Veer (Clayton Falls #2)(41)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“Why? You can’t go around trying to protect everyone.”

“In what alternative universe are you in the same category as everyone? You’re my girlfriend. A man is supposed to protect his girlfriend.”

She got a wistful expression. “You still want to call me that?”

“What?” I pulled her onto my lap. “I keep telling you nothing’s changed. I don’t know how to make you see that.”

“You say it, but do you mean it? If you’re going to dump me or treat me differently, just get it over with.” She clutched a couch cushion as if her life depended on it.

“Okay, how do I show you that I mean it?”

She scrambled off my lap. I reluctantly let her go.

She stood up and unbuttoned her jeans, slowly sliding them off. “If nothing’s changed, prove it.”

Was she really saying what I thought she was? She wanted me to prove nothing had changed by having sex with her?

“I don’t want you treating me differently. I don’t want you to treat me like I’m broken, or delicate, or anything like that. Either you show me that nothing’s changed between us, and you can still be with me in the same way, or I leave right now, and I’m not coming back. You’re right, Gavin. I am crazy about you, but I only want to be with you if things really are the same. I refuse to just be the girl you feel bad for.”

I looked at her, taking in the beautiful woman in front of me. She was crazy if she thought anything would ever make me want her less—could make me need her less.

“That’s a challenge I more than willingly accept.” I pulled off my shirt, wanting her hands on me nearly as badly as I needed mine on her. I stood up and kissed her hard on the mouth, pulling away without warning.

“I want you, Becca.” I had her bra off in seconds, running my fingers over the scars I’d so carefully avoided before. “All of you.”

I lowered my head, letting my mouth run over the same spot. “Every inch of you.”

She moaned, which just turned me on more. “I’m not borrowing you. I’m not returning you. You’re mine now, and that’s never, ever going to change.” I pulled down her panties slowly. “Do you understand?”

She nodded before moving to undress me.

***

It was nine thirty at night before we ate dinner. We finally got out of bed long enough to make a frozen pepperoni pizza. She sat with her legs curled up under her, wearing one of my t-shirts. I loved seeing her dressed that way. She looked so right in it. So mine. Sometimes it was hard to believe this amazing woman was actually my girl, and considering how disastrously the evening had started, I was feeling very grateful to have her snuggled up next to me.

She ate three slices of pizza. The only time she ever ate a lot was after sex—as though I needed to find another benefit of sex with Becca.

“Do you have everything you need for work with you?”

“Yeah, I have an outfit.”

“Okay, good. Otherwise, we were running by your place to pick something up. I need you tonight.”

“You need me? I think it’s the other way around.”

“No, definitely not.”

“Let’s just say we both need each other tonight…”

“I’ll take that.”

We were just cleaning the dishes when my phone rang. “It’s my Mom.”

“Get it,” Becca insisted.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, before you miss it!”

I went for it, but of course it had already gone to voicemail.

“Call her back. I want to take a shower anyway.”

“Am I invited?” I wrapped my arms around her waist pulling her against me.

“No, you’re going to call your mom.”

“Fine… but you might be taking two showers tonight.”

“Gavin.” She moved out of my arms.

“Okay, okay.” Before she could walk away, I pulled her close again so I could kiss her. “Have a nice shower.”

“I always do over here.”

“You know what? I don’t even care if you’re using me for my bathroom, as long as you keep coming over.”

“Good.” She glanced back to give me a flirtatious look. And she expected me to call my mom?

I stepped outside on the balcony, letting the fresh air clear my head before I called.

“Gavin? Finally. I haven’t heard from you in ages.” It had only been a few weeks, but she was the kind of mom who wanted me to call daily.

“Hi, Ma. Sorry, I’ve been pretty busy.”

“Too busy to call your mother?”

“Well, if you knew Becca, you’d understand.” I braced myself for the reaction I knew was coming.

“Becca? You met someone? How long have you been seeing her? How’d you meet? What’s she like?” The questions spilled out.

I laughed. “We’ve been dating for about two months.”

“What? You’ve been dating a girl for two months, and I’m only hearing about it now?”

“I wanted to make sure before I told you.”

“Make sure of what?” I could hear the hope in her voice.

“That she’s the one. I didn’t want to get your hopes up for no reason.”

I had to pull the phone away from the screaming. You would have thought I was a bachelor at fifty for the way she reacted. “When are you bringing her home?”

“I thought about inviting her to your anniversary party…”

“Perfect, that’s only a few weeks away! But continue. I want to know everything.”

“Okay, but I don’t have too long.”

“Is she there?”

“She likes my shower better than hers.”

“I am going to pretend I believe that.”

I laughed. “Okay, so what were those other questions again?” I leaned my back against the railing.

“How’d you meet her? Is she new in town?”

“She’s in town working at my friend Matt’s law firm this summer.”

“Is she an attorney?”

“A law student in Boston.”

“What brought her to Clayton Falls?”

“Her best friend’s from here. Remember that girl I liked last summer?”

“Molly, right?”

“Yeah. See, that’s why I didn’t tell you about Becca right away. I didn’t want to give you another name for no reason.”

“So, Becca is Molly’s friend.”