Say You're Mine: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Southport Love Stories Book 4), Sarah Brooks [urban books to read .txt] 📗

I didn’t want Sam or my mom to know how I kept them comfortable. That wasn’t a reality they needed to be aware of.

I had worked hard to compartmentalize and as such, I had split into three people. There was the Robert I became when I was with my family. There was the Robert who worked as a successful attorney. And there was the Robert who became a camboy at night, taking his clothes off to people who paid for the privilege. Each one was a different part of me, a different part of my personality. And until this moment, I hadn’t meshed them together in any way. This was the first time since I had become these three different men, that I was pushing either of those sides together. It was momentous for me. Skylar had no idea.

Tiffany had come dangerously close to blurring the lines between my lives and as such my walls were very high. And there was Skylar, looking over the top, ready to climb over.

I wanted to let her.

“Is this going too fast?” I asked her.

Skylar released her lip and stared out the window. “I have a chip on my shoulder, Rob. Let's call it a crater.” She furrowed her brow. “I’m scared to get my hopes up about us.”

I reached across the center console and took her hand, lacing our fingers together. “I’ve never introduced a woman to Sam and my mom before.”

That made her look at me. “Never? Really?

I shook my head. “I don’t really date. In fact, I haven’t had a real girlfriend since college.” I didn’t tell her that my only previous relationship was with the woman who also made money when I took off my clothes for other people. I knew that part of my life was dark and being with Skylar made me feel shame for the first time ever about the decisions I had made for myself in the past. I didn’t want to be that person. I wanted to have a clean history with no secrets.

I had some decisions to make.

“So this is a big deal for me too,” I went on, pushing those thoughts from my mind. I would deal with that later. I had to focus on Skylar and what she meant to me.

“What if your brother and mom don’t like me? I’m not an easy person to like, Rob.” She sounded so concerned that I found myself turning on the turn signal and pulling off to the side of the road.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

I put the car into park once I was safely on the shoulder. I unbuckled my seat belt and turned to her, reaching out and cupping her face in my hands. “My god, Skylar, you’re fucking perfect, can’t you see that?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not fishing for compliments. And I’m not suffering from low self-esteem. I’m simply being honest with myself. Mac’s parents didn’t like me. His mom made it very obvious she thought her son could do better.” She snorted. “They must be like pigs in the shit now that I’m out of their lives.”

“Then they’re idiots. And from what you’ve told me about Mac, it’s not surprising his parents were morons. My mom is amazing. So is my brother. And they’ll love you because I—” I cut off my words abruptly. I had come dangerously close to telling her that I loved her. And given her state of near panic, that would be a very bad idea.

“You’re special to me,” I started again, “and if you’re special to me, then you’ll be special to them.” I thought briefly about the phone call I had with Tiffany earlier. A thread of disquiet unfurled in my gut at what she might do because I wasn’t bowing to her wishes. I’d have to tell Skylar about Tiffany at some point. I knew that with absolute certainty.

But this weekend wasn’t that time. This weekend was about starting a new chapter with a woman I was coming to love very much.

“For a guy that usually doesn’t have a lot to say, you’re pretty good with the whole calming people down thing,” she smirked.

“Maybe I’m just good at calming you down,” I suggested. I leaned across the console and kissed her. She let out a little sigh as she opened her mouth and I tasted her thoroughly. I pulled away after a few minutes. “Feel better?”

She smiled. “Much.”

“Then let's get this show on the road.” I re-fastened my seat belt and pulled back onto the highway.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, and we checked into the Four Seasons in downtown Philly a little over an hour later.

“Fancy,” Skylar remarked as we took the elevator up to our suite. I had splurged and booked the Landmark Corner Suite that overlooked the city. I wasn’t the kind of man to spend an exorbitant amount of money on high-end hotels and over-the-top meals, but for Skylar, I would make an exception. I wanted her to have the best weekend I could give her.

Okay, so what if I was trying to impress her? From the way her eyes widened when I opened the door to our suite, I was pretty sure I was off to a good start.

“Damn, Jenkins. I didn’t realize business was this good,” she joked, heading straight for the wall of glass that overlooked the city. She stared down, pressing her hands to the windows. “It’s a good thing I don’t have a fear of heights.”

I came up behind her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her back against me. I leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. “It’s a good thing we’re so far up, that way no one will see me fucking you against this window later.” I felt her shiver and was immensely proud of myself.

She turned in my arms, her hands on my belt buckle. “Why wait until later?” She raised an eyebrow and that was all the encouragement I needed.

Chapter Eleven

Skylar

I