Page 66 of As Long As You'll Have Me
“I mean, what kind of man would I be if I expected you to come at my beck and call?” His hands move up my waist and hold me tight. “You’ll learn fast enough, I’m here to be atyourbeck and call.”
“Is that right?” I ask, tipping my eyebrows up at him.
“You don’t believe me?”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“You should always take my word for it. You never know what might happen if you don’t…” he trails off and for a fraction of a second, a look of mischief flashes in his eyes. Then, before I can defend myself, he’s tickling my sides and burying his face into my neck, playfully biting and kissing me. I erupt in laughter and squeals and try to fend him off but he’s too strong. My laughter grows deeper, heartier, as he continues to tickle me.
“Miles! Miles, stop,” I beg, laughing so hard tears are in my eyes.
“Say you believe me, say it,” he calls out, still tickling and nipping at me.
“I believe you, I believe you!”
“You don’t sound like you mean that,” he teases.
“I believe you, promise! You better stop or I’m going to pee my pants,” I warn, still laughing. I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. So long I forgot how good it feels. When he stops, I take a deep breath and use my thumb to wipe the tears out of my eyes.
“I love the sound of your laugh. I think it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard,” he says, laughing with me.
“Oh, stop it,” I scoff and roll my eyes.
“I’m serious. Fuck little baby laughs or cute puppy barks, your laugh tops all of those things.”
Looking at him, I almost can’t believe what’s happening right now. He’s looking at me with so much care and admiration. Leaning backwards, I snag my phone from the coffee table and swipe open my camera.
“What are you doing?” he asks, ruining the look.
“Nothing, just look at me like you were just now.”
He does what I ask, just like he told me he would. Snapping a picture, I smile at my phone before locking it and tossing it back on the table.
“Just wanted to capture the moment.” I shrug.
His smile grows. “Let me cook you dinner.”
“I mean, if youreallywant to.”
“Ireallywant to,” he whispers close to my lips before stealing another kiss.
My head turns to look towards my kitchen. “There’s not much in there to work with. Might be hard to make a full meal out of what’s left in the fridge.”
“Trust me, doc. If I can make a meal for the entire firehouse when we haven’t gone to the store in ten days, I can make a meal for the two of us with whatever is in your fridge. I might surprise you.”
“You’ve done nothing but surprise me. In the best ways possible.”
His face softens for a moment as he looks at me. Reaching for my face again, he kisses me deeply before pressing his forehead to mine.
“You’re the best surprise I’ve ever gotten, doc.”
26
MILES
“Alright, fireman, let’s see what you got,” she jokes, pulling herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. I slide a hand up her leg and lean in to kiss her on the cheek, restraining myself from doing anything more since I promised to cook for her. I love how her skin reacts to my touch, erupting in a fresh blanket of goosebumps as I run my hand along her thigh.
“Let’s see what we got.” I move towards the door I remember being her pantry and crack it open. Sure enough, there’s not much in here. A box of crackers, canned vegetables from who knows how long ago, and… “What do we have here?”
