Southern Devotion Read online

  “Well, we have four bedrooms here, and with the floor plan, it would be easy enough to add on.” He grins.

  “Let’s start with three and go from there.”

  His lips brush against mine. “Three is a good number.” He pulls away, and the smile on his face tugs at my heart. I’ve been holding us back for so long. I’m just glad he stuck around. “So, about this moving in thing.”

  “Yeah, this place is bigger and ideal for a family.”

  “It is. We both agreed on that when I bought it. I’ve also asked you since the day I signed the papers to move in with me.” He studies me closely. “You sure this is what you want?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation, no reservations. I’m ready for this, for him, for us.

  “When?” he asks, sitting up. The sheet pools around his waist, and I can’t help but run my eyes over his toned muscles, tanned from days in the hot sun.

  “Is today too soon?” I ask.

  His answer is pushing me back on the bed and kissing me deeply. I can feel the love, the happiness pouring off him. When he pulls back, his lips hover over mine. “You’re really moving in?”

  Regret washes over me. This man, so strong, kind, and loving, has given me all the space I need, and in doing that, I’ve made him uncertain of my feelings for him. He knows I love him, but my wariness has made him question that.

  My hands cradle his cheeks. “Yes, I’m really moving in. I’ll call the realtor tomorrow and get my place up for sale. I already have a lot of my clothes here. What furniture we don’t want to bring, we can donate. I want nothing more than to live here with you, become your wife, have your babies, and live our happily ever after.”

  Again, a kiss. This time he crushes his lips against mine, pushing his tongue past my lips, taking what he wants, celebrating the fact that I’m no longer fighting him. “Call your parents and tell them we can’t make it to dinner,” he says.

  “What?” I laugh. “Why not?”

  “Because we’re moving you in.” He beams down at me.

  My heart swells at the happiness radiating from him. “How about we go over and start packing. We can still go to Mom and Dad’s for dinner, and afterward, we can load up your truck and bring the first load over here.”

  “How about I call Mike, Aaron, and Evan, have them bring their trucks, and we load up all four of them and bring them over?” he counters.

  I chuckle. “Dave, I have to pack. It’s going to take time.”

  “Fine,” he grumbles. “But as of today, you sleep here. So make sure you have the essentials, because you are in this bed every night from here on out.”

  “Deal,” I agree, and we seal it with a kiss.

  We’re sitting at my future in-laws’ around the dining room table. Dinner plates are long gone as we sit and talk about a little bit of anything and everything. I want to shout it out that Liv is finally moving in with me, but I hold it in. We rushed through breakfast and went straight to her place, stopping at the bar for boxes on the way. We managed to pack up her entire master bathroom, and most of her clothes. There are still some left hanging in the closet that we’re just going to leave on the hangers and toss in the back seat of the truck.

  I can’t help but watch the clock, waiting for it to be time to leave so we can load up the boxes and take them home, to our home. The one I bought in hopes I would one day be calling it just that. My home with her.

  “Dinner was great, Mom, as always,” Olivia says. “We need to get going.”

  “No need to rush off,” her dad chimes in.

  “Well, we kind of have some boxes to move.”

  Reaching under the table, I lace her fingers through mine. This is happening. She’s telling her parents. I’m not just dreaming a very vivid dream. My girl is finally coming home. Suddenly every hope I’ve had for us is starting to fall into place.

  “Boxes?” her mom asks, confused.

  “Yeah.” She looks over at me and smiles softly. I want to lean in and press my lips to hers, but instead I give her hand another gentle squeeze under the table. “I’m moving in.” She turns back to her mom.

  “Finally!” her mom cheers, and everyone starts laughing.

  I’ve known the Wallace family my entire life, having grown up here. I’ve already talked to her parents and her brother. They know where I want this to go with us. They also know I’ve been trying to get her to move in for three months, since the day I bought the house. “Finally,” I agree.

  “You need some help?” Mike offers.

  “Oh, we can all help,” her mom adds.

  “Actually, we have my bathroom and bedroom all packed up. We just need to load the boxes. I’m going to call the realtor tomorrow and set up a time to get mine on the market.”

  “I’ll swing by and help you load,” Mike tells me.

  “And we”—Jamie smiles at Olivia—“can start packing the other rooms.”

  Liv throws her head back and laughs. “I didn’t realize y’all would be so eager to help me move.”

  They all laugh and it feels right. These people are going to be my family. I’m grateful to have such a great relationship with them, and that they accept me in their daughter’s and sister’s life. Mike and I are friends, and from day one, I’ve never held back how I feel about his sister. Out of all of them, he knows how big of a deal this is to me. To have her with me, under the same roof.

  With a round of hugs and handshakes, we say our goodbyes, with Mike and Jamie following us to Olivia’s old place. Mike and I get to work loading the already packed boxes in my truck while the girls start packing more.

  “You ready to pop the question?” Mike asks.

  “Damn right I am.”

  “You still have the ring?”

  I whip my head around to look at him. “Of course I do. What kind of question is that?”

  He shrugs, and I can tell he’s fighting a smile. “You’ve had it for a damn long time,” he reminds me.

  “I know that. She wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to rush her or risk her saying no. I’m only asking one woman to marry me on bended knee, and I needed to know she was ready.”

  “I’ve heard you ask her,” he says.

  “On bended knee,” I remind him. “I’ve teased and asked jokingly, waiting for her to give me a sign that she’s ready. Last night, all of a sudden, she’s ready. Then this morning she shocks me further by telling me she wants to move in. I feel like I hit the fucking lottery,” I say with a laugh and slam my tailgate shut.

  “I bet you do. You know how you’re going to ask her?”

  “Man.” I take my hat off my head, run my fingers through my hair and put it back. “I’ve thought about it a million times. I have so many ideas, and I just need to decide on one.”

  “I would have thought it was all planned down to the minute.” He laughs.

  “I want it to be special, you know? I’ve asked her so many times, gauging her reaction, and when I really do it, when I present her with the ring, it needs to be more.”

  “I think you’re overthinking it.”

  “This from the guy who went all-out on his proposal.”

  “You got me there. Let me know if I can do anything to help. No way could I have pulled my plan off without all of you, the girls especially.”

  “Thanks, man. I’m still letting it sink in that she’s moving in with me, and that after all this time, she’s ready. I’m afraid I’m dreaming.”

  He laughs at my expense. “It’s real, my man. She loves you. Always has. Olivia has always marched to the beat of her own drum. Stubborn as a mule, but you and I both know she’s as soft-hearted as they come.”

  “That she is. Thanks, man. I’m going to take a few days and enjoy the fact that this is finally happening for us. Then I’ll dive into planning.”

  “Let me know,” he says just as the girls walk up.

  “Let you know what?” my ever-nosy future fiancée asks.

  “Aaron and Evan were thinking of planning a day to tak
e the RZRs out. I told him to let me know when.”

  “Oh, is this a guys-only thing? It’s been forever since we’ve all been out riding.”

  “Yes.” Mike speaks up before I have a chance to.

  I’m digging myself into a hole and now am going to need to call Evan and Aaron and warn them. We might as well plan a day to ride while we’re at it. It’s been a hell of a long time since we’ve been riding.

  “Thanks for your help.” I hold my fist out, and he bumps his into mine.

  “Anytime. You”—he points to his sister—“get the rest packed up, and we’ll come back this weekend.”

  “A week?” she asks, as if we’re telling her she has to go through fifty years of possessions.

  “Can you not handle a week?” he asks.

  “Pfft. I did all this in a day. I’ll be ready,” she assures him.

  “Great. I’ve got the bar covered, so if you need to take a couple of days this week to get things ready, have at it.”

  “Thank you. I just might do that,” she says, squaring her shoulders.

  We’re all shocked at her reply. She never misses work and rarely asks for help with anything.

  I snake my arm around her waist and pull her into me. “This is happening,” I whisper in her ear.

  “Yeah.” She looks up at me. “It is.”

  Leaning down, I kiss her forehead. If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake up.

  The morning sun is poking just above the trees. I’ve been lying here for the last hour, watching its slow rise through the window of David’s bedroom. Scratch that, our bedroom. It’s hard to explain how I feel now that we’re finally moving forward in our relationship. It’s something I’ve always wanted, but I’ve foolishly let my insecurities hold me back. Hell, I don’t even know where they came from. I do that sometimes, get in my own head. I’m glad I opened up to my girls and they were able to get through to me. Sure, more than likely I would still be here in this bed, but it would be his bed, not ours. There’s a lightness in my chest from that simple fact alone.

  He knows I’m ready, that I’m no longer going to hold back from what I want. I’m lucky as hell that he’s put up with me this long, but that’s David. He’s honest, kind, and has the patience of a saint. And he’s all mine.

  “Morning, Livy,” he whispers, kissing my neck.

  “Morning.” I lace my fingers through his hand that’s resting against my belly, holding me to him.

  “This is our new normal. We wake up, go to work, and then you come home, to me. To our home.” He kisses my shoulder.

  “So I’m not crazy thinking this all feels new?”

  “It’s new for us. This is the beginning of forever. We both knew that’s where we were headed—at least, I think we did—but now we’re making it happen. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re living here with me. That this is our home.”

  “I’m ready,” I whisper. David is a smart man. I’m sure he knows what I’m saying. Yes, I’m ready for the rest of our lives together, but I’m also ready to say yes. He just needs to ask me again. I know he’s trying to plan some elaborate proposal. That’s David, always trying to make things special for me. It’s not necessary, but I love him more for the thought alone.

  “I called Aaron and Evan last night. I’m off the next two days. You think we can get you moved in, all the way, everything of yours and mine under this roof by then?” he asks.

  I roll over and run my hands across his five-o’clock shadow. “Yeah, I think we can manage that. Look what we did in just a few hours yesterday.”

  “Wanna know a secret?” he asks, kissing the corner of my mouth.

  “Always.” I nod.

  “I want to do it fast, for so many reasons. One is because this is what I’ve wanted since the day I put in the offer. You, living here with me, us making this place our home. I also don’t want to give you the chance to change your mind. Not that I think you’re going to. It’s just that I’ve wanted this, us, and you’ve been less than enthusiastic about us moving forward. I know you love me, but I wasn’t sure this would ever happen for us,” he confesses.

  “I’m sorry, babe. I’m so damn lucky you’ve put up with me all this time. It was never you. It was never that I didn’t love you or want all the things we talked about. I was scared.”

  “You’re not scared anymore?” I hear the worry in his voice.

  “I’m not. Do you want to know why?” I ask, and he nods. “Because, David Harris, I know that no matter what life throws at us, you are going to be right there by my side. I know you will catch me when I fall, and if my job becomes an issue, we will work it out together. I know you are going to be the best husband and the best father a family could ask for.” I place my hand on his chest over his heart. “Because I know this beats for me just as mine beats for you. Nothing can break that.”

  “I fucking love you,” he says, capturing my lips with his.

  After a few sweet kisses, I reluctantly pull away. “We have packing to do.”

  “We do, as soon as I make love to you in our bed.”

  “Really?” I laugh, tilting my head to the side to allow his lips to roam. “It’s not like that’s never happened in this bed before.”

  “It was never our bed before yesterday. We were exhausted last night, but today, today I’m ready to take you on every solid surface in this place. Our place,” he says, nipping at my ear.

  “I think I can get on board with that, but then my house won’t get packed up, which will delay the realtor, which delays this being the only home I have.” I know my words will do the trick.

  “Fine, not every surface, just the bed.” He reaches over and grabs a condom from the nightstand. “You ready to give these up yet?” he asks.

  “Actually, yes.”

  He freezes. He’s naked, sitting back on his knees between mine, staring down at me with a look of pure love and, right now, shock on his face. “Liv, baby, are you feeling okay?”

  I can’t stop the smile from tilting my lips. “I let my fears control me for too long. They were irrational and unwarranted. If I were to have your baby, it would be the greatest blessing,” I tell him. “Besides, I’m on the pill.”

  “Yeah, but that’s not changed since we’ve been together.”

  “No, you’re right. But I have. I know it doesn’t matter what my career is. What I do for a living will not define me as a wife and mother. Working at Mike’s Tavern is not something to be ashamed of. Honestly, I’m embarrassed that I let my irrational worries keep us from moving forward.”

  “You sure about this?” he asks, holding up the condom.

  “I’ve never been more sure about anything. I don’t want anything between us the first time we make this bed ours,” I say, reaching out and gripping him.

  He tosses the condom on the floor and pulls my hand away from him. “Just the thought of being inside you bare has me ready to lose my shit, Liv. I can’t have you touching my cock, not right now,” he says, gripping my hips and pulling me into him. “You sure?” he repeats, and I nod. I watch him as he grips his length and guides himself inside of me slowly, inch by delectable inch, until he’s fully seated. “Holy fuck,” he breathes. His eyes are closed tightly, his grip on my hips strong, almost painful, but the smile on his face? I can’t look away.

  I can’t take my eyes off him as he bites down on his lip. It’s a heady feeling to know it’s me who’s causing this reaction from him. Lifting my hips, he slides in just a little deeper, and a moan falls from his lips.

  “Dave, I need you to move.” I lift my hips again to prove my point.

  His eyes open and lock on mine. “I love you, Olivia.” He pulls out and slowly dives back in. “You’re so hot wrapped around my cock.” He pulls out and thrusts back in a little faster this time. “So wet.” Again, faster with each stroke. “I can feel your pussy squeezing me, so fucking soft,” he murmurs as his thrusts grow faster.

  All I can do is hang on for the ride. I slide
my arms under his and sink my nails in his back, which seems to spur him on even further.

  Leaning in, he captures my lips in a searing kiss, saying everything that neither one of us can find the words to express.

  “I’m close,” he pants against my lips. “Are you with me, baby?”

  “Y-yes,” I say, digging my nails a little deeper as I feel the rush of electricity flowing through my veins.

  “Come with me,” he demands, and that’s all it takes for me to crash into a world of oblivion. It’s pure bliss as wave after wave of ecstasy rolls through me. When the final one hits, I wrap my arms around him, holding him to me, not ready to lose our connection just yet.

  “Open those eyes, Livy. I need to see you.” With extreme effort, I force my lids open to find him watching me, his face hovering over mine. “There’s my girl,” he says, kissing me sweetly. “Life-altering, Liv.”

  “For you too?” I ask.

  He chuckles. “Making love to you always brings me to my knees, just being inside of you. But making love to you bare, that’s a whole other level.” He presses his lips to mine yet again. “I feel like I’m a part of you.”

  “You are.” I cup his face. “You’re my heart, David, always have been. I’m sorry I’ve been distant and holding back. No more, I promise. I want everything we’ve talked about. Marriage, kids, the life we’ve dreamed, it’s going to come true. I’ll make sure of it.”

  His reply is to bury his face in my neck. “I don’t want to pull out. I don’t want to lose this feeling.”

  “I’m yours,” I tell him, running my fingers through his hair. “This is our new reality, babe.” We hold each other for what feels like hours, when actually it’s mere minutes. “We really need to shower and start packing up my stuff.”

  “Yeah.” He lifts his head to look at me. “You go first, and I’ll make us some breakfast.”

  “You’re not joining me?”

  “Baby.” He smiles. “You and I both know that if I don’t pull myself away from you and walk downstairs, we won’t be leaving this house today. Go shower, and I’ll cook. Then tonight, we’re doing this again,” he says, kissing my lips and slowly easing out of me.