Hard Working Hero Read online

  Hardin tells me where the house is, and I type it into the GPS on my phone. “Well, I've got to go check on the walkway I poured yesterday. Tell Oliver I'm heading to Gaston tomorrow to start tiling the bathroom.”

  “I will.” Pulling my purse up my arm, I leave and head to the new house. It's a fifteen minute drive to the neighborhood. I turn up the quiet road, following the voice as it guides me to the address.

  My tires crunch over the pebbled driveway and I'm staring at a house that looks old, but not as rundown as I expected. Oliver loves to take jobs that turn a monster house into a ray of light on the street. This doesn’t really fit the bill.

  The vinyl siding is peeling and bubbled in some areas. The windows look old, with chipped paint around the frames and shutters that are missing slats. There are holes in the detached two car garage exterior and the door is crooked and dented. Other than that, it looks pretty good.

  I'm parked behind Oliver's truck, but I don't see any other cars as I look around. Shit, I hope I didn't miss them. I can't afford to lose another day on my designs. I promised the Maplewood couple I'd have them done no later than tomorrow. If this meeting takes more than an hour, Oliver will have to make do without me.

  My heels dig into the soft sand causing the tiny rocks to kick up and hit the back of my calves as I walk. I know the first thing we should do here is pave the driveway. That should be number one.

  The rickety wrap around front porch buckles under my feet. I walk lightly on the tips of my toes, afraid the spike of my heel might drive holes through the wood. As I reach the front door, I pull open the storm door and poke my head inside.

  “Oliver.” I call out his name as I take a step inside to what I assume must be the living room.

  A huge stone fireplace is against the far wall. The floor is real wood, and there are vaulted ceilings that make the room feel huge. Taking another step in, my voice echoes as I call out to Oliver again.

  “Hello?”

  “I'm in here!” he yells back.

  I follow his voice, heading down a hall and finding him in a room full of windows. “Hey, where are the clients? Did I miss them?”

  Oliver lets the tape measure snap back and stands up. Turning to face me, he smiles, coming in and wrapping his arm around my waist. He pulls me in and kisses me with a long and passionate kiss.

  “Hey, beautiful.” Oliver's smile spreads across his face as he wraps his other arm around my back. “Took you long enough to get here.”

  “You didn't call me or message me. If it wasn't for Hardin, I wouldn't be here.”

  “I know that. I sent him to tell you.”

  “He also told me there were new clients, but I don't see them. You do know I have a deadline, right?” Pursing my lips, I curl my arms around his neck and arch a brow.

  “Yeah, this won't take long now that you're here.”

  Glancing around, I let my eyes drift back to his. “So, where are the clients?”

  “They'll be here shortly, but I want you to tell me what you think first. What do you think of this room?”

  “There's not much to it. It's all windows.”

  “But what do you see?”

  “Well,” I say, stepping out of his arms and walking the perimeter of the room, “I see a greenhouse with a spa vibe. Maybe lots of flowers and plants, add a hot tub in the back corner. Some pixie lights would give it a soft glow, and since it's surrounded by trees in the backyard, you don't need to worry about creating a privacy veil.”

  “I like it.” Oliver takes my hand and pulls me to the kitchen. “What about the kitchen?”

  “It depends. What are you thinking about for the cabinets?”

  “I see dark cherry with a high gloss, a bright white granite counter with maybe some blue pops of color.”

  “Can you move the stove to the center and add a big island?”

  “Of course,” he says confidently.

  Stepping into the center of the room, I wave my hand through the air. “Then I see a large iron rack above the island for pots and pans, and stainless steel textured backsplash for the wall.” I spin in a circle, and stare at the wall. “The paint color would depend on the color in the granite, but a blue would look nice.”

  “And the living room?” he asks excitedly.

  We walk into the living room. Oliver goes to the fireplace and runs his hand across the stone. “Beautiful, isn't it? Imagine having a fire in here on a chilly night, a glass of red wine in your hand, the flames crackling and popping. Can you see it?”

  “I can,” I say.

  “No, no, you need to close your eyes.”

  “What? No, I get what you're saying.”

  Oliver grins, coming back to me and taking my hands. “I'm serious. Close your eyes and just picture it.” He squeezes my hands and pouts. “Come on, just do it.”

  “All right, fine.” I close my eyes, and Oliver keeps talking.

  “Just imagine it. You and me laying by the fire, snuggled up in a blanket, a bottle of wine next to us. It's dark out, and everything is quiet except for the fire.”

  “It sounds beautiful.”

  “Open your eyes,” he says, his voice a whisper.

  Blinking my eyes open, Oliver is down on one knee, his lips holding a soft smirk.

  “Oh my God. What are you doing?”

  “Narissa, I know it's only been six months, but I can't imagine a future without you.”

  “Are you really doing this right now?” I ask, my eyes welling up with tears.

  “Will you marry me?” he asks, pulling a small red box from his pocket and opening the lid.

  The ring sparkles, twinkling like it's being hit with a ray of sunlight. Oliver pulls the ring from the velvet pillow holding it. He pinches the band as he holds my left hand, his eyes intently watching me and waiting for an answer.

  “Yes, of course I'll marry you,” I blurt out as tears start streaming down my face. My hand is shaking as he slips the ring up my finger. It fits perfectly.

  Oliver stands, scooping my face in his hands and kissing me. “I love you,” he says, kissing me between words. “I love you so much.”

  “I can't believe you did this here in a new client’s house. But I guess it's fitting considering this is what brought us together.”

  “I didn't,” he says as he holds my face and looks in my eyes. “I did this in our house.”

  “What?” I ask.

  Did I hear him right? Did he just say our house?

  “This house, it's not someone else's, it's ours.” His eyes scan the entire room.

  “You bought us a house?”

  “Do you like it? I saw it and just thought of you. I want this to be our home, where we have our kids and grow old, and enjoy our life together.”

  “Oliver this is crazy.” My voice wavers between excitement and disbelief. “You bought us a house. This is our house.” Tears are rolling down my cheeks, and I can't stop them. I'm so happy.

  Oliver uses his thumbs to wipe them away. His lips find mine again, soft and delicate as he infuses so much love into the kiss. There's no denying how he feels. He loves me. He loves me like every girl dreams of being loved.

  Slipping his tongue inside my mouth, our kiss becomes intense. I can't contain the feelings I have inside right now. I want him to feel how much I appreciate everything about him. His kindness. His tenderness. His desire to make me happy. He'll never know how much that means to me. There are no words I can give him that explain what I'm feeling. They just don't exist.

  “I love you,” I say, whispering against his mouth. My tongue swirls around his as I inhale a ragged breath. “Thank you.” My hands rake through his hair as I press up on the tips of my toes and kiss him deeper.

  His lips become savage, kissing me with force. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in against his chest. He exhales hard as his hands find my ass. Scooping me off my feet, Oliver walks backwards until my back hits the wall.

  My skirt scrunches up to my hips as he
pushes himself in deeper between my legs. His hard cock presses against my pussy, making my clit throb. I want this man. I want this moment every single day for the rest of my life.

  To feel this full, this happy, this loved, there's nothing else in the world that compares. This is my life. This is where I belong. This is where we belong.

  Oliver's lips move down my neck. I tip my head to give him more room, my body tingling as he nibbles exposed skin. I moan softly, squeezing him with my thighs and rubbing my pussy against his lower belly.

  He pushes me harder against the wall, pinning me in place and grabbing my breast. A soft growl escapes from his mouth as he bites my neck. I arch my back, scraping my nails over his shoulders and digging them into the firm muscles of his back.

  Crushing his lips against mine, his hand glides down my ribs, landing on the crease of my thigh. He keeps moving down, grabbing my leg and looping it around his back. Oliver sucks on my bottom lip, plucking it between his teeth before pulling away to look at me.

  He doesn't say a word, his eyes dance around mine as he unbuttons his pants. With eager fingers he flicks my panties to the side and rubs my juice all over my folds. The tip of his cock presses against my entrance as he adjusts his hands under my ass.

  Thrusting up, Oliver's dick spears my body, spreading me wide open. His cock is thick and hard, pulsing inside my heat. I can feel his girth as it throbs, twitching inside me like a pulse in your veins.

  He pulls back, allowing his cock to almost break free, then slams back up hard and fast.

  “Mm, fuck,” I groan as our eyes never leave each other. “Yeah, harder. Fuck me harder.” My voice is low, throaty, and full of need.

  Oliver grins as he bites his lip. “You're a bad girl,” he says.

  With my hands on his shoulders, I push myself up, and slam back down as he fucks me. I need him so bad right now, I'm not thinking about the open windows or the broken door. I don't care if the neighbors can hear me.

  This is about us. This moment in time signifies a new chapter.

  Bouncing on his cock, I can feel him hit me deep. My clit is swelling, growing more tender by the second. The orgasm ignites in my core, spreading through my body in waves.

  My entire body is so fragile right now. I can feel everything. I can feel every nerve in my body as it fires off. I can feel the hot air as it seeps into my lungs with every breath. I can feel my pulse as it beats under my skin, and my heart as it slams against my ribs like a caged bird.

  His fingers grip my ass firmly, the tips digging in with force as his hips thrash up and down. I'm watching him come undone before my very eyes. With clenched teeth, Oliver's eyes roll back in his head as his cock explodes.

  His warm cum fills my body as his cock jerks in my pussy. The cum spills over, dripping out of me and pooling at his base.

  Oliver pulls himself free and lowers me to my feet. He holds my hips as I steady myself on my heels. “Well, we christened this house a little quicker than I expected.”

  Giggling, I give him a big smile. “Today was a good day.”

  He tucks himself back in his pants, then reaches out to pull me in for a hug. “Today was the best day. I love you,” he says, kissing my forehead.

  “I love you too.”

  There's always that one moment in your life you'll never forget. You'll remember every detail, right down to how warm your skin feels. This is that moment.

  This is the moment where my heart realizes I have everything I'll ever need right in front of me. I have this man who loves me for me.

  Nothing will ever compare to that feeling.

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