“Okay, five more minutes,” she agreed. “But then I have to get a shower and go help the girls get everything ready.”
I pulled her closer, savoring the warmth of her body next to mine, and said, “We could just skip the whole thing. Spend the night right here.”
“We could,” she smiled. “I’d be okay with that.”
“But?”
“But … you haven’t even seen your mother and brothers yet, and the guys are really looking forward to welcoming you home. Everyone is bringing food and …”
“Okay… okay, we’ll go,” I conceded. “But when the party is over, we’re going to the house.”
“Your house?”
“Yeah, my house. We’ll be staying there from now on.” Her eyes flickered with confusion while she thought about what I’d just said. So damn cute. Before she had a chance to ask, I said, “When you get ready, I’ll have the prospects go to your apartment and gather your things.”
She immediately sat up in the bed and said, “Wait… what?”
“The way I see it… I have a whole lot of making up to do for hurting you like I did. Right?” I grinned.
“Um hmm.”
“Well… it would be a whole lot easier if you were living with me while I did it.” I knew it was fast, but if I learned anything from dealing with Derek, it was that I was done wasting time. I wanted Cass. I wanted a future with her, a family with her, and I was ready to get started.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she asked, “So you want me to move in with you?”
“Yeah. It makes sense. I figure it will take a lot of work, a lot of long, sleepless nights to make you forgive me, so it would be easier on both of us if you moved in,” I chuckled.
“This isn’t funny, Cotton. This is big. You’ve just asked me to move in with you!”
“I wasn’t exactly asking… more like explaining why you are in fact moving in with me,” I smirked.
“Oh, is that right?” she said sarcastically.
I nodded and said, “Yeah, that’s right. I told you… you’re mine. I take care of what’s mine. And Cass, I plan on taking very good care of you.”
She sat there, staring at me with wide eyes as she mulled over everything I’d said. It looked like she was about to say something, but she was interrupted when someone knocked on my door.
“Cotton?” Joe called through the door. “Mom’s out front and wants to see you.”
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I grumbled. I wasn’t looking forward to the lecture I was going to get from her. I knew she wanted to come see me, especially when I’d first been shot, but having her there, worrying over me, wasn’t going to help matters.
“Looks like you’ve got more making up to do,” Cass laughed.
“You’re right about that,” I chuckled. “But with you… I’m just getting started.”
She rolled her eyes and smiled, “Whatever… You just smile that sexy smile of yours and all is forgiven.”
“Sexy, huh?” I teased.
“Yeah… you know you are, so stop teasing me,” she scolded.
“Can’t help myself.” I nodded over to my luggage in the corner of the room and said, “I’ve got something for you over in my bag.”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she glanced over at my bag and asked, “What do you mean? A present?”
“Go over and see. It’s in the top zipper,” I told her. Trying to contain her excitement, she eased off the bed and walked over to my luggage. The hem of my t-shirt barely covered her bare ass as she bent over to retrieve the envelope from my bag.
Once she had it in her hand, she turned to me and asked, “Is this it?”
“Yep. Open it up.”
Her fingers carefully tore at the seam of the envelope, and when it was finally open, she remained completely silent as her eyes roamed over the tickets. We all knew how much she loved Norah Jones, and I’d managed to score some tickets to a small concert she was doing in New York City at the end of the month. I watched her eyes fill up with tears as she gazed down at the tickets, and my heart leapt when she looked over to me and said, “I can’t believe you did this. We’re really going to New York to see Norah?”
“Yeah, baby, we are.”
“You didn’t have to do this,” she cried.
I sat up on the bed and said, “I wanted to, Cass. I meant it when I said I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
She walked over to the edge of the bed, kneeling down between my legs, and said, “Well, you’ve made me happy. Very happy in fact. And not because of the tickets. Having you here, like this, is all I need to be happy.”
I pressed my lips to hers, kissing her briefly before I said, “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good, now let’s go. We’ve got to get moving. Your mother is waiting.”
I groaned and said, “Don’t remind me.”