Back to You(12)

I put the car in park, and pinch her on the waist, sending her into a giggle fit. “I can’t believe you let me fall asleep. I’m the worst copilot ever.”

Pawing her like a horny teenager dying to round the bases, I joke with a wink, “I can think of a way for you to repay me.”

“Not even here a full minute and you’re already at it. Are we even going to leave this house once or do you plan on keeping me locked in the bedroom the whole time?”

Now, that sounds like the perfect way to spend an entire week, but I know Mia wants to actually see the sights of Newport, so maybe I’ll let her out once or twice.

Pulling her toward me with my hand at her nape, I nip her bottom lip and poke my tongue through when she opens her mouth with an adorable gasp. I feel her smile against my lips as her hands make their way into my hair. She tugs as we make out in the front seat without a single ounce of shame. Love it! What a way to start this vacay.

Mia pulls away, leaving me still hungry for more. “As much as I’d love to take you in the backseat and blow your—”

My eyes go wide as I look at her and then the back seat and back to her again.

“I was gonna say your mind, Dec. Blow your mind.”

“You had me at blow, babe.”

“I’m sure I did,” she laughs, “but it was a long ride. I have to pee and I want to see the house. We didn’t come all this way to have a make out session in your car, did we?” She flips down the visor to look in the mirror. “And I’m a mess. Lovely.”

I watch as she fixes her smudged lipstick and redoes her ponytail. She could never be a mess—she’s fucking gorgeous. “Babe, look at me.”

With one more swipe to her lower lip, she flips the mirror closed, smacks her lips together to spread that sticky gloss shit and finally looks at me. “Yes, darling?”

“I have one rule for this trip. You think you can agree to that?”

She tilts her head and drums her fingers on her thigh. “Depends on what it is. Because I’m not walking around naked all week. I didn’t spend a whole day packing all those clothes for nothing.”

Taking her hands in mine, I stare into her big brown eyes. “The only rule this week is there are no rules. We have nothing holding us back—no kids, no responsibilities, nothing. We’ve come a long way since… since all that shit that I’d rather not mention, but by the time we pull back into our driveway and hug our kids next Monday—we’re gonna be okay, baby. I promise we’re gonna be okay.”

Her eyes start to water and I immediately regret bringing up the past and the idea of fixing things. But I want her to be herself—her old self—again. I want her to know she can talk to me, tell me her fears, express her concerns, get it all out. If she can’t do that with me who can she do it with? Besides Grace, I’m her person, she has to know that.

“I know, Dec. I know we will be. Hell, we are. We’re fine. I mean, we’re here, aren’t we?”

I know what she means, but being here and being back together is only half the battle. In order to come full circle, for her to truly come back to me, we need to hash it the fuck out for once and for all. I don’t tell her this though. Not now. She’ll clam up and be guarded and we don’t need to spend our first night here like that. Tonight we relax, unwind, rekindle. Tomorrow we talk. “Yes, we’re here and there’s no place I’d rather be. So let’s go inside so I can show you around and then get you naked in the hot tub.”

“Now you’re talking, Mr. Murphy.”

“Amendment to my no rule rule,” I blurt out when she calls me that. It’s always been a turn on.

She looks at me, confused.

“Keep calling me Mr. Murphy.”

Her head falls back as she laughs. “You’re so weird. I forgot you like that.” She straightens up and then turns serious, flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder. “Strip and meet me in the hot tub in ten, Mr. Murphy.”

See… sometimes playing by the rules can be a lot of fun.





Of all the damn times to have one of those dreams, it had to be while Declan was awake to witness it. I hope to God I didn’t talk in my sleep! Oh, shit! Did I say anyone’s name? I couldn’t have… he would have said something to me. Or woken me up. Besides, Noah wasn’t alone in this one. Declan was there too. And just like in real life, I made the right decision. I chose him. My husband. The man I want to spend the rest of my life with.

So why can’t I stop feeling bad for the way I left things with Noah? I have zero regrets. Zilch, nada, not one single iota of remorse, but I still hate that I broke his heart. It’s not like Noah’s a bad guy. That would have made the whole thing a lot easier. But he was nothing but good to me and I dragged him into the middle of my marital problems, strung him along, and then tossed him aside. What a bitch. He probably hates me. That’s why I’m having these dreams over and over… it’s the universe shoving karma down my throat and telling me to choke on it.