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Shawn pulled out onto the road and headed in the direction of the storage facility. “Can’t get enough of each other, huh? I remember those days.”
Drew didn’t comment.
The rest of his afternoon was spent hauling the few pieces of furniture Jill hadn’t wanted, and helping Shawn get his apartment ready for living. Drew didn’t mind doing domestic chores. Housekeeping was part of being a firefighter. That being said, his friend’s new place left a lot to be desired. It was a one bedroom like his, but everything in it appeared to have been transported from the seventies.
“I hope you got a good deal on this place,” Drew said.
“What? You not digging the shag carpet?” Shawn chuckled and shrugged. “It’s the middle of the month. Beggars can’t be choosers. Besides, it’s just me. I’m not out to impress anyone.”
“Yet.”
Shawn shook his head. “Not for a while. I think I need to take a break from women for a bit. Jill and I were together for ten years. It’s going to take a while to get my mind wrapped around someone else in my life like that. “
At four o’clock, Shawn dropped Drew back at his apartment. Maybe he should have gone inside and stayed put for a while—give Beth some space. He didn’t want her to feel smothered.
His good intentions lasted about as long as it took his friend’s truck to disappear. Digging his keys out of his pocket, Drew opened his car door and got behind the wheel. With any luck, Beth would already be home.
She was.
Drew hurried up the walkway and knocked. A few moments later Beth opened the door. “Hey.”
Without waiting for more of an invitation, he stepped over the threshold, and scooped her up in his arms. “Hey.”
Beth laughed until he pressed his lips to hers. It was a slow, deep kiss that said more than words ever could.
She licked her lips and met his gaze. “Why didn’t you let yourself in?”
He kissed her again. “I didn’t want to assume. You might have been busy or something.”
“I was starting dinner.” She hadn’t made any move to pull away. Hopefully, she didn’t have anything on the stove or in the oven that would burn.
“Want some help?” he asked.
Only then did she back out of his arms. “Always.”
Drew followed her into the kitchen and they spent the next hour working side by side cooking dinner. He wondered what his mom would think if she knew.
That night as they feel asleep, Drew let the excitement of the upcoming weekend take hold. He was bringing his girlfriend home to meet his family. Drew was almost positive his dad would like Beth, but Dad was easy to please. His mom and Seth would be the real test—Seth especially. His brother was naturally suspicious. Drew always figured it was a lawyer thing.
As Beth’s breathing evened out, Drew let himself wonder for the first time what it would be like to be married to her. She was everything he wanted in a woman. He could see himself coming home to her every day for the rest of his life.
The only thing he had to do now was convince her. She’d come a long way, but there were still times when he thought she was second-guessing herself. The only time that didn’t seem to happen was when they were in bed. Beth knew her role there the same as he did. It was everything else, the traditional boyfriend-girlfriend stuff that brought that look into her eyes every so often.
He’d noticed it a lot that first week, but as the days passed, it was less and less. Either Beth was beginning to relax and trust their relationship, or she was getting better at hiding it from him. He really hoped it was the former.
***
On Sunday morning, Beth woke up with a huge smile on her face. Drew was in the middle of another four days off and they’d spent last night having some fun with bondage. She’d had a long day at work and needed a release.
The smile lasted as long as it took her to remember that they would be going to see Drew’s parents in a few short hours. It felt like a big moment for her—for them. She wasn’t sure why every step forward in their relationship filled her with anxiety, but it did. Maybe it was because, deep down, she knew the significance.
Drew was important to her. Technically, they’d been together only two weeks, but in some ways she felt closer to him than she ever had to Ben. How was that possible? She’d been with Ben for three years. He knew her. Drew . . .
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Drew did know her. Maybe it wasn’t in the same way, but considering how things turned out with Ben that was probably a good thing. Drew was honest. It was the only way to describe him. He held nothing back. It didn’t matter if they were in bed or out of it, he gave her all of himself and it was hard to combat that.
His eyes flittered open, and when he saw her looking at him, he grinned. “Good morning.”
Unable to resist, she drew closer to him.
