Read Online Come Together by Jessica Hawkins - Free Book Online

feeling aside for later.
    I should have felt excitement about being taken care of, but it only made me anxious. Remembering the honesty policy, I said, “I feel weird about it.”
    “If you didn’t, I’d be concerned,” he said, his smile still hooked at the corner. “It will take time to get used to, but just know that you don’t have to worry. I don’t care what you do with your paychecks from the magazine, rip them up for all I care. I’ll get you a credit card, and you’ll use that going forward.”
    “David, living off my paychecks without having to pay rent or a mortgage will be sufficient.”
    “Use that money for whatever you want. I’ll get you a card Monday.”
    “We’ll see,” I decided, as if we were just making weekend plans.
    “So I can buy us tickets for Friday then? To Dallas to see your dad?”
    “I have to double-check with Beman, but let me get the tickets. My dad offered.”
    “I’d prefer to buy them.”
    “Bill thinks Dad spoils me,” I told him with a tilt of my head.
    “Didn’t Bill spoil you?”
    I shook my head. “He hated spending money. Anything I bought was a secret. You should have seen his face when we got the bill for Lucy’s bridesmaid dress,” I said, stifling a laugh. “He was almost purple.”
    “Mmm, I did love that dress,” David mused. “It was worth every penny. Those days are over. Prepare to be spoiled.”
    “Let my dad buy the tickets. He’s a little controlling, and he won’t want to seem cheap.” I narrowed my eyes as I thought. “Come to think of it, you guys have a lot of similarities.”
    He nodded, but his eyes were fixated on my mouth.
    “Should I be weirded out about that?” I asked.
    He grunted.
    “David, are you listening?”
    “What? No. I’m still thinking about that bridesmaid dress,” he admitted, tugging on my ankles. I scooted forward into his lap. “Let’s skip tonight,” he said huskily.
    “No way,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. In fact, I should get ready.”
    He wrapped his arms around my lower back, pinning me to him. His lips came gently to mine, his tongue sliding along my bottom lip. I opened instinctively for him, relishing how he felt in my mouth. Before I realized it, we were enmeshed in a quickly-escalating kiss. I rocked against his hardness, groaning as our groins connected. He bent me back over his arm, and I let my head fall back.
    “I want you,” he said, kissing his way down my chest.
    “You have me.”
    Slowly, he straightened me up and sighed. “Not yet. Tonight.”
    I climbed off him and let him give me a tour of the apartment. In his bedroom, he stood in front of the French doors of his closet with my dress in his hand. He opened them to reveal an expansive walk-in closet. I jumped up and down giddily, clapping my hands, but he looked nervous. I didn’t understand why until I stepped in further and saw that the entire left side was vacant.
    “I couldn’t sleep last night so, um, this is your side.”
    I took the dress from him, walked over and hung my dress on the empty bar. I spotted my shopping bags from earlier in the day neatly lined up underneath.
    “Oh, David,” I said, tears pricking my eyes. His long arms wrapped around me from behind. “Are we really doing this?” I asked. “Is this going to work?”
    “It is, I promise. I promise you, Olivia, you are home.”
    A few tears fell, and I turned in his arms to face him. I reached up and felt his face, still in awe that I could touch him without feeling anything but . . . I love you. I wanted to tell him, but the words caught in my throat.

CHAPTER 6

    AN ENORMOUS ROCK SHOWER, big enough for several people, took up one corner of David’s bathroom. It was elemental; unrefined with rough edges but relaxing.
    I knew it would take me much longer than him to get ready for the hotel’s grand opening, so I wasted no time getting started. In the meantime, David would be working out. He had informed me of this by