Laughter sat at the tip of my tongue, especially after the Aaron debacle, but she didn’t know much about that. Basically nothing. I’d hidden that whopper well. “I know you have my best interests in mind, Auntie. Sorry.”
She tsked and all was well again. Pushover. “He’s been thoroughly vetted. Young. Only thirty and he’s been at the helm of one of the top oil businesses headquartered in Texas.”
“Wow. Oil’s big money, right?”
Aunt Millie hummed. “Yesiree. I don’t know all the details aside from him being very anxious to meet you. And you’ll love this, too. He’s not an old. stodgy gentleman caller. He’s a hot cowboy, lives on a ranch and everything!” She paused. “Haven’t seen the extra twenty-five grand come through for our Latin-Lovah. Guessing you haven’t been having as much fun as I’d thought you would.”
“Millie, that’s none of your business, but no, I’m not. And I’m not going to.”
“You might change your mind when I send you a picture of this cowboy. I was never into cowboys myself, but something about him is familiar, speaks to me in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. Perhaps that’s why I’m feeling off because the young man gives me a déjà vu vibe. Hmm, no matter. You’re plane from Miami to Dallas will be booked tomorrow. Do you want to stay a few days in Miami, Dallas, or go home before you head to Texas?”
Home.
That thought made me smile huge. So huge that, when Wes walked into the room with a cup of coffee, he stopped in his tracks, tilted his head and an eyebrow rose in a silent question. “What?” he mouthed, but I shook my head grinning like a loon.
“Millie, I’d like to stay in Malibu for the few days before I have to meet my next client in Dallas. I’ll fly out of LAX.”
Wes did a little hip sway and ab curl move that made me want to remove his boxer briefs and suck on his cock. Straight up.
“Okay doll-face, I’ll set up the arrangements. It’s good you’re coming home for a bit. Let’s do lunch.”
“Sounds good. Love you.”
“Yes dear. And I you.”
Millie hung up, and I clicked off the cell and turned to my guy. “After this week, I’ll be in Malibu for six days. Wonder if there’s a place I could stay.”
With an absolutely blank face, Wes responded, “You have an apartment.”
I cringed. My apartment. I needed to just empty that place and put my stuff in storage. As a matter of fact, maybe I should add that on my list of things to do while I was in LA. No reason to pay rent for a place I hadn’t stepped foot in for the last seven months.
“Baby, I thought—” I was cut off by Wes slamming me into the bed.
“Gotcha!” He kissed me full, deep, and so completely I forgot I was supposed to be getting up to prep for rehearsal. “I so had you.” He nuzzled my nose with his and laid a series of sloppy, wet kisses on my neck. “Of course I want you with me. My parents have been bugging the crap out of me to get you back.”
“Get me back? You never had me in the first place.”
He sat up and placed his hands on my ribs where he pushed at the hem of my camisole and lifted the fabric inch by inch. “I had you.” I shook my head. “You were mine even then.” Another shake. “No?” Instead of pushing up the top and going for my needy, achy tits, he did the exact opposite and tickled me. His fingers dug into the sensitive area between each rib, causing loud bursts of laughter. “Admit you were mine!” he demanded. It was hard to hear over the peals of laughter exploding from my body. I shook my head and tried to grab his wiggling fingers. I couldn’t breathe. My body was no longer my own, but dammit, he was right. Ever since the first, he had me.
“Okay, okay,” I begged.
He shook his head. “Not good enough.” He pulled my hands to rest above my head. “Say it.”
I took about twenty deep breaths to try and stop the wracking, jittering feeling strumming along each nerve. Then I looked up into his eyes, and somehow I could tell that whatever answer I gave was really important to him. “You had me in January, Wes,” I choked out, my voice filled with emotion. “I didn’t want to believe it. Tried so hard to deny it. Shove it in a closet, high on a shelf where no one would find it. Not even me. Especially not you. But these things have a way of breaking free. I’m so glad they did.”
A single tear tracked down the side of my face. Wes leaned forward and licked it. “I love the taste of your tears. And you know what?”
“What,” I choked out wiping at my cheeks while his gaze focused solely on me.
“You had me too, sweetheart. Even then.”
***