Page 37 of Infatuated as They Come
Sawyer nodded, rubbing at the glass. “We could take a look at it.”
“But… there’s something I should tell you. My dad’s been kinda… in his ear about us,” I said, a hint of shame there in my voice.
“In his ear?”
“I think he was trying to play matchmaker. You know I’m not interested in any other guy, but I didn’t want to lie to you about it. They’ve been playing a lot of golf together over the summer and Nate said how my dad told him that he should, like, ask me out or something. I already called him and yelled at him about that.” I shook my head, that shame still sitting there heavy on my chest. “You know how he is…”
Sawyer halted, shoulders stiffening and jaw tight as he kept his eyes ahead of him. “Yeah, I know how he is.”
“It’s so like him. So immature.” I watched Sawyer closely, intensely, wishing with everything in me that my dad would find it in him to change, to be better. “I don’t even know what goes through his head sometimes.”
“I think I know.”
“Me and Nate have been friends for a long time, but I’ve never seen him like that. He’s so… notyou, and I don’t want anyone but you. My dad doesn’t get it. When is he gonna get it?”
“Probably never,” he said, the words coming out all clipped as he set the glass down. “I never expected him to like me and I can’t change that. There’sno point. He’s always gonna think I’m not good enough for you.”
“I don’t think that. You know I don’t care about…”
“About me being poor,” he said, finishing the sentence. “It’s not a curse word, sweetheart.”
“It just feels so…” I fidgeted on the spot. “I really hate that word.”
“But it’s what I am.”
“You’re more than that. You’re more than how much money you have.”
“Well, for your dad, it’s the most important thing about me.”
“He’s such an idiot,” I muttered.
Sawyer stood behind me, arms wrapping around my waist just like earlier, his nose nuzzling against my neck. “He can try and set you up with every rich guy that lives in this city, but if he wants to do that, he needs to be prepared for me to fight ‘em all,” he said as he kissed at my neck. “He still doesn’t get how much I love you. I already know I can’t give you the world, Holly. I would if I could. I wish so badly I could snap my fingers and give you that perfect life, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love you more than anyone else ever could. He can’t ruin this.” He held me tighter. “What we have. You and me. I won’t let him do it. If I have to fight for you, I will. Maybe your dad has some guy waiting in the wings to give you some mansion and giant ring, but he would never love you as much as I do and no other guy ever will. I want you to be mine forever.”
“Forever sounds really nice,” I said softly. “But you know I have no interest in anyone but you. You’re the only one I want.”
He kept giving my neck kisses, the sensation soft and lingering. “I know, princess.”
“You’re the only one I wanna come home to. To do this with, just us being together. I wouldn’t be happy doing this with anyone else. I already know that I’ll be miserable. You make me happier than anyone else ever could.”
Sawyer spun me around so I could look into his eyes. So green, so intense. I felt a firm, steady hand rest gently at the back of my head while the other stayed at the small of my back. He pulled me in close, keeping me against his broad chest, his lips giving the top of my head a slow, lingering kiss that made me sigh. I loved being right there. In his arms, in his presence, whereI could just feel him and forget about everyone and everything else. There wasn’t any other place I’d want to be.
Chapter 9
Sawyer
Holly, for whatever reason, had spent over two thousand dollars on a rug. When I first saw the thing I was pretty sure she just got ripped off real fucking bad, but the white and pink wool felt comfortable under my feet as I sat on the couch, and it was exactly what I needed after being on them all day.
I liked my job and I liked fixing cars, and working for Jay gave me some benefits that I didn’t get back in Dallas, like a lot more hours and better pay—with an efficiency bonus on top. That meant fixing more cars earned me more money. It was all worth it for Holly. Getting up early and working all day and coming home tired didn’t hurt me in the slightest, because at the end of it all, I got to see her.
Living with her had been better than I could have ever thought. It wasn’t like I didn’t get to spend any alone time with her over the summer, but that was different. Her dad absolutely hated it when I came over, so I’d have to sneak into her bedroom late at night just to hold her while she slept. Or we’d hang out at my place where I could finally get her all alone and to myself, but there was always that annoying itching feeling of time going by too fast for me to really savor the moment.
That was gone now. Now I got to wake up to her and fall asleep with her. I got to hold her as close as I could get her as we stayed in bed together, one arm wrapped around her and my lips pressed to the top of her head with that pretty scent of her in the air. That soft, light lavender.
She was everywhere too, in every room. She had her candles all around the place and the bathroom was stocked with a million different hair and skincare products and her clothes took up more than half of the closet, but I didn’t mind that at all. God, I fuckinglovedit. I didn’t have much stuff to begin with and didn’t even need it. It just made me love living with her more, because I could feel and see her everywhere.
I knew it was a smaller place than what she was used to. She had gone from a mansion to a cramped apartment, but I couldn’t exactly splurge on some fancy Manhattan penthouse. But I was determined for it to be temporary, for the apartment to just be a stop along the way of something better.
And I knew her dad still didn’t think I was the guy for her. What Holly had said to me the other day hadn’t shocked me in the slightest. I had never met this Nate guy, but I could already picture him in my head. I wasn’t afraid of him. I was just pissed that Holly’s dad was doing something so fucking disrespectful behind my back, but I should have expected that.
