56. Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Four

Tatum

“I can’t believe you rented a car,” she says.

“When I saw you didn’t have one, I thought it was a good idea.”

I stop at the red light and glance at her when I feel her gaze on me.

“How long have you been watching me?” she asks carefully.

“Do you really want to know that?”

She chews on the inside of her cheek. “I don’t know…”

The light turns green, and I step on the gas. She doesn’t want to know how long I’ve been watching her. It’ll creep her out.

I blindly reach for her hand and bring it to my lips to kiss.

I can’t believe she’s here. She’s coming with me without argument. She isn’t screaming at me. She’s calm, actually. This may work in my favor.

When I first saw her, she was with that guy, and I nearly lost my mind. Until I heard him talking about how he likes taking it up the ass. Though I still didn’t like the fact she was spending time with anyone who wasn’t me, I wasn’t worried about him trying to get into her pants. At least I wouldn’t have to kill him. They spent a lot of time together, and I found myself happy that she had friends out here.

She wasn’t alone like me.

But that’s the difference between Devon and me. When she hits rock bottom, she can pick herself up all by herself.

I need help. I need her help. I just… need her.

“You aren’t taking me to the airport, are you?”

I huff out a laugh. “No, why? Wanna go home with me?”

She frowns but doesn’t answer.

That wasn’t a no.

I turn into the parking lot I need, finding a space right away.

“Isn’t this the hotel we stayed in?” she asks, ducking her head to look out the window.

I kill the engine and get out of the car to go around the other side. Opening her door, I offer her my hand and help her out.

“What are we doing here, Tate?” she asks.

“Just be patient.” I close her door and lead her across the parking lot to a large sign. I step back, stopping us enough distance away that we can see the whole thing. Then I pull my phone from my pocket and use the flashlight to light it up.

“What is this?” she demands, her green gaze on me. I gesture to the sign.

She huffs before looking at it. I keep my eyes on her, and I smile the moment she realizes what this is.

“Did you…” She turns back to me. “Is this…” A smile forms on her lips. “You bought it?”

The sign shows an image of what the new building will look like when I take it over. Its whole theme is built around sunsets and sunrises, completely dedicated to Devon.

I nod. “I did.”

“Why?”

I take a deep breath and let it out. “Because it’s one of our bubbles, and I don’t want any of them to go away.” I pocket my phone and turn to her. “Life is hard, Devon. Especially for me. I’m fucked up, I know that. I hate it, but I’m working on it. I know without a doubt that I am in love with you. That I want to be with you. Now and in a hundred years. I want a life with you. But I also know that life will not always be easy for us because I can be difficult. But I want us to have safe places. Places we can go to where we can be ourselves, always, with the rest of the world gone. Places for just you and me to be safe. Because—”

I don’t get to finish my words because her lips are on mine. She’s leapt into my arms, and I’m holding her to me. She kisses me fiercely, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist and her arms around my neck.

Fuck, it feels so goddamn good to kiss her.

“Why did it take you so long to find me?” she questions softly, her forehead pressed to mine.

“Were you waiting for me?” I can’t help the smile the crosses my lips.

“I’ll always wait for you, Tato .” She brushes her nose against mine and I huff out a laugh.

“I fucking love you,” I tell her, kissing her again.

“Let’s go back to my house so you can show me how much.”

She doesn’t have to tell me twice.

I drive as quickly as I can back to the house, blowing yellow lights and doing a few above the speed limit. I don’t want to get pulled over and have to wait even longer to fuck her, but I also want to get there as quickly as possible.

We’re hardly through the door before we’re tugging each other’s clothes off. We don’t make it upstairs. I bend her over the couch and fuck her hard from behind. I kiss up and down her neck, her jaw, her back, her lips, whispering how much I love her. When she says it back, I nearly fly over the edge. So I pull out and get on my knees to lick her pussy until she’s coming on my face. I missed the taste of her. Before she catches her breath, I slide back into her. Her pussy is still pulsing with the aftershocks of her orgasm.

She holds me tightly to her, her nails digging into my back. The orgasm knocks me on my ass, it hits so hard. But it’s nothing compared to the love I feel for her in my chest. I still haven’t wrapped my head around the fact I’m the only man to ever be inside her—the only man who ever will be. It makes me feel even more lucky.

We spend a few minutes catching our breath, and then I carry her upstairs and get into her bed. I’m inside her again, minutes later, but we go slow this time. I show her how much I’ve missed her. Not only with my body, but I tell her too. I’ll always tell her how much I love her and miss her because she deserves to hear it. Devon deserves the world, and I plan to give it to her.