.” She slaps her hand against her chest. “They want better for you than me. I know they will.”
“You’re wrong. What they want is for me to be happy. They want me to find someone to live my life with and to give them grandchildren.” I chuckle. It’s as if I can hear my mother now asking when she’s going to get grandkids. Royce is the oldest at thirty-two, and now that he’s with Sawyer, the pressure is on. I have no doubts when she meets my Layla, she’s going to be asking me… us too.
“I don’t know.”
“Come with me today. Meet them. Let them prove to you that your background has no bearing on who you are to me. You can’t help the circumstances of which you were raised. That’s not who you are, that’s who your mother was. You’re not her, Layla.” I lean in and kiss the corner of her mouth. “Please, come with me?”
“And the apartment?”
“Think about it. In the meantime, I want you here with me in my home, in my bed. I want it to be our home and our bed.”
“This is a lot. I mean, I know you said you wanted to try, but living together? Owen, that’s a huge step.”
“I know it is, but it’s one I want to take with you.”
“I’ll go to dinner.” I start to thank her, but she holds her index finger to my lips. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Once they find out about my family….” Her voice trails off.
“They’re going to welcome you into ours. Trust me, Lay. Please.”