“No. I figured I was already pushing my luck by flying my family and yours here to celebrate a birthday you didn’t even tell me about.”He smiled sexily, then added.“Marlee agreed to come but didn’t tell me about your beef with birthdays. I put her in charge of making sure your mom was here, so I was completely in the dark.”
“She loves me but I’m sure her main goal was getting to me by any means necessary. And if you told her the beach, then it was pretty much fuck your feelings if there was fallout. She was coming.”
He laughed, signing,“Yeah I figured, but respected that she loves you enough to be here. I just need to make sure you’re cool with everything. If you’d rather keep it chill with just us, there’s a resort where I can book rooms for them.”
“No, it’s fine. You already rented this house.”
“I didn’t rent shit. This is mine.”
“Wait, this is your house?”
“Yeah, my parents spend more time here than I do, so they think it’s theirs, but my name is on everything.”
“Good to know. I think I’m in love with this house.”
“You can come anytime you want.”
“Is there another way to get here besides that damn helicopter?”I frowned and he chuckled.“We could drive but it takes an hour to make it across the bridge or a forty-minute boat ride.”
“Yeah no, not doing that.”As much as I hated the helicopter, which Ryland and Rylee loved, an hour drive on a bridge that crossed over water with no way out was a hard pass. A plane was one thing, but there was something that made me feel so unsafe in a condensed version of one. He could keep that shit.
“I might have to rethink that part.”
He smirked.“Real shit though, if you want me to get them set up at the resort, I can do that.”
“And get cussed out by everyone here? Rylee included because there’s no way she’s letting you clear this house of people who will do whatever she wants, whenever she wants because they’re all wrapped around her little fingers.”I arched a brow.
“If it’s what you wanted, then yeah, I’d take that hit.”
“Well you don’t have to. I’m glad you were all up in my business, making plans for my time without my permission.”
He laughed, dropping his hands to my ass, gripping firmly when he spoke. “Your business is my business. If I can’t right allthe wrongs in your world, then I don’t deserve your time and I damn sure don’t deserve your heart.”
“You asking for my heart?”I signed. He shook his head, smiling cockily before he answered.
“Nah, I don’t need to ask. I already have full custody. Don’t act like you didn’t hand that shit over.”
I did…
“Do I have yours?”
“You’re breathing, aren’t you?”
I frowned and he brought me closer. “If your chest is hollow, you’re not breathing. If I have your heart, you have mine. Call it an even trade because we’re in this shit, baby. There’s no other way. It’s forever you for me.”
“And me for you,”I confirmed.
His mouth met mine for a kiss. “Now let’s go be social. The longer we stay here, the more I’m tempted to let them talk shit when we come up missing for a few hours but I know you don’t want that.”
I rolled my eyes.“Absolutely not.”
“But they already know we’re fucking. You know that, right?”
“Please don’t make me think about that or I will not be able to look our parents in the eye.”
He laughed. “I suggest you stay up here then because they definitely know I’m knocking these walls down on the regular.”
After one last kiss, I changed into my swimsuit, grateful that Ryland at least thought about the fact that our parents were here. The bikini barely covered anything, but he also packed cover ups, shorts, and sundresses. He had everything I needed to survive the next two days, but more than anything, the most important part of my birthday weekend was spending it with him.