I look up at him, shock clear on my face. “Shut up.”

He smirks, his eyebrow quirked. Then he smacks my bare ass. “I don’t know how you’re going to face everyone now.”

“But… it wasn’t just me,” I whine.

He laughs again. “Riley, I’m a guy. That makes me a fucking boss. You on the other hand…”

I kiss him quickly. “I’m a girl who’s missed her man. Besides…” I shrug. “It’s my party and I’ll fuck if I want to.”

Thirty-Seven

Riley

Most of the guests clear out soon after. I’m not sure if it’s because Dylan’s here or because… well… let’s put it this way: Mom refused to make eye contact and Mal blushed fifty shades of red whenever I was near him.

The only ones who hang around are our friends. We have a few quiet drinks (sans me) around the fire pit while the afternoon sun begins to dip. They talk a lot, mainly about Jake and Kayla’s travels around the states and their overseas ones coming up. I sit with Dylan, his hand on my leg as we listen to them speak, neither of us really talking. Then when Jake chuckles and points to Dylan, I realize why.

Next to me—my boyfriend’s sound asleep—his mouth parted and his chest rising and falling peacefully.

“He must be so tired.” Lucy pouts.

I look from Dylan to her. “Did y’all know he was coming?”

Jake answers, “Yep. Cam picked him up from the airport.”

My gaze moves to Cameron. “So you weren’t held up at work?”

He shakes his head.

Logan says, “That’s why your mom got us to sing Happy Birthday twice. They didn’t show up the first time.”

I smile, remembering my initial embarrassment. “I can’t believe you guys kept it a secret for so long.”

“He really wanted to surprise you, Ry. It was important to him,” Jake tells me.

Dylan’s hand on my leg shifts as he lets out a single snore.

Amanda says, “Let’s clean up so Riley can get Grandpa Banks to bed.”

We all stifle our laughs, hoping not to wake him, and we continue to do so while we clean up. With all of us working on it, it doesn’t take long. I say goodbye at the front door, telling them that we’ll be in touch when Dylan’s up to it and then I go back out to the yard, my smile growing with each step closer to him. “Come on, Grandpa Banks,” I whisper, squeezing his hand.

Slowly, his eyes open, his attention on me before looking around us. “I fell asleep?”

I nod with my smile.

“Where is everyone?”

“They left.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I ruined your party,” he says, his disappointment evident.

“Shut up.” I pull on his hand until he’s on his feet. “Let’s go to bed.”

He looks at his watch. “It’s only five.”

I lead him toward the house. “I said bed, Dylan. Not sleep.”

We don’t even make it to the bedroom before Bacon’s running circles around Dylan’s leg trying to get his attention. “It’s like he can sense another man’s about to take his place in the bed,” I tell him.

“He sleeps in our bed?” Dylan asks, bending down to pick him up.

“I got lonely,” I tell him.

“So where the hell is he going to sleep now?” He lifts him higher until their noses almost touch. To Bacon, he says, “So you’re the man who’s been keeping my girl warm at night? I have some choice words for you.” Bacon licks Dylan’s cheek. He scrunches his nose and places the dog back on the floor before looking at me. “Seriously, though. Where is he going to sleep?”

“Watch,” I tell him, and then point to Bacon’s bed in the kitchen. “Bed,” I order. Bacon moves to the bed. “Sit.” Bacon sits. “Stay.” Bacon stays.

“Holy shit,” Dylan mumbles, grabbing my hand and dragging me to the bedroom. He slams the door shut behind us. “Order me around like that.”

I laugh and point to the bed. “Bed!” He moves to the bed, containing his smile. “Strip!” He removes his shirt. I quirk an eyebrow. “All of it.” He drops his shorts and boxers in one move. “Sit!” He sits. “Stay.” He laughs, loud and free.

I watch his eyes widen and his beautiful smile spread when I drop to my knees between his legs, preparing to show him just how much I missed him.

We lay naked, on our sides, our bodies clean and fresh from the shower and finally satisfied. He runs a finger down the middle of my forehead, between my eyebrows and past my nose. I kiss it when it passes my lips. He laughs quietly and runs the back of his fingers across my cheek. “I didn’t plan on coming home and doing… you know… what we just did… five times…” He presses his lips to mine and pulls away slowly. “I really missed you, Riley. Not just the physical side, but you. I missed this, lying with you and just looking at you and talking to you and everything about you.”

“Me too,” I whisper, moving closer until my forehead’s on his chest. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

He starts to stroke my hair, resting his chin on top of my head. “Riley?”

I look up at him. “Yeah?”

“My dad told me about what happened the day after I called you and he said—”

“It’s nothing, Dylan. I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was going to tell you about it.” I sit up quickly, covering my breasts with the blanket as the panic sets in. “It was just a moment of weakness. That’s all.”