Page 163 of The Reason I Married Him
Fuck.
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to be cranky and not fun to be around, making this an easy transition from marriage to divorce. But of course I had to keep pushing her out of her comfort zone. I had to keep showing her that I was someone to trust, someone she could be honest with, and the more she opened up, the more I wanted to get to know her on a deeper level.
I’m not there yet. I know that. I know there are things she hasn’t told me, but fuck I so want to know them. I want to spend days getting to know all of those secrets, preferably with both of us naked.
But I don’t think she’s there.
Hell, I know she’s not there.
“Do you need help carrying her out of the car?” Hayes asks as he pulls up to the guest house. Hell, we’re home already?
“Uh, I got it,” I say.
“I’ll grab the guest house door for you.” Hayes hops out of the car and so do I. I move to Aubree’s side and open the SUV door. Carefully, I pull her into my arms, making sure her skirt is held tight so no one sees anything.
Hattie mumbles something to me, but I can’t quite understand what it is, so I just tell her to have a good night.
Brody and Maggie are passed out in the back, so I don’t even bother with them. Good luck to Hayes when they get back to his house. I wouldn’t want to be in charge of getting everyone out of the vehicle, especially Brody. He’s a pretty big guy.
“Thanks for the ride,” I say to Hayes as he opens the door for me.
“Not a problem. Do you have it from here?”
“Yeah,” I answer. “Thanks, man.”
“Sure thing. Hit me up for some coffee this week.”
“I will.” I offer him a nod goodbye, and he takes off, shutting the door behind him.
Carefully, I set Aubree on the bed, then lock up the house so I know that we’re all set with security. Then I move around the room, taking off my clothes, going to the bathroom, and brushing my teeth. Once I’m ready for bed, then I can get her ready.
I wash my face, swish around some mouthwash, and head into the bedroom, where Aubree is still passed out.
Wanting to make sure she’s comfortable, I grab one of my T-shirts—because I’m fucking possessive like that, and I at least want her sleeping in one of my shirts when I can manage it—and I remove her crop top. I try not to notice the thin lace of her bra, but fuck, it’s hard not to when I see her dark nipples clear as day through the fabric.
The way they puckered so beautifully between my lips and how responsive she was when I played with them. Fuck me, Iwant to play with her again. Obviously, not now. I’m not even sure it’s an option for the future.
So I drape my shirt over her head as she starts to stir awake.
“It’s just me,” I whisper. “Getting you dressed for bed.” I pull the shirt all the way down and then move my arms up to her bra to remove it. I slip it off without exposing her and toss it in her laundry pile. Then I undo her skirt and pull that down as well.
“I’m tired,” she mumbles.
“I know, babe,” I say. “Do you think you can go to the bathroom and brush your teeth real quick?”
She mumbles something but stands. I help her to the bathroom, where she takes care of business and then brushes her teeth. Her eyes are closed the entire time. I help her wash her makeup off because I know from nights out with Cadance that Aubree won’t want to sleep with that on. I struggle for a moment, looking for the right products, but once I figure it out, it’s smooth from there. If I didn’t care about this woman, there is no way in hell I would have applied her retinol cream or moisturizer.
When we finish, I help her over to the bed and pull back the covers. She settles into the pillow and curls up, so I drape the blanket over her. She mumbles something.
“What?” I ask, leaning down.
“Hold me,” she repeats.
A warm sensation spreads through me. Let’s call it satisfaction because despite the agreement, the craziness of this week—of tonight—she still wants my arms wrapped around her when we’re in bed together. That gives me the kind of ego boost that puffs my chest and makes me want to give her so much more.
“Give me a second,” I say, and because I’m a glutton for punishment, I lean down and press a soft kiss to the top of her head.
I check the door one more time, plug both of our phones in, then slip under the covers with her. Instead of pulling her toward me like I do every night, I move toward her and wrap my arm around her stomach. She snuggles into my chest and then sighs.
