Ally showed up just as I was setting sandwiches out onto the counter, along with paper plates and two bottles of water. I wasn’t sure exactly how much painting we would end up getting done. I tended to get a little distracted whenever she was around.
The place was looking good, though. There were new hardwood floors throughout that made it much more convenient when coming in from outside with sandy feet, and I had refinished the cabinets and installed new countertops in the bathroom and kitchen. Painting was last on the agenda, even though I should’ve probably done it first. Ally was really the one pushing me to do it. She said she couldn’t stand looking at the ugly paint that had been covered up by the aged wood paneling we’d removed.
“Hey, handsome.” She placed a kiss on my cheek before grabbing a sandwich and dropping two bags on the table. She slid backwards onto the counter, and I wedged myself between her legs, my hands landing on her bare thighs. I loved how at home she was, and how everything just seemed better all-around when she was here.
“You ready to get this over with?”
She threw her head back and let out a loud laugh. I loved hearing that sound, especially when we were alone because it seemed to turn me on and then I could do very dirty things to her. “I promise it’s really not that bad. We’ll make it fun, and it’ll be over before you know it.”
We got started once we finished our lunch. I was amazed at how efficiently she worked, and really, it didn’t end up being that bad. “I don’t know about this color.” Ally scrunched up her nose as she stood back, arms crossed over her chest, causing the tops of her boobs to pop out from the tiny white tank top she had on even more. I had been itching to rip it off ever since she showed up.
“What’s wrong with it? I like green.”
“I know you like green, but do you really want to wake up to this every morning? I feel like I’m inside of a Christmas tree.”
“Actually, yes. And you’re my present that I get to unwrap every morning.” I yanked her towards me, and kissed the top of her head as she buried her face in my chest and giggled.
“Well, okay then I guess I can’t argue with that.” She pushed against me with both hands, and wagged one finger at me. “Hands off, we’re almost done.”
Damn, I loved this girl.
She knew it, too. I couldn’t help myself when I said it late one night, while she sat on my lap and we stared out into the inky black water. She leaned her head against me and it just felt so right. I was nervous as hell that she wouldn’t say it back, even though that wouldn’t change how I felt.
I knew it was fast, especially after we had both just come out of long-term relationships, but I didn’t care. I about pissed my pants when she said it right back without skipping a beat. The timing was right for both of us, and our relationship seemed to get even better after that, if that was possible.
What I really wanted to do, what I felt would be the next step up in our relationship, was to ask her to move in with me. She was already here a few nights a week, and I missed her like hell when I woke up to an empty bed on the nights she wasn’t. But I wasn’t so sure I should. I was being held back by the curveball that Kara had thrown at me. It could change my life for good, and I wasn’t so sure how Ally would react to it. One of the main reasons I hadn’t told her, and instead, was holding it in, letting it rip me apart on the inside.
“There. I guess it doesn’t look so bad.” Ally took a long sip of her water, emptying the bottle and chucking it in my direction. She of course missed.
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that.”
“Really?” She giggled, quirking one eyebrow at me. “How?” I answered with a swipe of the lovely green paint that she loved so much.
Her mouth fell open and she touched her wet cheek before I saw her eyes light up, and I knew what was coming. It was game on.
She came at me with a roller, and I was so glad we had put drop cloths down because I could tell that this was going to be one hell of a mess, but a fun one.
I grunted as she hit me right in the chest with a roller and we both fell backwards. “Ow!” Ally rubbed her forehead that had bumped into mine when we landed. I craned my neck to kiss it, but before I could, her hand shot up, smearing paint across my face.
We rolled across the floor after that, taking turns swiping paint onto each other, so when we were finally finished, we were both covered from head to toe. “We’re a complete mess,” Ally stated, rolling out from underneath me since I had her pinned against the floor. Just where I wanted her to be. “Let’s take a shower,” she suggested as she stripped out of her clothes, leaving a trail behind her as she made her way to the bathroom. Well, on second thought…