Say You’ll Stay

Chapter 18 – West

Chapter Eighteen

WEST

“ W ill you be taking over The Academy?” Lauren asks as we clear the table. Griffin had brought over steaks and a propane tank.

We hooked up the grill in the back and made dinner while the girls got to know each other.

“I don’t think so. I don’t know anything about running a school. It was a nice gesture, though.” Vasey pats me on the shoulder.

“I guess I’ll sell it.” I pick up my stack of dishes and follow the girls inside. Griff trails behind.

“You could go to school for it,” Lauren suggests. “I’m taking business admin classes because I want to open my own salon, but all I know how to do right now is cut hair and deliver plates.”

“Customer service is a good skill,” Griffin calls from over my shoulder.

“You don’t have to defend me, babe. I know I need more know-how before I can start a business.”

“I didn’t have any,” Griff says.

“You had West, who you say yourself is uncommonly smart about business things.”

“Thanks for the compliment, Lauren.” I shoot a grin at Griff, who is frowning since his woman paid the slightest bit of attention to someone other than him.

“Where will you open your new salon?” Vasey asks.

“I’m not sure. Was hoping that West would help us out on that. Put together some feasibility plans, market comps, and stuff.”

“Be happy to.” I place the last fork inside the dishwasher basket, and Vasey hip checks the door closed. “Good teamwork.” We high-five.

Lauren’s phone dings. She reads a text and then motions for Griffin. “We have to go. Mick’s done packing, and we need to take him to the airport. He’s doing some sparring with a boxing champ in Vegas,” she explains.

“It was wonderful meeting you.” Vasey and Lauren hug.

It’s good to see them get along, not that I was worried that they wouldn’t. Griff wasn’t going to fall for a woman like Roberta. As the two women move toward the door, Griff pulls me aside. “Wanted to let you know that in my deep dive on Ware, I found out that Jasmine isn’t his bio kid. It’s his cousin who died right after Jasmine was born. Ware took the kid in.”

“Interesting. Anything else?”

“No. Rich as hell. Came from a rich family. Will die as part of a rich family. Take care of yourself. Let’s get together again.”

“Next week?”

“It’s a plan.”

Upstairs, as Vasey puts on her face stuff, I tell her the news about Ware.

“I know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone knows that Jasmine isn’t his bio daughter, but it doesn’t matter because he views Jasmine as his own flesh and blood and would ruin anyone that would suggest otherwise. That’s why no one says anything. Does it matter to you?”

“That Jasmine is adopted? No. Why would it?” I could watch Vasey do her nighttime routine for hours. For one, I get to stare at her gorgeous face, but two, seeing all her jars and bottles strewn across our bathroom sink is a mark of her presence. She’s here, with me, forever.

“No, I mean would you be against adoption?”

“Hell, no.” I rear back, slightly offended because we were foster kids. I would’ve been thrilled to be adopted. Then I think about her words and wonder. “Do you want to adopt?”

“I’m open. If I can’t get pregnant, I would.”

“Maybe you’re pregnant already.” I spent enough cum inside of her to fill a house.

“I’m not, but Lauren is.”

“That explains all the hovering Griff was doing during dinner.”

“I wouldn’t mind being pregnant.” She meets my gaze in the mirror. “You want kids, don’t you?”

I drop my hands on her shoulders and then tilt her neck to the side to place a warm kiss there.

“Absolutely. Whether you carry them or whether we adopt them makes no difference to me. Should I sell The Academy, then?”

She hesitates. “I just don’t know anything about running a school. I’ve never even taught a class.”

“You taught Jasmine a lot of things, but I hear you. What about going back to school like Lauren suggested?”

“I’m intrigued,” she admits, “but going back to school at my age?”

“I’m gonna go back to school.”

“For what?” She twists in her chair.

I crouch down and take the bottle from her hands. It smells good. Fresh, like flowers. I squirt some into my hand and start to pat it on her face like I saw her do last night.

“Since we’re gonna have a boatload of kids, I better learn how to cook. All I know how to do is make pancakes and grill steak. I have to have a bigger skill set.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one cooking and taking care of you?”

“No.” I stop patting long enough to kiss her on her lips. “You should play with Jasmine, watch television, and read books.”

“I thought I was supposed to go to school and study to run The Academy.” She sounds a little breathless.

I pull down the collar of her shirt and start patting the cream on her chest. When the ribbed band is stretched as far as it can go, I give up and just dip my hand under the tee to stroke her nipples to hard buds. She leans back against the counter to give me better access.

“School. Books. Isn’t that the same thing?” I lift one bare leg over my shoulder and then the other.

“Not really.”

I pull my hand out from the top of her shirt so I can push it up from the bottom. Her panties are soaked. I nudge the wet fabric aside and begin to lap at her. The discussion on school, cooking, her duties, my duties, the future all fall by the wayside. Those things will take care of themselves. The important thing is that we’re together now. The dreams we had as kids, when it was just the two of us against the world, are finally a reality.

I look up at her from between her legs, my hands around her waist, all the love I have for her in my eyes. “It doesn’t matter what we do as long as we do it together.”

Her hand cups the back of my head. “Yes, West. You’re right. As long as we’re together.”

I rise and gather her in my arms in one motion and stride into the bedroom to seal our vows. What started so long ago when we were barely adults has finally been realized. Two hearts making one life together.