Thirty-Eight

Oakley

Sitting on the edge of Wilder’s bed, wrapped in a towel, I watched as he dried his body from the shower we had just shared. I shivered—not from the cold, but from the memory of him on his knees with his face buried between my legs while I leaned against the stone shower wall.

A slow smile curled his lips as he ran the towel over his abs, then tossed it on the dresser before walking toward me. The predatory gleam in his eye thrilled me because I knew what was to come. Being tangled up in the sheets with him was the time each day when I believed he was mine. I found myself longing for hours to speed up just to get here—from the moment I walked out of this room early every morning until we came back in it together at night.

“For a woman who was just screaming and coming on my face, you sure look needy,” he teased, reaching for my towel and tugging it out of my hands so that it fell open.

“I look needy?” I asked, tilting my head back to look up at him.

He nodded as he traced my jawline, then ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “My girl shouldn’t ever be needy. I must not be doing my job correctly.”

He hadn’t meant to say that … had he? My girl? He hadn’t called me that in … nine years. It had been a slip of the tongue. He would get weird on me if I didn’t make a joke. Lighten the mood.

“You’re doing your job just fine. But you might want to be careful with who you toss that my girl stuff to. Another woman might think you mean it.” I mentally scolded myself for letting this hurt me. Just saying the words. My chest was aching, and I didn’t want to ruin our night.

“I’d never call any other woman my girl. That’s always been your title, Oakley,” he said. He wrapped his hand around my wrist and pulled me up.

If he was trying to be funny, this wasn’t the way to do it. Deep breaths were becoming difficult. Could heartbreak happen over and over? Haunting you. Never truly letting go? Or was that my curse in life?

“Oakley.” Wilder said my name, and I swung my eyes up from the random spot on his chest I had been focused on, trying not to fall apart.

“Hmm?” I managed, but smiling wasn’t happening.

His hands moved up to cup my face. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

YOU! YOU! I love you! Every day, my heart breaks a little more. But I have this. I have your body. In this room, I have you. For a few hours every day.

I wouldn’t say that though. I would lose what I did have.

Digging up all the strength I could muster, I smiled. “Nothing. I’m fine,” I assured him.

He didn’t look convinced, but unless he wanted me to go emotional woman all over him, he needed to stop asking. Let this go.

“When I called you my girl, it upset you.”

I closed my eyes and took another deep breath. Please, for the love of God, stop saying that!

“Wilder, that’s … let’s just say, that is off-limits. Okay?” The pleading in my voice was clear as I opened my eyes and stared up at him.

His eyes slowly roamed over my face as he continued to hold it as if I was something special … something precious. That was going to shatter me if he didn’t stop.

“But you are my girl, Oakley. You were mine, even when we didn’t speak. You’ve always been mine. And”—he locked his eyes on mine—“I’ve been yours since the first moment I laid eyes on you. That’s never changed. I wanted to believe it did. I wanted to think I was strong enough not to love you. I told myself I was different. That life had changed me. That the guy who had loved you was gone. But deep down, my soul was still holding on to yours. I couldn’t shake you. When I refused to let you in my head, my heart made me dream of you. Never, not one time, did I wish for a world without you in it. I never wished that I hadn’t met you, loved you. So, yes, you’re my girl. You own me.”

He wiped the tears rolling down my face with the back of his fingers, then leaned down to kiss the damp skin it had left behind. “You’re the only woman I will ever love. All the shit I’ve said to you, denying my feelings, I’m a fucking liar. I’ve been lying to both of us. I hold on to you in the mornings, hating the moment you have to get up and leave me.” He trailed kisses over my cheek as he whispered words I’d never thought I’d hear him say.

“I love you,” I said feeling the words warm me.

Getting to say those words out loud felt like my life had just opened up to a whole new world. The joy that came with speaking three simple words was powerful.

“I know,” he said with a crooked grin. “You might not have said the words in nine years, but those pretty blue eyes don’t lie. They never have. The moment you started looking at me with the sparkle in them again, I was done. I should have given in then.”

I bit my bottom lip, scared to believe this was real and elated that it was actually happening.

“Sarah?” I asked.

He chuckled. “She’s been trying to convince me to love you for a couple of weeks. She’s a very dedicated advocate. If you’re ever feeling bad about yourself, go let her pump you up. I think she would consider you a saint if we were Catholic.”

A giggle burst out of me, and he leaned down and kissed my lips.

“That’s what I like to hear. No, I fucking love to hear you laugh. To know you’re happy. That you’re mine.”

Lifting my arms, I wrapped them around his neck and went on my tiptoes. “This time, it’s forever,” I told him.

He picked me up and laid me back on the bed before climbing over me. “Yeah, it is. I won’t ever lose you again. I swear to you.”

A knock on the door had us both freezing just as Wilder was sliding inside of me. My eyes went wide as he rolled off me, and I scrambled to grab my towel and hurry to the bathroom to hide. Wilder tugged on a pair of sweats then made sure I was hidden before he opened the door.

“Hey, Dad,” Sarah said.

“Hey, sweetheart. Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. It’s fine. I was just in bed, thinking that I should come tell y’all that Oaky can stay in your bed until she’s ready to get up in the morning. It’s silly for her to sneak back to the guest bedroom every morning.”

Silence.

I covered my mouth to muffle my gasp. How long had Sarah known I had been sleeping in here?

“Uh,” Wilder said.

“So, anyway, good night,” she told him. “GOOD NIGHT, OAKY!” she called out.

I stood there, frozen, until the door clicked shut.

Stepping out of the bathroom, wide-eyed, I stared at Wilder.

His shoulders began to shake, and I realized he was laughing. Hard.

I pressed my lips together, then let out a laugh I couldn’t hold back.

“Oops,” I said.

“Yeah, oops,” he agreed. “She’s too fucking smart.”

“You are her father, the computer genius.”

He smiled at me then, and my heart soared. He was really mine.

Finally.