Page 99 of The Back Forty
And as I sink into her, slow and deep, filling her all over again, I press a kiss to her neck and whisper,“I'm yours, Dani.”
Chapter 39 – Dani
“Hello?” Lawson’s voice is deep and rough as he presses the phone to his ear while sitting on the side of the bed, still gloriously naked, his spine curved slightly, and hair mussed from sleep, and from me.
I roll onto my side, resting on my elbow to get a better look at him. He glances over his shoulder, catching my gaze. A lazy, boyish grin lifts his mouth as he mouths, “Good morning, sweetheart"to me.
I follow his eyes, down between his legs, and yep. Already hard again. Damn. I don’t know how I got this lucky. Or how I found the nerve to leap off the edge with him. But I did. And I’m not looking back. I'm choosing to believe that this time will be different and that Lawson's different because I know deep down in my heart he is. But beyond that, I'm not putting all my faith and worth in a career or a man anymore.
I’ve found myself for the first time in my adult life and that’s what I’m putting my identity in. BecauseI'vechanged.I'mdifferent. I'm a woman who doesn't let work control her anymore to the point of making herself sick. And that means that no matter what happens outside of me, I'm always going to be okay because I'm okay with myself.
He rakes a hand through his hair, and I watch his whole expression shift as the person on the other line talking delivers what looks like is bad news.
“Dammit,” he mutters under his breath. “Alright. Okay, yeah, I’ll be there as fast as possible. Just… keep him calm as best you can. Thanks for letting me know, Melissa. Yeah. Tell him I’ll be there soon, and yes, I’ll tell Dani you said hi.”
He hangs up and turns to me fully now, that soft concern blooming across his face. “That was Mel. She says hi.”
My stomach drops. “What’s wrong?”
Lawson exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “Beckham hurt his ankle last night at football practice. They’ve got him at the hospital now, think it’s either a fracture or, worst case, a break. I gotta fly home.”
He leans down, tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, and kisses me gently like he wants to stay with me but knows he needs to go.
“You gonna be okay to do the interview solo?”
“Are you sure?” I sit up, wrapping the sheet around my chest.
He nods without hesitation, like it’s already decided. “Dani, I told you I trust you more than anyone and I meant that. You’re the best hire I’ve ever made, and the best decision I’ve made outside of work too. Fuck, you're the best thing all around in mylife.” He moves to stand then reaches for his boxers and pulls them on, muscles shifting under golden skin.
“These past couple days with you have been everything. But now that we've established that we're all in, I need to take care of my son and then I need you to fly home to me so we can make up for lost time. Plus, I know you’ve got this handled.”
My throat tightens with nerves, but I smile back, trying to be strong for both of us.
He kisses me again, lingering this time, his hand cupping my jaw. “You’ve got this, okay?”
I nod; my voice caught somewhere between pride and longing. I know I’m good at my job, but it’s more than that now. He can depend on me. He trusts me completely, without hesitation. I don’t feel like I have to prove myself to him anymore, and that’s worth more than anything.
“Okay.”
He finishes packing while I stay in bed, still naked, just watching him move around the room efficiently and focused, but distracted by the fact that we’re still buzzing from each other.
When he finishes brushing his teeth and zips up his suitcase, he turns and groans softly, his eyes locking on me like I’ve just undone all his self-control. “I gotta catch this flight, but hell, you have noidea how badly I want to crawl back in that bed and kiss you.”
I smirk, letting the sheet fall as I sit up straighter, breasts on full display. “I think I have a prettygood idea.”
He growls low in his throat, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “You’re evil.”
“Tell Beckham I'll be back to playing video games with him soon while he recovers. I hope that he heals quickly.”
Lawson walks over and kisses me hard; his hands slide to my breasts as he groans against my mouth. He squeezes them both at the same time then presses his forehead to mine and holds himself there. “Have I told you that these are the best tits I’ve ever seen?”
I grin. “You have. But it never hurts to hear again.”
He shakes his head, muttering curses as he forces himself away and out the door, leaving me warm, wanting and in a complete daze.
I spend the next thirty minutes in the shower, steam curling around me as I replay everything in my mind again. His hands, his mouth, his words, the way he looked at me like I was the only woman in the world. Afterward, I blow out my hair with care, slick on a deep red lipstick, and slip into my favorite red suit dress. It hugs every curve like it was made for me and my cheeks heat hoping Lawson will watch me wearing it from North Carolina.
This interview is a big deal. And I want toownit. It feels good knowing he trusts me, but I still want to make him proud.
