Deceitfully (Sinfully Series) (21 page)

Why were we sneaking in? I mean, I knew we were keeping quiet but him catching us made me feel guilty, being his guest and all.

“We just didn’t want to wake anyone. Stella’s never really had the chance to go to the beach so I thought I’d take her down there for a bit. Want some company?” I nodded at the drink in his hand and looked over at Stella, who seemed much more comfortable than I was. If I had my choice, Stella and I would be showering together right now to get the sand out from everywhere. In reality though, Ryder and I needed some time to get to know each other with the changed dynamics. I wasn’t a threat to him, and in time, we might even be good friends.

“Sure. Stella, whatcha like, babe? I think Payton’s got some white wine in the wine fridge?” Ryder nonchalantly asked as he reached above him and grabbed another glass for me and poured it halfway with the amber liquid. “Here ya go.”

“I’d love some if it isn’t too much trouble.” Stella made her way over to a bar stool at the island, and I followed behind her.

“No problem at all,” Ryder called out as he went into the butler’s pantry and emerged with a filled wine glass for Stella. “Sorry, I wasn’t able to make it home sooner. Work’s been a bitch lately. Payton’s glad you were both able to make it out, though. Really. We all are, but I knew this would be good for her. Reminding her that we are still young at heart and that everything doesn’t have to always revolve around the kids. I love Em to death, but Payton needed some adult time, I guess you could say.”

“I get it. I spend all day around cakes with butter cream flowers and talking to brides and stay-at-home moms about their perfect cake. When I get home, all I want to do is have a normal adult conversation. And wine. Wine makes everything better.” Stella looked down at her glass and smiled. I raised an eyebrow, about to question her, but then I felt her foot slide up my leg.

She wanted more.

My sexy little vixen.

Ryder and I exchanged looks and it was like he knew everything without a word being said. He was smarter than he led on. The sad thing was that all I could think about was her foot rubbing against me as if she were stroking my hard dick.

I took a gulp of my drink, trying not to make a face as it went down. The shit was strong. “We appreciate you letting us stay here. Your daughter is beautiful. You’ve done well, man.” We shared a smile, and I was glad the awkwardness of our situation had seemed to fade away.

“I have. I remind myself every day how blessed I am to have my friends and family. Payton and Emilynn are my world now. It’s changed me for the better. You’ll see, one day.” He winked at me and set his glass in the sink. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.”

I watched him head for the master bedroom and when my eyes turned back to Stella, she had a grin on her face.

“You feel better now? He doesn’t care about your past with his wife. He knows she’s his and that you’re mine,” she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’m yours, huh? Feeling territorial, Stell?”

“Always. Come to bed. Now,” she said confidently. Who was I to argue?

SAN DIEGO WAS INCREDIBLE. Being around such genuine people made me realize that Tate and I needed more of that in our lives. When I was in Chicago, I was around my sister. Granted, we didn’t see each other all the time, but she had the ability to put a dark cloud over the whole damn city.

I had never really thought about moving away until I saw Tate by the ocean. He might not realize it yet, but with Cylas gone and the other guys having their own lives, San Diego made more sense for him. He was more carefree and relaxed there, and it was obvious when we were on the plane back to Chicago that he wasn’t excited to come home.

We hadn’t talked about it. It was a monumental step, and I questioned if it was crazy to bring up both of us moving to the West Coast. I could work at any bakery in any town. He’d be able to find a gym down there, and it sounded like his family being still in Chicago wouldn’t be a problem. The more I thought about it, the more real it became.

“You’ve got that doe-eyed, ‘I’m going to marry a prince’ look going on. What gives?” I heard Naomi’s voice pull through my thoughts, effectively bringing me back to the present.

“You’ve lived in Chicago your whole life. Have you ever thought about leaving? Creating new roots somewhere else and embracing the change?” I asked as I grabbed the bowl of brownie batter and starting filling the pan.

Naomi was the responsible friend who always had the right answers. She juggled taking care of two kids, a husband who traveled all the time, and managed the bakery without even breaking a sweat. She was here at five in the mornings and most nights she came back after the kids were in bed to finish the paperwork. Her secret might have been two full-time nannies, but still.

“I almost moved to Nashville right after I got out of school. If I hadn’t gotten knocked up and engaged, I probably would have. I had the itch to make my own path, but when I realized I could still be my own person and make something for myself here and still have a family, I had to take it.”

“You seem to have it all. I still don’t know how you manage,” I lied. I kind of knew.

“Nannies and the support of my husband. Having someone who’s always on your side, no matter what? It gives you the ability to do anything you put your mind to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said I was closing this place, but he’s always talked me off the ledge. He reminds me of why I’m here more than I am at home.” Naomi gave me a knowing look. “You have that man in your corner, too. Don’t forget that.” She patted my shoulder and walked into the back room.

She was right. Tate and I had each other. I looked at the clock and I was supposed to have left twenty minutes ago. I called out to Naomi, letting her know I was heading out for the night and thanked her for her advice. I was anxious to get home so Tate and I could talk about us. I wasn’t scared anymore. I knew we were in love and that wherever we decided to live, we’d be happy.

Picking up some pizza to take home, I called Tate and told him I’d be home soon and that he could head over. If I had timed it right, he’d be at the door five minutes after me, and I had just enough time to change out of my work clothes.

I’d just let my hair down and was walking out of my bedroom when I heard my front door shut.

“Pizza and a night with you? How’d I ever get so lucky?” Tate stalked up toward me and wrapped his large arms around me, his hands reaching and grabbing a handful of my ass.

“Oh, yes. Pepperoni and sausage pizza and a girl in a t-shirt and boxer shorts. How’d I forget that’s every man’s dream?” I laughed as he gave my butt a hard squeeze. “Ouch! What was that for?” I asked as I rubbed my sore cheek.

“To remind you that you’re mine.”

“Mmm. Are you going to give me a hickey for dessert?”

“Are you giving me permission to give you a hickey?” he asked with excitement in his eyes.

“Only in spots people won’t see,” I bargained. I liked him all territorial of me.

“Done.”

We settled on the couch flipping through the stations before settling on some random reality TV show and ate in silence, Tate finishing off half the pizza while my normal two slices left me stuffed.

I snuggled up to him, trying to figure out how to approach talking about our future. After a few minutes, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer.

“You miss them, don’t you?” I asked without moving. If I moved, I feared it’d scare him off. No quick movements!

“Who, baby?”

“Payton, Ryder, and them. You miss being there with the group.”

“Yeah. Seeing them all together made me want what they had. They’re all happy with kids and wives. They have each other and it, I don’t know, it feels like I’m not privileged to be there. I’m the outsider of the group because of being in Chicago, but they make me feel like we belong with them.” He ran his hand over his face.

“I feel the same way.”

An awkward silence ran through the room and I knew that whatever was said next was going to be monumental in our relationship.

He had to say it.

I waited for him to pull the trigger, my insides wanting to jump out and scream at him to do it.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying? There’s a lot of commitment laced in those five little words, baby.” He turned toward me, and I could see the hope in his eyes. We were always going to be in it together. It was obvious.

I bit my lip and nodded shyly. “I want what they have, too. The kids, the friends, the family. I want my kids to grow up with little Jagger and Emilynn. I’m in this with you baby, let’s take the leap.”

Whew. I said it and it wasn’t all that terrifying.
Holy shit. I just told him I wanted babies with him. And to move across the fucking country. All right, maybe it was terrifying.

“I didn’t think it would be right for me to consider it. You’re here and asking if you want to live together is one step but asking to move to California and find a home with me there? I figured it’d be relationship suicide. I just want to be with you, honestly, but I think we could really settle down and make a home for ourselves there and have our own non-traditional family with Payton and her family and Tristen and his. Baby, is this happening?” Tate asked. All of the obstacles we were going to have to face over the next couple of months raced through my mind but the happiness overshadowed it all.

No
. I wasn’t going to overanalyze. This would be good for both of us. I just hoped Payton and everyone would be on board as well.

“It’s happening. Naomi already knows that I’ve been considering the idea. She’s the only person who I need to tell.”

“Your sister?”

“She’ll find out eventually. I’m not going to rush out and make an announcement, though. Sophia would only try to burst my happy bubble. I’d like to keep that bubble as long as possible. Will you talk to Payton? Make sure they’re okay with it, too?”

“She actually brought it up, too. She and Ryder had talked about why we didn’t live closer and offered to help us find a place. I’ll make it as painless as possible for us. I promise.” Tate gave me a kiss on the forehead. I couldn’t imagine my life any better than it was at that moment.

BY THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, Tate had already talked with a new gym in San Diego and video chatted with a realtor to help us find a starter home near Payton and Ryder. Everything was falling into place and since I was off work, I decided to pack away some of my winter clothes and make a pile to donate to Goodwill. I didn’t wear half of what was in my closet and donating it would be much easier than hauling it to a new home.

I was on cloud nine. Thoughts about my future ran through my head as I made a huge stack of unwanted clothes and neatly packed clothes that would need to go with me to San Diego. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the fantastic weather they seemed to always have.

I’d just finished labeling one of the boxes when the doorbell rang. Figuring it was Naomi since I had texted her earlier in the day about the news, I ran to the door and threw it open, only to slam it shut as soon as I saw who it was.

Dylan.

What was he doing here?
Sophia wasn’t with him. We hadn’t spoken since the day in the hospital. We were amicable when we had to be, but we never went out of our way to talk to each other.

“Really, Stella? I didn’t think you disliked me
that
much,” I heard him call out from the other side.

I took a deep breath and slowly reopened the door, my hand holding onto it for dear life. Something felt off, but I quickly dismissed it because, after all, it was just Dylan.

“Uhh, hey Dylan. What are you doing here?” I tried keeping my voice steady. My heart was beating out of my chest. Seeing him usually didn’t affect me at all. He was a cheater of a boyfriend, but that was Sophia’s problem, not mine.

“Just thought I’d pay a visit to my future sister-in-law.” He smiled a sleazy smile and waltzed into my apartment like he’d been there a hundred times before. Dylan had been to my apartment once, and that was over two years ago. I was surprised that he remembered where I lived. He was still wearing a suit, but his tie was hanging around his neck loosely and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. It was a quarter to eight, so he had a good two hours between when he left work and when he showed up at my doorstep.