“Magnolia,” Bunny began with a smile. “I’ve left your school and activity schedule on the kitchen counter for Harrison. So no skipping out just because you think he won’t know the difference.” Maggie returned her mother’s smile, but I didn’t miss the slight eye roll that went with it and I cough-laughed into my napkin.
“I’ve never skipped before and I hadn’t planned on starting a few months before graduation,” she said without snark, simply stating fact.
Stanley beamed at her and nodded his head proudly. “Magnolia is an excellent student,” he boasted to me.
The conversation evolved from Maggie’s accomplishments to talk of her parents’ honeymoon, and then to last minute instructions for her while they were gone. I could see how much it frustrated Maggie that they treated her like a child. But, she handled it like the amazing woman I knew she was.
We saw them off and then went back into the hotel to gather our things and check out. Maggie was quiet throughout and on the drive back to her house. I reached across and laced our fingers together, setting them on her thigh.
“What’s on your mind, baby doll?”
She sighed and stared out her window. “What if they won’t accept us as a couple?” she asked worriedly. “I’ve been as responsible as an adult for more than half of my life and now that I’m actually one legally, they treat me like I’m twelve.”
I squeezed her hand and brought it to my lips for a kiss. “If they don’t take it well at first, they’ll come around eventually,” I assured her.
We pulled into the driveway and I put the car in park before turning to face her. I unbuckled her and lifted her over to straddle my lap. I kissed her forehead, nose, and lips.
“I don’t care if they don’t. I choose you, Harrison,” she said almost shyly. “If you want me.” She added the last part as pinked tinged her cheeks.
Smiling tenderly, I brushed her hair away from her face. “Of course I want you. I love you, baby doll. Once they see that, I have no doubt they’ll be okay with us.”
Maggie’s eyes widened to the size of saucers and her jaw dropped. I closed it gently and kissed her, pouring all of my love into it. When we came up for air, I rested my forehead against hers.
“Tell me, Maggie,” I demanded, keeping my tone soft so I didn’t sound harsh. I leaned back and she still looked a little shell-shocked. “Say it.”
She shook her head a little, as if to shake away clutter in her mind. “I love you, too.”
Inside my head, a caveman was beating on his chest and shouted out that his woman loved him. However, what I actually said was, “Good girl.” Then I kissed her.
Chapter Eight
Maggie
“Honey, I’m home!” I called out as I walked through the front door of my house. I’d always loved the home I shared with my mom, but I’d found a new appreciation for sharing space with Harrison over the last eight days. I’d kind of expected it to be awkward since I’d never even had a boyfriend before. Moving from a complete lack of a love life to basically living with my boyfriend—for a lack of a better term since in no way, shape, or form was Harrison a boy—should have been a major adjustment. But it really hadn’t been, at least not in a negative way. Harrison and I just seemed to fit together.
“Hey, baby doll,” he mumbled distractedly. He was sprawled out on the couch in the living room with his laptop perched on his knees. His hair was mussed, like he’d been running his fingers through it, and he was dressed in a dark T-shirt and athletic shorts. It was his usual choice when he was hanging around the house, at least until he stripped out of them because he much preferred being naked in bed with me. And on the couch. In the kitchen. Pretty much anywhere and everywhere.
Naked sexy time was a regular pastime for us, but I couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen when my mom and Stanley returned from their honeymoon. Their trip was already more than half-way over, which meant my alone time with Harrison was flying by in a blink of an eye. We only had six days left.
“How was school?”
“Same old, same old,” I answered, bending low to give him a quick kiss on the lips. When I tried to lift back up, he shifted his laptop onto the cushion next to him and pulled me onto his lap.
“You didn’t really think I was going to let you get away from me that easily, did you?”
“Hmmm,” I hummed against his lips. “You didn’t really think I was trying to get away from you, did you?”
I felt his deep chuckle as it rumbled up his chest, and then his lips claimed mine for a deep, wet kiss. His tongue swept in my mouth to tangle with mine as his fingers slid up my neck to the base of my skull to hold me in place as he plundered my mouth.
“Well played, baby doll,” he rasped when he lifted his head. “Do you have a lot of homework to do tonight?”
“Not much. I did most of it while I was there.” It’s what I’d done all of last week, too. I didn’t want to waste any time while I was home with Harrison. So I finished it up while I was already away from him.
“You sure that’s cool with your teachers?”
“Yeah, no worries. They all love me.”
“Oh, they do, do they?” he growled, flipping me over until my back was on the cushions and he hovered over me. “Do I need to visit your school to make sure none of these teachers are guys who’re getting the wrong idea about my woman?”
“Nope.” I made a popping sound on the ‘P.’
“Good, cause I’d hate to have to kick some ass at your school.”
His possessive caveman act shouldn’t have turned me on, but it did. Then again, it wasn’t like I could point any fingers in his direction about it since I was just as bad whenever women flirted with him right in front of me, which happened way too often for my liking. Keeping our relationship under wraps until my mom and Stanley got home was starting to drive me crazy. As scared as I was about how they’d react, I’d reached the point where I was ready to shout about us from the rooftops.
Sliding my palms down his side, I jabbed my fingers into his waist and tickled him. He’d mentioned he had one place where he was ticklish, but I hadn’t managed to find it yet.
“Good try, but that’s not it,” he laughed.
“I’m going to find it sooner or later,” I grumbled.
“I’m sure you are, since you’ve got a lifetime to look for it.”
I beamed up at him, my heart lifting at how open he was about his feelings with me. How he always talked as though we’d be together forever. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, baby doll.”
His stomach growled, ruining our romantic moment.
“Didn’t you eat anything while I was gone?”
He levered off me, reaching a hand down to pull me to my feet too. “Shit, I totally forgot. I was wrapped up in work stuff and didn’t even realize what time it was until you got home.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I put my famous chicken taco recipe in the crockpot before I left this morning. It’s amazing what you can do with chicken breasts, a drizzle of oil, and salsa in one of those things.” As we walked into the kitchen, I lifted my nose and sniffed. “Although, I have to admit that I’m worried about your sense of smell. How could you have forgotten to eat with all this yumminess in the air?”
“That’s a damn good question,” he chuckled, following behind me to lean over my shoulder and peer into the crockpot when I lifted the lid. “I spent most of the morning reading through assignment proposals from my editor. I narrowed it down to a couple that sounded the most promising and spent the next couple hours doing some research on them.”
“What kind of assignments?” I tried asking it as nonchalantly as possible, but my voice wavered at the end. Harrison’s work usually took him all across the globe, but I was stuck here until graduation. The thought of being separated by so many miles this early in our relationship scared the crap out of me.
He nuzzled his chin in the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my skin. “Wh
at do you think about alligators?”
“I try not to think about them usually.” I tilted my head to smile up at him. “Even though that’s hard to do when I spot one at least once a month or so.”
“But they don’t completely freak you out, right?”
“Nah, I’m a Florida girl after all.”
“It’s a good thing my girl grew up in Florida because one of the assignments my editor offered me involves a short trip to the Everglades, and I was hoping you’d want to come with me.”
“Really?” I squealed, turning in his arms.
“Of course, really, silly girl.” He tweaked my nose. “I told him I was unavailable for anything outside of the country for the next three months. Several of the proposals he sent would work, but the Everglades one is the closest to home so it’s the one I told him I’d take.”
“Closest to home,” I echoed in a breathy voice.
“Yeah, I figure we can look for apartments over the next couple days.”
“Apartments. Here?”
“Of course, baby doll. Where else? My home is wherever you are.”
While he continued to ramble on, as though he hadn’t just said something earth-shattering, I dropped the lid back on the crockpot and turned the setting down to warm. Then I turned around in Harrison’s arms so we could have this talk face-to-face.
“It shouldn’t be too hard to pick one that’ll work for us until graduation. My lease isn’t up on my place in Miami, but that’s not a big deal. It won’t matter if I leave it empty for a while. As soon as we find a place here, I’ll arrange for the movers to box all my stuff up and get it to the new house. That way, everything will be set before Stanley and Bunny make it back into town on Sunday.”
“Harrison,” I interrupted softly. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”
“Fuck, no, baby doll,” he breathed against my lips as he lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. “There’s no asking involved. I’m telling you we’re getting an apartment together. There’s no way in hell you and I can live here with Stanley and Bunny.”
My heart stuttered a little. “Because they aren’t going to approve of us as a couple?”
“No, because you’re a screamer,” he corrected. “And we aren’t going to spend the next few months having quiet sex just because we don’t want them to hear how wild I make you. Not when I love to hear your voice ringing in my ears when you come. I’m not giving that up for anybody.”
“I’m not that loud,” I pouted as a wild blush stole across my cheeks.
“Yes, you are,” he purred.
“Oh yeah?” I huffed. “Prove it.”
“Game on,” he growled.
It was a game he won. Repeatedly. After the third screaming orgasm, he made me agree to move in with him. What I didn’t say was that I would have said yes from that start. I didn’t need any convincing, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to argue with his method of persuasion.
Chapter Nine
Harrison
My phone beeped and I flipped my shades up so I could see the screen in the bright sun. I smiled at the message. I’d just gotten the confirmation I’d been waiting for. Maggie would be out of school any minute and I was leaning against my car in the parking lot, waiting for her.
Putting my phone back in my pocket, I squinted at the front door before remembering to pull my sunglasses off my head to cover my eyes. The entrance banged open and students piled out, some laughing and walking casually, others running towards busses, but I didn’t really see any of them.
The love of my life stepped outside, her head bowed as she typed something on her phone. Mine pinged and I retrieved it with a chuckle.
Baby doll: On my way home. Want anything?
Me: I want many things from you, babe. But, let’s start with a hello kiss.
Her lips tipped up in a sweet smile when she stopped to read my reply.
Baby doll: I can’t wait.
I grinned.
Me: Then don’t. How about right now? And, did I mention that you look fucking edible in that dress?
Maggie’s head flew up and her eyes scanned the parking lot eagerly until they landed on me. Her smile grew to epic proportions and she immediately started to run my way.
As she got closer, her eyes darted around and she slowed, coming to a stop about a foot in front of me. I narrowed my eyes and frowned.
She looked around again and sighed. “I guess it will have to wait.”
“Fuck that,” I growled as I grabbed her hips and yanked her against me. I lowered my head and crushed my mouth down over hers. My hands bunched the material of her simple, pink summer dress and my tongue plundered her mouth. I didn’t stop devouring her until she was clinging to me and kissing me back with equal enthusiasm.
“You’re more delicious every time I taste you, baby doll.”
Her cheeks turned pink but she grinned up at me, her eyes squinting in the rays of the sun. I pulled off my aviators and set them on her nose. They were a little too big for her face, but she looked damn cute.
“I thought we were still hiding our relationship,” she said breathlessly.
I shook my head, then kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re done with school for the week and Stanley and Bunny will be home in two days. No one is going to out us before we have a chance to tell them. I doubt anyone even knows who I am anyway.”
She shrugged, her smile still firmly in place. “Okay.” Her hands dove into my hair and she tugged my head down for another soul deep kiss. “I love you,” she whispered when she pulled away.
“Love you, too, baby doll. Now, let’s go. I have a surprise for you.”
I helped her into my sporty red car and buckled her up. After kissing her quickly once more, I shut her door and jogged around to the driver’s side. I got settled and then followed the line of cars out of the parking lot.
We drove for about ten minutes before I turned down a tree lined street with small houses on either side. Maggie stared through the window, watching the scenery without comment. Another few minutes and I pulled into the driveway of a light blue, cottage style house, the color almost matching Maggie’s eyes.
She looked at me with confusion. “Why are we here?”
I winked at her, but exited the car without answering. Going around, I helped her out and took her hand, then led her to the front door. Pulling out the key, I ignored her gasp as I inserted it into the lock and twisted.
We stepped inside and I shut the door before spinning her around and backing her into it. I palmed her ass and lifted her so her legs wrapped around my waist. She glanced around wildly and started to protest, but I silenced her by sealing my mouth over hers. It didn’t take long to drive her so wild that she forgot all about where we were.
I had learned all about Maggie’s spectacular body and I knew how to push her over the edge quickly. With my fingers in her pussy and my tongue in her mouth, I drove her to a screaming orgasm. It was hot as fuck and a little come spurted from my steely shaft. I buried my face in her neck, and using every technique in the figurative book, I calmed myself and kept from giving in to the orgasm I was on the edge of.
“I love hearing the sounds of your ecstasy, baby doll,” I mumbled, and kissed her neck. “It occurred to me that if we lived in an apartment, we’d have to be conscious of neighbors.” Lifting my head, I stared into her wide curious eyes. “Since I’m not about to give that up, I decided to do some digging. With a little help from a friend, I discovered that the owner of this house is about to put it on the market, but they’re waiting a few months for some reason. I contacted him about temporarily renting it and it turns out, he’s a fan. He offered for us to stay here until you graduate if I photograph a spread for him. It’s even furnished, so I’ll put my stuff in storage for now.”
As I spoke, Maggie’s face began to light up and when I was done with my little speech, she was absolutely glowing with excitement. “This is ours?” she gasped.
I laughed. �
�Until you graduate, yes. Then we’ll figure out where we want to call home.”
“Harrison!” she screeched happily. “This is amazing! Show me around!”
It was impossible not to be happy around my girl, but when she was overflowing with joy, it was like being in paradise. I set her down and she righted her clothing before grabbing my hand. We took a tour of the small, one bedroom, one bath house, which only took about ten minutes.
“I love it,” she announced once we’d returned to the front room. “But not because it’s an adorable house, which it is. But, because it’s ours. Just you and me.”
* * *
Maggie sighed and laid her head on my shoulder. I had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her thigh as I drove us home from Miami.
“This was the best weekend ever,” she said dreamily. I kept my eyes on the road, but managed to twist my head enough to kiss her forehead. After I’d shown her the house, I’d taken off for the city, having already packed us a bag and thrown it in my trunk. We went to a delicious little Cuban place near my apartment and I took her dancing. Afterwards, we spent the night making love at my place.
I hated to go back to her house because Stanley and Bunny would be back tomorrow and it would burst the little bubble we’d been living in. At the same time, I was eager to get things out in the open and start living the rest of my life with my Maggie.
“I’m glad you had such a great time, baby doll. We’ll have to make dinner and dancing—followed by a marathon fucking session—a regular occurrence.”
She giggled and kissed my chin. After a few minutes of silence, I noticed the mood in the car becoming thick and a little dark. “What’s wrong, baby doll?” I asked concernedly.
Another little sigh escaped, but this time it didn’t hold the same happiness as before. “I’m nervous about tomorrow,” she admitted morosely. “I don’t want Stanley or my mom to be upset, I want them to be happy for us.”
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