Page 48 of Surrender

I giggled. “Don’t rain on our parade, babe.”

He reached for my hand and kissed it. “I’m glad you had fun. Y’all gon’ sleep good tonight.”

“I’ll sleep good once you put me to bed.”

Unhooking my seatbelt, I leaned across the center console and started kissing on his neck.

“I missed you, baby,” I whispered in his ear.

“I missed you, too. I need you to put your seatbelt back on, though.”

I sighed as I reclaimed my seat and did as he requested. As I relaxed into the soft leather, I looked over at him. I watched the slight flex of his muscles as he maneuvered the steering wheel. I watched his skilled tongue trace his bottom lip as he licked it.

My thoughts were flooded with all the time I’d been spending with him… the peace and comfort I felt with him. There was no way it took marrying a stranger to find a good man. Yet here he was… here we were. I didn’t have the chance to picture life with him and now, I didn’t think I could picture life without him.

He pulled into the parking lot of my complex and shut off the truck. I reached back to tap Jessa and Myra. They woke up a little groggy but made it out of the truck in one piece. Jacob rounded the passenger side and scooped me out. I rested my head against his shoulder as he carried me to the front door of my apartment.

Much to my surprise, when we walked in, there were two twin blow-up mattresses on the floor outfitted with blankets and pillows. Even though the girls hadn’t planned to sleep over, they were too drunk to drive home. When they saw the setup, each of them immediately flopped down on a mattress. Within seconds, they were knocked out again.

Jacob carried me into my bedroom. He placed me on my feet and undressed me down to my underwear. Going into my dresser, he grabbed one of my t-shirts and slipped it over my head. Briefly he disappeared into the bathroom and returned with my make-up wipes, a warm soapy rag, and a plain warm rag.

I smiled drunkenly as he removed my makeup and then washed and dried my face. After tossing the wipes in the trash and the rags in the laundry basket, he pulled back the covers and motioned for me to climb into bed. Once he closed and locked the door, he stripped down and turned off the light before climbing into bed with me.

I snuggled up next to him and rested my head on his chest. My eyes were already heavy as hell, and being next to him was about to have me down for the count.

“Jacob…” I mumbled as the heaviness thickened.

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

That was the last thing I said before sleep came and held me captive.

A few days had passed since my wife’s epic turn-up with her bestie and my sister. It was also the same amount of time since she drunkenly told me she loved me. When the words left her mouth, my breath hitched in my throat. I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.

“What did you say?” I asked, looking down at her.

She was fast asleep. Gently, I shook her.

“Baby… Kay, baby, what did you say?”

All I got from her were snores. I lay there for at least an hour, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if I’d heard her correctly. I thought we’d talk about it in the morning, but she never said anything. Maybe she didn’t remember saying it, or maybe she didn’t mean to say it.

Today, she was going back to work. The person filling in for her had a family emergency, so she was needed at the office. While she was getting ready, I’d gotten up and made her breakfast, maneuvering around the boxes in her space. The seller had accepted the offer we put in on the house, so we were both in the process of packing up so we could move in.

Her bedroom door opened, and she stepped out dressed in pink scrubs that hugged her curves. She smiled as she walked over and puckered her lips for a kiss.

“Good morning, baby,” she said sweetly.

“Good morning, love. You hungry?”

“I’m starving.”

“Do you have time to sit and eat?”

“Of course.”

“Well, take a seat, and I’ll fix your plate. Coffee is on the table.”