Beautiful Dreams (The Beautiful Series) (2 page)

Wow.

The sad part was I didn’t have the slightest clue where to start. I secretly wished I could click my heels like Dorothy in
The Wizard of Oz
, and everything would magically find its home, meshing with Kyle’s.

It seemed like I was missing some secret dating code.
Do I just take all my items and blend them with his? Or wait for him to help me decide what goes where?

I felt as if I was invading a man cave even though his house was anything but. Instead, his home was warm and cozy with the perfect homey feeling.

I heard Kyle’s footsteps behind me a moment before he wrapped his arms around my waist, tugging me flush against his chest.

“You look lost, beautiful,” he said sincerely. He placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

“I am,” I answered unsurely. “There are just so many boxes,” I said in awe.

Changing locations was so overwhelming. When I had moved to Florida, I’d left Colorado with only a few bags of clothes and personal belongings that fit into my car. The rest I’d acquired while living in Sanibel Island. For being there for only three years, I felt like quite the pack rat.

His tender smile brushed along the bare skin of my cheek. “You shouldn’t feel lost, Lily. You belong here with me.” He lifted his gaze, taking in the room full of boxes. “Wow…that is a shitload of boxes for one person though,” he teased impishly.

I turned in his arms and loosely hung my hands around his neck. I loved the way he felt in my arms. I would never tire of his touch. He was my home, no matter where we were.

“
That
totally isn’t helping.” I laughed. “I’m not even sure where to begin.”

“Just kidding.” He chuckled, only to stop suddenly. His face paled slightly.

“Careful!” I chided. My eyebrows drew in.

I almost completely forgot about his fractured rib from falling at my home in Colorado. He rarely showed any discomfort from it, but it must still be tender. The ER doctor had told him to be careful for several weeks.

“You’re not supposed to be laughing or taking deep breaths…or carrying me!”
Leave it to a man not to follow doctor’s orders.

His right eyebrow rose. “Says the girl who laughed first.” He smirked. “And it didn’t hurt to carry you. I’m not an invalid.”

“Sorry,” I said, slapping my hand over my mouth while trying to be serious.

It was hard, considering the grin plastered on his face. Per doctor’s orders, there was to be no playful laughing for a few weeks, but we’d never be able to comply with that.

“No more laughing,” I added, shaking my head, as I used the firmest tone I could muster up.

“That’s impossible with you. Besides, my ribs have been feeling much better the last few days. It hardly ever bothers me anymore unless I take a deep breath,” he retorted.

He leaned forward and kissed me once and then twice. His lips were so soft and fit mine perfectly. My grin broke free by the third kiss.

Kyle pulled back. “Alright, time to work.”

In this very moment, I wanted to giggle out of pure bliss that was also mirrored in his eyes, but I resisted.

Damn, this is going to be really hard. Thank goodness he is healing quickly.

He switched his attention back to the boxes. “Let’s pick one and keep going until they are all gone.” He glanced back at me with a sexy full-blown grin as he paused. “I vote for the one labeled
bedroom
first.” His mood was infectious.

I playfully rolled my eyes at him. “Of course you’d say that.”

Kyle’s smile was contagious, too. His eyes glowed with utter happiness. He leaned forward and kissed me quickly, making a popping noise with his lips. “That’s why you love me,” he replied. He rotated me to face the boxes. Enclosing his hand over mine, he pulled me in the direction of the mountain of boxes. “Come on, beautiful. The sooner we get rid of these boxes, the sooner I get to see all your stuff mixed with mine.”

Kyle stopped in front of a box labeled
bedroom
. He lifted it and strode toward his room. I opened my mouth to halt him since the doctor had said no lifting, but then I quickly closed it. If Kyle had not hesitated when picking me up, he definitely would not be deterred by a ten-pound package. Shaking my head at his overbearing ways, I grabbed the next one with the same label and headed after him.

Kyle set the brown box on the edge of his bed, and then he broke the taped lid open with his hands. From the corner of my eye, I saw him hold up a racy pair of black lace panties with the matching bra. Shaking his head from side to side, he let out a sexy low whistle. I couldn’t help but grin at his luck. That particular box was filled to the top with my panties, bras, and silk pajamas.

“And I already thought it was my lucky day.” Kyle beamed, tilting his head at me. “But it just got even better.”

I walked over to him and seized my lingerie from his grasp. “Give me those,” I snorted.

Kyle’s grin broadened. I spun around in the direction of my new wooden dresser to put the undergarments away, and my steps slowed as I realized my clothing would stay in this dresser indefinitely. Nerves suddenly appeared with each footstep. Although I had used the dresser once before during my mini getaway with Kyle, this time felt different because this trip wasn’t a visit. It was permanent.

Stopping inches from the dresser, I gradually opened the top drawer, absorbing every detail in the deep cherry wood, while thinking about the short time during which I had met Kyle, fallen head over heels, and now moved thousands of miles to be with him.

Is love always so powerful like this?

Writing about love was sure different than experiencing it. Love was life-altering and consuming.

How would it feel to have my heart broken by love?
I knew what it felt like to be shattered by loss, but somehow, I feared the loss of love would be the final piece to destroying my heart completely beyond repair. I prayed my faith was strong enough to give me the courage to push forward at my chance at love and true happiness.

I felt Kyle’s presence right before he touched me. Our connection was so intense that I could always sense when he was near.

“I can see those thoughts running a mile a minute through your mind, Lily,” he said, his voice low and sincere. He placed one hand on the side of my hip.

“Being here feels so right when you touch me,” I admitted as much to myself as to him. “But when there’s distance between us, the rational part of my brain says this is all too fast.” I shook my head. “Love is supposed to take more time.”

His grip tightened slightly on my waist as he easily rotated me to face him. “There’s never going to be any distance between you and me, Lily,” he said with a confident, strong voice. “So, don’t try to put any between us. You can always talk to me.” The side of his mouth quirked up in the most adorable way. “And you need to ignore that rational part of your mind thinking about all these time concepts—except to be thankful that we have so many years to look forward to.” He tugged me closer while searching the depths of my eyes. “I’ve already told you that my heart doesn’t need a damn calendar to tell me how long I’ve known you, and I’ll just have to convince you of that.”

The man could sure give a speech when he wanted.

Having no words, only feelings, I kissed him. His lips were warm and familiar and oh-so soothing. It was all I needed to be reminded of why I was here with him right now instead of sealing my heart closed while alone in Florida.

We parted, and I lifted my eyes to meet his.

“I’m convinced,” I admitted quietly, feeling embarrassed for allowing my reservations to creep up on me. I shut them tightly back into their little box.

A slow, loving smile spread from the corners of his mouth. “Good. Now, let’s tackle these boxes.”

Kyle and I went back to unpacking, side by side, until we eliminated a small portion of the boxes. It was sweet to watch Kyle make room for my belongings.

Opening the last bedroom box, I reached inside to grab my gray crochet blanket that I had brought with me from Colorado. I rubbed my hands over the material to feel the woven pattern. I let happy memories fill my thoughts, like of my sister and I fighting over it while my mother acted as mediator.

I walked over to Kyle’s bed—now, our bed—and draped it over the edge. I wanted to use this blanket in my home to remember my family.

Kyle came to my side and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You picked a perfect spot for it.”

I turned to face him, smiling affectionately. “I think so, too.”

He lifted his hand to run his thumb along my jaw. He bent forward and kissed my lips softly before leaning back. “Ready for a break? Our pizza should be here any minute.”

“Yes, I’m hungry.”

The doorbell rang, and we both laughed.

“Perfect timing.” He winked before turning to make his way to the front door. “Why don’t you get us some plates while I get the food?”

“Sounds good,” I said as I headed toward the kitchen.

In the kitchen, I was surprised at how much I remembered. I quickly grabbed plates, forks, and napkins, and then I strolled over to the table. Making a second trip, I brought over two glasses of milk as Kyle set the large pizza box down in the center.

After placing two slices each on our plates, we took our seats next to each other and began eating.

“So, when do you plan to return to work?” I questioned before taking a bite of my cheesy pizza.

“My sister, Abbey, says she has everything under control, but I told her I’d stop in by the end of the week after I complete some paperwork.”

“Do you have a lot to catch up on?”

Kyle nodded. “I have some billing receipts to enter in my database and a few contractors to update with detailed plans, but it’s nothing major,” he said nonchalantly.

“You aren’t physically part of the construction aspects of it anymore?” I asked, curious to know more.

“Nowadays, I usually contract most of it out, so I can have more projects running at the same time. Abbey helps me manage them, and she makes sure they’re all on track.” He paused, taking a sip of his milk. “Right now, we are getting ready to remodel another small building that will be completely redone—from rewiring the electrical all the way to the floors and paint. So, when do you plan to start writing?”

Feeling full, I set down the remains of my last slice of pizza. “I’m hoping to start in the next day or two and get back in my groove. It seems strange to have the time off.”

“Does it take a while to get back in the right frame of mind to work on your story?” he asked.

“Yes, I think so. I will usually reread the last chapter or so to help get me back in the setting of my characters, and then it just flows from there.”

Kyle nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense,” he responded. He stood and took his plate to the sink.

I rose from my seat and cleared my plate, too. He put the leftover slices in the fridge before turning to face me.

“Do you want to watch a movie and call it an early night? Or should we keep unpacking?” he asked, searching my eyes for clues.

I was pretty worn out from traveling, and relaxing with a movie sounded like a great idea.

“Sure.” I smiled. “What did you have in mind?”

Kyle grinned. “How about an action-packed movie or a comedy?”

“As long as it’s a comedy, you’re on,” I chortled.

Once in the living room, I sat on the large couch and grabbed the blanket draped over the side. I curled up underneath it while Kyle found the remote on the end table. He stood off to the side of the television and started flipping through the movies available on Netflix.

The Hangover
and
Bridesmaids
popped on the screen.

“Oh, how about
Bridesmaids
?” I nearly shouted, pointing at the TV screen.

Kyle groaned and tilted his head over his right shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “That sounds like a chick flick,” he countered.

I laughed. “It’s a comedy. It has Melissa McCarthy!”

He faced the TV again and scrolled down. “Ah, now this one looks
non
-chick flickish. How about
Identity Thief
? It has McCarthy in it, too.”

I rolled my eyes at his reference to feminine movies. “No way will that top
Bridesmaids.
Did you see the previews for it? That movie is going to be hilarious.”

He glared slightly at me. “You picked
The Proposal
last time, if I
remember correctly?”

“I did.” I chuckled. “Okay, you win—although that was a girl movie slash comedy.”

“Call it what you will, but it wasn’t something a guy would normally choose,” he replied as he selected
Identity Thief.
He strode over next to the couch and braced his arms on the back of it, caging me in. His mouth was inches from mine. “Besides, maybe I plan to distract you during the movie.” He grinned wickedly.

I stretched forward and gently bit his bottom lip. “Fine by me,” I breathed against his mouth.

Kyle’s eyes darkened with desire just before he took my mouth against his. He caressed my tongue with leisurely slow strokes as I began to melt into him.

The surround sound filled the air with opening credits, and Kyle gave me one last quick kiss before he sat on the cushion next to me. I snuggled against him as he tucked me into his side. I let out a soft sigh. It was comforting to be in his arms after a long day.