Page 99 of Irresistibly Us
I consider what everyone said and laugh a little. “I was kind of hoping you would tell me whether to take the job or not. You know I’m a terrible decision maker.”
My dad laughs, squeezing my shoulders. “You get that from your mom. We can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you that you are a brilliant, capable, and intuitive woman, and whatever decision you make is going to be the right one. And if it isn’t, nothing is irrevocable. Call me and I’ll book a flight and be on a plane to California in five seconds flat to bring you straight home.”
Olivia snorts. “You won’t book a flight. You’ll call that company you started and borrow their plane, even though it boggles my mind that they still let you use it when you haven’t actually worked for the company in decades.”
Brian and I laugh, but my dad just smiles. “I’ve still got some pull over there, and it saves me the trouble of buying my own.”
“Would you really buy a plane?” I ask.
My dad shrugs. “I mean, my kids keep leaving me to move far away, so I need some way to go see them, and commercial air travel is a pain in the ass.”
Laughing again, I wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze, full of love for this man who could buy a plane to travel to exotic destinations and spend his entire life on vacation, but instead just wants to make sure he can get to all his kids as quickly as possible, whenever we need him. “You’re one of a kind, Gabe Sullivan.”
“You too.” He drops a kiss on the top of my head. “I’m fucking proud of you,” he says, quietly enough that only I can hear. “Take as much time as you need to make this decision, andin the meantime, enjoy the ride. I love you, Soph, and I love Tyler. I’m really glad you found your way to each other.”
With a happy sigh, I lean into my dad, because even though I have a big decision to make, and a lot of my future is unknown, I know that, no matter what, I’ll always have this. This home. This family.Tyler, I think with a smile. And in this moment, that feels like perfectly enough.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
TYLER
“Finally,” I exclaim, grabbing Sophie around the waist the second she steps inside, pressing my lips to hers. With a hand on her cheek, I tip her head back, taking the kiss deeper, sweeping my tongue into her mouth to glide against hers. She tastes like happiness and joy and the jelly beans I know she was eating in the car. The scent of her strawberry shampoo surrounds me, and everything inside me lifts and settles at exactly the same time.
Home.
I may be standing in my own house, but it wasn’t home until she walked through the door.
“Hi,” she says breathlessly, eyes sparkling with fun and a smile on her lips as we ease apart. “This is a really good welcome home.”
I kiss her forehead, lingering there. “I like hearing you call my house home. I missed you today. I don’t know how it’s possible to miss you so much when I literally saw you this morning, but bet your gorgeous ass, I did. This house isn’t nearly as happy without you in it.”
Sophie grins, winding her arms around my neck and tangling her fingers in my hair. “That’s really good to hear because I’m never happier than when I’m right here.”
Warmth spreads in my chest at her words, and I can’t resist dipping my head, slanting my mouth back over hers. Our lips move together, and I wonder idly whether I can spend the entire rest of my life with my lips permanently attached to hers.
Who needs football anyway?
Food and water? Unnecessary when Sophie is around. I could survive the rest of my life on her taste alone.
“Fuck yes, it’s about damn time!” Maya’s gleeful voice breaks us out of our little bubble, and Sophie laughs as she steps back, but I grab her hand and tug her back against me, wrapping my arms around her from behind.
“Sorry,” I murmur, pressing a kiss behind her ear, chuckling a little when she gasps. “My mom got stuck in court today, so she postponed dinner to next week, and then everyone kind of ended up here instead.”
“Fuck right, we did,” Maya says with a grin, propping her hands on her hips. “You guys have been hiding out in a love haze or whatever, but it’s time to rejoin the world. Stories must be told. Questions must be answered.”
Sophie leans her head back on my shoulder, and I love the way her curls tickle my chin. Down baddest man, party of one. “Simmer down, My. It’s only been like a week.”
“Is that it?” I ask, kissing her cheek. “I could swear it’s been longer than that.”
Maya rolls her eyes. “That’s because it took you a whole ass lifetime to see the best girl in the entire world was right in front of your face.”
“I know. I hate that so much, but I see it now.” I nuzzle my face into Sophie’s neck and she giggles. Literally giggles. I’m a happy sort of guy most of the time, but I had no idea that this kind of happiness existed. “You’re literally all I see,” I murmur into her ear, and when she lets out a contented little sigh, Iwonder if it would be rude to kick everyone out so I can carry Sophie up to my bed and do unholy things to her for the rest of the night.
“Are you talking about Sophie and Tyler things?” Maddy’s voice filters in from the living room, interrupting my dirty, dirty train of thought. “Can you do it in here? I’m too comfortable to move.”
“They’re busy saying hi like they haven’t seen each other in thirty-seven years,” Maya says, wandering back into the living room. “I think we’re going to have to give them a minute. But just a minute,” she calls back. “Some of us are starving in here, for food and for details.”
With a laugh, Sophie tips her head back and kisses my jaw, and even that little contact has my heart exploding. Fuck, I love her so much. “I guess there’s no way around it,” she says with a smile. “This relationship was always going to be a family affair.”
