No Reservations - Megan Hart [65]
He harmmphed and got into bed beside her. 'You will move in with me. I just made arrangements with a realtor yesterday to find us a house in Lancaster. It's halfway between your job and mine. I told him we needed plenty of bedrooms so we can have an office to work from home and also so the girls can have a bedroom there. You can take the train in or drive.'
One of her brows rose and he met it with a rise of his own. He wasn't going to give up on this.
'You thought you'd just go ahead and do it without even consulting me?"
'Shut up about that. You knew I was near the end of my patience with this. You know what kind of man I am and you stuck around, so guess what, pffft.'
Her eyes widened and then she laughed, kissing him in the hollow of his throat. 'You're lucky I'm so tolerant of your pushy ways.'
That was a good sign, he thought. She wasn't trying to argue with him yet. But he knew how he handled this next bit would sink him or make their being together a reality.
'I know your biggest concern is the girls and, believe me, I appreciate that more than I can say. Especially in light of how their mother is using them right now. So this is what I'm going to do to address that. Right now they are with Eve three weeks of every month during the school year because Eve's place is in the district boundaries and is only half a mile from their school. So in the week they're with me, I'll stay at my old place with them. Just until they're both done with school. On breaks they can stay at our new place because I want them to be used to it and to understand, without any doubt, that you and are together. Yes, before you speak, yes, it will change their lives, but Kate, they're not children, they're smart, well-adjusted teenagers. Seventeen and fifteen, they know I love them, they know they're my priority but they also realise I have a life. You can keep your condo or sell it, whichever you prefer. But I expect you to marry me by the end of this coming year. Counsellor, you may present your rebuttal.' He waved a magnanimous hand at her.
She tumbled him to his back and climbed astride him. 'Pickles?'
He groaned. 'Up until that, this was going in a veiy nice direction. What about Eve?'
'What about Eve, indeed. I'm going to be painfully and selfishly honest here. I've held my tongue because I love you and I don't want to lose you or to look like an evil bitch. But, if you really do mean to marry me and for us to live together and not wait two more years, I have to get this all out.'
He sat up, leaning in to kiss her. T want you to be honest with me. I love you, dumbass. You're not going to lose me. We can work through just about anything.'
She nodded. 'We'll see how you feel when I'm done. It's really all about Eve. Here's my thing, Charles, I hate her. I want to punch her in the face every time I hear her stupid, whiny-baby-helpless-girl voice. She's everything I have to prove I'm not when I'm on a case. She's why women are judged so harshly.'
'I agree. Now fuck me while you're talking. It's much easier to work out a solution with your cunt hugging my cock.'
She rose up and angled him the way she liked and slid down over him. He'd known she was ready, she always was when they were together and goddamn if that didn't make a man puff his chest up a bit.
'Such a multi-tasker. Back to the subject and don't blame me if you can't keep hard because we're talking about her?
He made a face. You're the one talking about her, but as long as it's your body hovered over me, and your pussy around me, what the fuck do I care?'
She smiled and he relaxed a bit. 'OK, then here goes. If I'm in, I'm in for real and for good. Which means I'm Mrs Dixon, capice?. I'm your wife and I don't share. That means if I take this step, it's all the way. I don't want to have Sunday dinner with your ex-wife. I never want to have