Page 59 of Because of Blake
A smile creeps across my lips, but even I can tell it looks sad.
“Come here.” Blake scoots back to rest against the tree, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest. “Do you remember the first time we met? Last year, at the mailbox?”
How could I forget? “Mhm.”
“I knew right then you were someone I wanted to know. Not necessarily that I wanted to date you, but that you were worth knowing.”
“How?”
“Because you didn’t immediately look at me like a fresh piece of meat.” He inhales, my head rising and falling with his chest. “Too many times I meet a woman and the first thing she does is flip her hair, or puff out her chest, or eye-fuck me into oblivion. Like Abbey did on Thursday. You didn’t do any of those things.”
I dip my chin down to speak out of the corner of my mouth. “You obviously didn’t catch me drooling.”
Blake laughs, a deep rumble echoing through him before settling and running his hand down my hair. “I like you, Maggie, because you’re real. You don’t act a certain way, or wear certain clothes, or change yourself because you think I’d like it. You’re you, honest to goodness.”
I nuzzle deeper into Blake’s chest. His heart thumps as he explains the reasons he waited for me to decide I was ready. My eyes dart across the ground while Abbey’s words about someone else catching Blake’s attention repeat in my mind. “It’s been so long. I don’t know the rules of the dating game anymore.”
Blake pushes me up to sit so we’re facing each other, and he brushes a piece of hair behind my ear. “There aren’t ‘rules’ to dating, per se,” he says, making air quotes with his fingers. “We can make up our own.”
“Like what?”
“How about rule number one, we don’t let Joanna, or Abbey, or anyone else invalidate our relationship.”
There’s that word again. I think I’m beginning to like it.“I don’t think either of them meant any harm. Abbey may be a bitch, but I don’t think she meant to be this time, and Joanna’s just a gossip.”
“Regardless, I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks, or who wants to judge us. I like you and you like me. That’s enough, isn’t it?”
“Of course,” I assure him, my eyes flicking back and forth between the two of his. “What’s rule number two?”
Blake takes my chin in his hand, his thumb caressing my skin. “We don’t ever lie to each other. I want you to be open and honest with me, even if it’s something ugly or unpleasant. I’ll do the same. We’ll help each other through the hard stuff.”
My eyes widen at his vulnerability. “That’s a good rule.”
He leans in for a kiss. “Can I be honest with you right now?”
I swallow hard and nod.
“I fucking hate these block parties.”
I let out a chuckle of relief, but hope it comes off playful. “We can go if you want.”
“Nah, you said you wanted fireworks. We can stay.” He tightens his grip on my waist, pulling me closer.
I press my lips to his. “You’re all the fireworks I need.”
Chapter eighteen
Thenextthreeweeksgo by much too fast. While I’m ecstatic my children will be home soon, it also means things with Blake will change.
We’ve been spending all our free time together. Dinner almost every evening, aside from the nights I meet Michelle, day dates on Saturdays and Sundays, sleepovers Friday and Saturday nights. It’s enough to wear a girl out. But I’m not tired yet.
When my kids come home, though, my time with Blake will be cut. Drastically. For one thing, I don’t know how they’re going to react to me dating someone. I haven’t brought anyone home to meet my kids in this sort of capacity in the last three years. Me doing it now could be jarring.
In the same respect, I don’t think I’ll be comfortable having Blake spend the night for a while. I mean, I love falling asleep in his strong embrace, but I think it would be terribly awkward for my kids if Blake sleeps in their dad’s spot.
But what if my nightmares come back without Blake around? I haven’t had a single one in the five weeks we’ve been together, so maybe it would be worth having him spend the night. If not only for the nightmares, for the sex.
My breath hitches. There is no way I’ll be comfortable enough to have sex while my kids are in the house. My inability to keep quiet aside, my kids know my door is always open if they need me. What if Dylan has a nightmare and comes running to my room, only to see Blake and I naked in the throes of–