My Unexpected Vow: California Billionaires Book 2 Harlow James (scary books to read txt) 📖

“Wow. I didn’t realize that this bothered you this much.”

“It makes me want to stab my eyes out with your pens so I don’t have to look at them without caps on the ends.”

Her laughter travels up her throat and out for everyone to hear, drawing attention to us. And as over the top as this may seem, I love that we can joke about it, even though it does drive me a teensy bit insane.

Waverly finds a brand of clicky pens in her favorite pastel colors and then I lead her to the register and pay for them since this was my idea after all.

Once we’re back at my car, she walks around to the driver’s side of the car and blocks me from getting in. “Give me your keys.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s time for your field trip, Hayes. You bought me pens, so I’m going to buy you something for your little cupboard problem.”

Smirking, I place the keys in her hands and then go to the passenger side. “This night just got even more exciting.”

We arrive at Home Depot about ten minutes later, fifteen minutes before they close.

“Hurry. It says they’re in aisle ten.” As we scurry in a rush to beat the closing time of the store, I follow Waverly right on her heels as we turn down the aisle and locate the self-closing cupboard hinges she insists I have to buy since she had to get pens with no caps.

Scanning the selection, I place my hands on my hips, shoving my jacket open as I do so. “You realize I’m going to need about a million of these, right? You’ve seen how many cupboards are in my house.”

“Well, good thing we grabbed a basket then.” She holds up the portable basket and starts filling them with the number one rated brand she saw online.

After we pay and get back in the car, I can’t help but laugh at our stops this evening—a romantic dinner, followed by Staples, and then Home Depot. It’s definitely not the first date I would have planned before we got married, but somehow it fits us—the us that has transformed from enemies to husband and wife, to friends, and now to lovers. I honestly never saw Waverly and I ever getting to this point, but now that we have, it feels like we should have been here all along.

When we arrive home, I bring the bags inside and set them on the counter in the kitchen. “I hope you don’t think I’ll be installing those tonight.”

“No, I think I’ll let you slide on that one. But soon, please? Especially if I have to use these pens.”

I chuckle and then pull her into me, running my finger down her jaw and then gripping her neck and pulling her close. “I will, I promise. I hope you enjoyed our date.” I kiss her softly, pulling back before I can deepen the kiss and get carried away. I want her again, no doubt about it, but I have one other thing planned for her.

“I did. Thank you.”

“Well, it’s not over. Why don’t you grab us another glass of wine and meet me at the piano?” I press my lips to hers once more and then release her, turning around and walking across the house to take a seat at my piano, slightly nervous even though she’s seen me play before. But this is different—this isn’t her watching without me knowing, this is me sharing this part of me with her voluntarily after we admitted our feelings.

With a quizzical look, Waverly joins me a few minutes later and sets the glasses on the coasters on top of the instrument before taking a seat next to me on the bench.

“Are you gonna play for me?”

“Maybe,” I reply, pressing the keys in a smooth melody to warm up my fingers.

“You have no idea how sexy this is, Hayes,” she breathes heavily as I watch her chest rise and fall.

“I might be aware.” I shoot her a wink and then start the song I haven’t played in quite some time.

Within the first few notes, Waverly gasps and then turns to me. “Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol?”

“You know it?”

“Are you kidding me? That scene in Grey’s Anatomy when Denny dies and Izzie is getting ready to see him, wearing her prom dress, thinking she’s about to see the man she agreed to marry, but he’s dead…” Goosebumps break out over her skin as I continue to play the notes.

“I know. After I heard it on that show, I had to learn how to play it.”

“You watched Grey’s Anatomy?”

“Only until Mark and Lexi died. After that, I couldn’t get into it anymore.”

“Same,” she whispers, watching me while I continue to press the keys, letting the melody that brings up that iconic scene in television resonates between us. And as I silently sing the words to myself, I realize something—I want to lie with Waverly and forget the world with her, I want to say those three words to her when I know it’s the right time, and I want a future with this woman that has made my lonely world burst into life.

As I linger on the last few notes of the song, she stands and grabs the wine glasses from the piano, and sets them on the coffee table between the two large chairs in the room. She returns to the piano bench, pulling up the sides of her dress as she slides between me and the piano and straddles my thighs.

“Waverly,” I groan as she sinks down, pulling up her dress even further, giving me a glimpse of the white lace thong she has on underneath.

“Kiss me.” It’s all she says before her lips find mine, her hands find the back of my head, and she pulls me toward her.

As my tongue lashes out and meets hers, a groan of epic proportions climbs up my throat