Perfect Enough

Chapter Twenty-Seven – Josh

Chapter Twenty-Seven

JOSH

Never in a million years had I imagined it would be like this . Slowly slipping into Sophia was like entering what I could only imagine was heaven on Earth. I was never so happy to know I was right. She was the woman I’d been waiting for—my first and last.

“Sophia,” I whispered, my body rocking slowly, but the need to move faster nearly killed me. I knew if I did, I wouldn’t last long, and I was hell-bent on making her come with me inside her. When I looked down, Sophia’s dark hair was scattered over the pillow, her eyes dark with desire, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from coming.

I moved my hands under her, tilting her body in a way that nearly had me rolling my eyes to the back of my head. I was even deeper inside her now.

“Oh, God. Don’t stop what you’re doing!” Sophia said, right before she came again. The feel of her squeezing around me was my undoing. I wanted to make sure it was good for her, but I was already on the edge.

When she came, I lost all control, thrusting faster and harder, until the strongest orgasm of my life hit me, and I cried out her name. When I finally slowed, I held my weight off her by resting on my elbows. We both drew in fast gasps of air as my sweat-covered body shivered in the suddenly chilled room.

“Oh my goodness,” Sophia said softly, her fingers moving lightly over my back as her ankles stayed locked around my legs, keeping me in place. Which was okay, because I would stay there like that forever if I could.

“How…was…that?” I asked between breaths.

Smiling up at me, she slowly shook her head and said, “Perfect. Beautiful.”

Leaning down, I kissed her, relishing the knowledge that this amazing, beautiful, intelligent, kind woman was mine. Now and forever.

The sound of beeping had us both pulling away from the kiss.

“The lasagna,” we said in unison.

“Shit.” I slowly pulled out of her, letting out a low moan as I did so. I instantly missed her warmth.

When I rolled off of her, Sophia stretched in the bed and smiled. “I feel amazing!”

“Wait there, I’ll be right back,” I said as I went to the bathroom. After quickly cleaning myself, I ran hot water over a washcloth and returned to Sophia. “Spread your legs for me.” Her eyes were shut, and she groaned when I placed the cloth between her legs. “Does that feel good?”

“Yes. What I wouldn’t give to take a hot bath.” Opening one eye, she peeked at me. “With you, of course.”

“I have bread to warm up. If you want to take a quick bath, you can.”

She stretched once more and sat up. My eyes took in her body, and I wished I didn’t have to deal with the damn food, because I wanted to crawl right back into that bed.

“No, we need to get dressed,” she sighed.

We both got dressed and made our way into the kitchen. Sophia started to load the dishwasher while I removed the lasagna, put the bread from Grams in the oven, and took out the salad I’d made earlier.

“Wow, how are you cleaning up so fast?” I asked.

Sophia laughed and shrugged. “What else do you need me to do? I can’t load any more dishes until this load is finished.”

“Want to set the table? We’ll need bowls for the salad.”

“Got it.”

When all the food was ready, Sophia sliced the bread while I dished out some lasagna and brought our plates to the table. The salad was in the middle already, with a few bottles of dressing Sophia must have found in my fridge.

“Oh, wait!” I said, rushing back to the refrigerator. “Fresh parmesan cheese.”

“Yummy!”

We sat down at the table, and I was struck by how perfect this was. I wanted every day to be like this—well, maybe not the giant mess in the kitchen.

“Will you move in with me?”

The words came tumbling out of my mouth before I’d even thought about what I was saying.

Sophia’s fork stopped right in front of her mouth before she set it back down on her plate and stared at me. “What?”

“Move in with me, Soph.”

Her mouth opened, shut, then opened again. It was hard to read her face, and my pulse kicked up. Was it too soon? Shit. Maybe I should have waited.

Sophia clutched her napkin in one hand and studied me. “Are you sure about this?”

“Hell yeah, I am. I want you here when I wake up every morning, and by my side when we go to sleep. I want to make messes in the kitchen together and eat homemade pizza on the back porch.”

She smiled slightly. “Homemade pizza?”

“Yes! Who wants to make a pizza by themselves? Not me.”

Chewing on her lower lip, she picked up her fork again. “I have started packing my apartment, since my lease is up soon. Haven sent me the name of a realtor, and I was going to rent. Only because if I go in with her as partners for the dog park, it’s not smart to buy yet. I’ll need the money I’ve saved up.”

“I’ll be an investor.”

Her eyes went wide. “You will?”

“Absolutely. I think the park’s a great idea. Maybe I’ll even get a dog. You can take it to the park with you when you go to work some days.”

“You want a dog?” she asked, her eyes filled with excitement.

Smiling, I asked, “Do you want a dog?”

I thought she was going to bounce out of her seat. “I’ve always wanted a dog. Always!”

“Then we’ll get a dog. When you can’t take him to the park, I’ll bring him to work with me on the ranch.”

Her brows rose. “Or her.”

With a chuckle, I replied, “Or her.”

Sophia slowly shook her head. “But why would you do all of this?”

The answer came so quickly that I didn’t need to think twice about it. “Because I love you, and I’d do anything to make you happy, Soph.”

She reached across the table and laced her fingers with mine. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Tell me you love me, too.”

Tears filled her eyes, and I could tell she was fighting to keep them from falling. “I love you, too, Josh.”

My phone dinged with the familiar alert tone for my mother. “It’s my mom. Let me make sure everything’s okay.”

I went to stand, and Sophia pointed at her lasagna with her fork. “By the way, this is amazing, Josh.”

Feeling my chest expand just a bit, I grinned. “Why, thank you.”

It took me a moment to find my phone in the kitchen mess. When I opened the text from my mother, I smiled.

Mom: Grams wants to have a game night. Are you free?

Me: Is it okay if Sophia comes?

Mom: LOL! Yes. But warn the poor girl first.

Me: Will do.

Setting my phone down, I hurried back to Sophia.

“This bread! I need the recipe. It is so good !”

I nodded and took a seat. “Grams can make anything. Speaking of,” I said as I gathered some lasagna onto my fork, “Grams wants to have a family game night. What do you say we clean this up later and head over after eating?”

“I’d love to join. Should we bring some of this to her, though? There’s a lot left over.”

“Good idea,” I said.

After eating and talking through a damn tasty meal, if I did say so myself, we gathered the dishes. I rinsed them and piled them up for the next round in the dishwasher, while Sophia dished some of the lasagna and salad in to-go containers. I grabbed a bag in the pantry, and she slid everything into it.

“Need anything before we head over there?” I asked.

She shook her head, then glanced at me. “Do I look okay? Am I dressed okay? Do I look like I just had sex?”

Trying not to laugh, I pulled her to me. “You look beautiful, you’re dressed fine, and you did earlier, with your flushed cheeks, but the glow has faded.”

She pouted. “Maybe on the outside, but certainly not on the inside.”

“Before we go to family game night, I have to warn you, it can get a little…competitive. Things might be a little calmer with Granddad…well, you know, but we’re still a rowdy group.”

“Okay, got it.”

“Just do me one favor.”

Her arms wrapped around my neck. “Anything.”

“Remember you said you loved me when we’re in the thick of it tonight.”

Her smile faded, and she looked worried. “The…thick of it?”

I grabbed the bag with Grams’s food and took her hand, pulling her toward the door to leave. I wasn’t about to give her time to back out.

“Josh…what do you mean, in the thick of it?” Sophia asked as I opened the door to my truck and held my hand for her to climb in.

Once she was in, I handed her the food, winked, and said, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Her mouth opened, and I thought she was going to say something. When she didn’t, I shut the door and climbed into the driver’s side.

Starting up the truck, I gave her my brightest smile. “Ready?”

She swallowed hard. “I think so.”

I had to hand it to Sophia. She didn’t seem the least bit nervous when we climbed the steps to Uncle Brock’s house, where game night was being held.

“Ready?” I asked, taking her hand in mine.

“I’m ready. Got my game face on.”

My poor Sophia was going to be in for a shock. “Okay, here we go.”

I opened the door, and you could instantly hear everyone talking. Actually, they were arguing.

“Lord, here we go,” I said as I tugged Sophia, who seemed to slow down a bit, behind me. We walked into the living room and the arguing continued.

One look around said we were the last to arrive. That wasn’t good.

“We’re here!” I called out.

No one even looked in our direction.

“Hello?” I yelled a bit louder.

“What’s happening?” Sophia asked in a hushed voice. I wasn’t sure why she was whispering. It wasn’t like anyone would be able to hear her through all the yelling.

“They’re trying to pick the game.”

“Oh.”

It was all she said as she inched behind me, clutching my hand even tighter.

“Grams is most likely in the kitchen.”

Sophia didn’t say anything as she followed me through the living room and into the kitchen. Her eyes were taking in everything. Uncle Brock and Aunt Lincoln’s house was beautiful and had a very rustic feel to it.

“There they are!” Mom said as we made our way into the kitchen. She hugged Sophia before hugging me. Then she hugged Sophia a second time. When I looked at my father with a raised brow, he simply winked.

“Hi, Mom,” I said, as she gushed over how lovely Sophia looked.

With a quick glance in my direction, my mother smiled. “Hey, honey. Sophia, darling, you’re glowing.”

Sophia glanced at me with pink cheeks before Grams pulled her into a hug, followed by Aunt Lincoln.

“Dad, what’s happening right now?”

My father slapped my back. “You brought a girl home, son. Not just home. You brought her to family game night. In the women’s eyes, you’re practically engaged. They’ll most likely start talking about the wedding and future grandbabies the moment you and Sophia leave.”

“What?” I asked, louder than I’d intended. It didn’t matter, though; everyone in the kitchen was currently fawning over my girlfriend. To be honest, I couldn’t blame them. She was amazing, and the best part of all of it…she was all mine.

“Dude, when did you get here?” Nate asked, reaching out and hitting me on the side of the arm. He leaned in and said, “How did dinner go?”

Grinning, I replied, “Everything was perfect.”

He looked me over for a moment, then grinned back. “It’s about damn time!”

“Let’s talk about this another time.”

Nate laughed.

“Okay, looks like we’re playing the Oreo game,” Morgan said as her six-year-old daughter Blakley jumped for joy behind her.

“Oreo game?” I asked Nate.

Sighing, he said, “Now that we have older cousins, they’ve been given a vote. Rhett was the one who came up with the game. Said he and Granddad watched a video, and they both agreed that would be the next family game night game. Once he said that, no one could argue.”

I smiled at little Blakley. As soon as she saw me, she ran over, calling my name. I bent down and scooped her up as she launched herself at me.

“Hey, Squirt!”

“Uncle Josh, we’re playing the Oreo game!” she said, cupping my face in her little hands before planting a kiss right on my mouth.

“That sounds like fun! What is it?”

She giggled. “I don’t know. All I know is we get to eat Oreos!”

“So that’s why your father wanted me to buy all these packs of Oreos,” Grams said with a slight laugh.

Rhett came walking into the kitchen. He was the spitting image of my cousin Blayze. The bluest of blue eyes and dark wavy hair. He was even a big flirt, just like his dad. I was giving him less than five minutes to say something to Sophia.

“This is what we need,” Rhett declared, talking like he was twenty instead of six. “Cups, like the kind Grandpa drinks his beers out of.”

We all looked at each other before Morgan laughed. “The clear plastic cups.”

“Got ’em,” Grams said, holding up a package of cups. It was nice to see her smiling.

Rhett took them from her, looked them over, and nodded. “We need to fill ’em with barbecue sauce, hot sauce, mustard, lemon juice, ketchup, milk, that gross white stuff my dad puts on turkey sandwiches, and syrup…like what we put on pancakes.”

Leaning over, Nate whispered to me, “Where is this going?”

“I think I know, and once everyone else does, they are not going to be happy they gave in to a six-year-old.”

Rhett looked up at Morgan. “Do you have money, Aunt Morgan?”

“Little dude, I’m the wrong mom to ask that question. Georgiana! Your child needs money!”

Blayze’s wife, Georgiana, walked into the kitchen looking confused. “Why does Rhett need money?”

“Hello,” Rhett said, ignoring his mom as he walked up to Sophia and held out his hand. “I’m Rhett Shaw. I’m six, and you’re awful pretty.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed.

“No, Rhett, you do not flirt with Josh’s girlfriend.”

Sophia was smiling, but when she looked at me her eyes were wide with surprise. All I could do was laugh even more.

“Daddy, I was just sayin’ hi.”

“Lord, the apple did not fall far from that tree,” Grams said as she put some of the condiments Rhett requested on the kitchen island. Lincoln, Rhett’s grandmother, got the rest.

“Daddy, we need money for one of the cups.”

Without even blinking an eye, Blayze opened his wallet, pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills, and handed them to Rhett.

“That’s what you call having your daddy wrapped around your finger,” Georgiana said, giving Blayze an admonishing look.

“Okay, we fill the cups with this stuff,” Rhett declared. “Tape the cups to the edge of the table. Then, we roll the Oreos down the table. When an Oreo goes into a cup, you have to eat it.”

We all looked at each other, horrified. “Does everyone in the living room know how this game is played?” I asked.

“They’re about to!” Rhett said as he ran out of the room, but not before calling over his shoulder, “See you soon, Sophia!”

“I’ll be damned,” Nate said. “He’s going to steal your girlfriend. Look at how she’s smiling.”

When I looked over at Sophia, she was indeed smiling and laughing with my mother. If I thought I was in love with her before, I fell even more right then.

“Dude, the look on your face right now,” Nate said.

Turning to him, I smiled. “Nate, I can’t wait until you fall in love. Plus, I’ll get that money we bet on at Avery’s wedding.”

He laughed. “You’re gonna be waiting a long time. I don’t think any woman would ever look at me the way Sophia looks at you.”

I turned to look at him and wanted to tell him I had seen a girl look at him that way. Haven. But in the end, I let it go. It would happen soon enough.