Bring It On

Chapter 17

Reaper's POV

We opened up more than I expected us too but I felt better. Seeing her accept everything I told her, revealing everything, including my feelings towards her, made me feel like the luckiest fucker in the world. That night after we confessed ourselves to each other, I realized I didn't deserve her. When I woke up, she wasn't in the room. I could smell bacon being fried. I put on a pair of underwear before going down the stairs. She wore my shirt with my hat on backwards. Damn did my woman look good. I debated on walking up to her from behind instead of approaching in a way she could see me out of the corner of her eye, but after everything we talked about last night, I had confidence that she trusted me enough where I could approach her from behind. 

I slipped my arms around her waist and she leaned into me. I placed a kiss on her cheek before snagging one of the finished pieces from the plate by the stove. I ate it while she moved what she was cooking to the plate. I then began to assist in cooking. Once it was finished we took it to the table to eat. The silence was comfortable, but I could tell she was thinking about something. "What's on your mind baby," I asked her. "I want to try and be able to sit in a thing of water without having a freak out," she said to me, eyes on her plate. 

I eyed the hot tub outside then looked back at her, "We can try the hot tub." Maybe if she wasn't alone she could possibly handle it. She nodded, "I've never been in one before so I guess it'll be a different experience entirely." We ate and then I grabbed some towels for us. She took off my hat then tied her hair up. I took her hand and we went to the deck. I got everything set up before wrapping my arms around her. "You don't have to do this if you don't want too," I told her. "We've already pushed our boundaries more than I expected us too this weekend." "But I do," she said as she looked at the bubbling water. "I want to know what it's like to be able to take a relaxing bath again. I want to be able to go to the swimming hole Tanner and I grew up goin' too as kids and be able to enjoy myself and not avoid it like the plague." I placed a kiss on her head. I stripped off my underwear before stepping in. I stayed standing and held my hand out to her. She took off her shirt before slowly reaching her hand out to me, her eyes on the water. 

"Look at me baby," I said to her. She didn't. "Baby girl," I said again. Her eyes moved to mine and I could see her fear, but I could also see her determination. She slowly stepped in. She stood in the water with me now. Her hands were shaking and she was doing her best to keep her breathing under control. 

"Say the word baby and we'll go inside," I said gently to her. I will never force her to overcome this. "I want to do this," she whispered to me. Her eyes had tears in them. I let her take the lead as she began to test herself by slowly lowering herself to sit in one of the seats. It was a rather deep hot tub that I had spent the money to have custom made so the water came to just below her shoulders once she was fully seated. I sat beside her. She was incredibly tense and I could see the slight panic she had as the memories began to assault her mind. 

I cupped her face between my hands and forced her to look at me. I then kissed her. At first her memories had control of her so it took her a moment before she was kissing me back. When she returned the kiss, she was hesitant at first before she kissed me with that fierceness that I was addicted too. 

When I pulled away I saw she had tears falling down her face. I wiped her tears away. "Talk to me baby," I whispered to her. "How do you feel?" 

"I have to keep reminding myself where I am," she whispered. "And that I'm not alone." 

She then leaned towards me till her forehead rested on my chest. I moved her so she was in my lap, straddling me. I wrapped my arms around her and she moved her head so her face was tucked into the side of my neck. I ran my hand up and down her back slowly. We stayed like that for a while till she was able to fully relax. She adjusted how she was sitting till her back was against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her. 

She leaned her head back against me and I kissed her temple. We enjoyed the peace for a bit and I loved it. 

"I want to declare you as my old lady," I said to her. She turned her head to look at me, "That's a serious thing. Are you sure you want me to have that title?" I could see the insecurities in her eyes. "There is no one else who deserves to have that title," I told her. She knows everything about me, and not once did she show an ounce of disgust or pity. Instead she embraced and accepted it all. 

She seemed to be debating it before she nodded, "Okay." I couldn't help my smile before kissing her. When I pulled away I smirked down at her. "Now if I'm not mistaken we have a whole list of things to do today." She let out a soft laugh as I stood with her in my arms.

After a whole day of fun and love making, she laid asleep in our bed, a small smile on her lips. I just hope that once we get home, these feelings we have don't change. I want us to continue to have this kind of openness with each other, no matter who's around us. She was my woman and I will give her the world if she asked that of me. I just hope she would do the same for me.