“I have to tell you something embarrassing.”
“Isthisabout anal?”
She shoves my shoulder. “I did some light social media stalking when I found out who you really were, and I couldn’t find any photos of your exes. I’m imagining they’re women you met at Comic Con. Big cosplayers who dress up like Harley Quinn and walk around with a baseball bat.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Not even close. One is an accountant. The other is a kindergarten teacher, and neither are blond.”
“They weren’t interested in what you’re interested in?”
“No. My first girlfriend, the one I dated out of college in my mid-twenties, told me she was fine with the collection, but I’d see her roll her eyes when I talked about a new issue I wanted to buy.”
“What about your ex-fiancée? Am I allowed to ask about her?”
“Of course you are. I’m not going to hide anything from you. She was more open to the idea of comic books being a passion of mine, at least at the beginning of our relationship. After Iproposed, we started looking at houses. She kept asking me if I planned to bring my collection with me to the new place, and I could tell she was hoping I’d leave it behind.”
“Is the kindergarten teacher the one you were going to marry?” she asks.
“Yeah. Sheila. We met at a fundraiser and dated for four years. I enjoyed our time together, but hindsight tells me she was the safe choice. What worked in that moment,” I say. “If we hadn’t broken up then, it would’ve happened eventually. I’m learning I need someone who challenges me a little bit. Who balances me out. Since you and I started this bet of ours, I’ve never worked so hard. Oddly enough, I’m also more comfortable with boundaries that prevent my professional life from bleeding into my personal life. Thanks for that.”
“You’re welcome.” Avery grins. “It’s the same for me. I used to struggle with boundaries too. I felt like if I didn’t work myself to death, the job wouldn’t get done. Turns out, I can shut my phone off in the evening and finish the tasks tomorrow. Who knew?”
“It takes some learning.” I touch her chin. “What other questions do you have for me? The more you talk, the less tense you look. Might as well keep this rolling. Your well-being is my top priority.”
“Such a selfless guy,” she murmurs. “I’ll come up with a list and send it your way. It will have bullets and subcategories.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.”
She climbs off me and stands. “Take me to your lair, Duncan. I want to pick something good to read.”
I jump up and sweep her off her feet. I throw her over my shoulder and walk down the hall, her laugh echoing in my ears.
In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a big deal. Avery and I aren’t dating. But given my past with women and their indifference to the things I like, it feels like this is important.
“They’re organized by publication date,” I tell her, kicking open my bedroom door and setting her down. “Oldest on the left to most recent on the far end. Graphic novels are mixed in there too, so pick whatever you want.”
“Are there any that are off limits?” Avery asks.
“To you? No.”
Her eyes hold mine for a brief second. She stands on her toes and kisses my cheek before stepping away.
She takes her time looking at the titles. Every time I think she’s about to pick one, she moves on. She mumbles a few things under her breath, andfuck, she’s pretty standing there like that.
“You’re watching me,” she says without glancing up from the issue she’s holding. It’sBatman: The Long Halloween, and one of my favorites. “And it’s distracting.”
“Talk about distracting. You’ve officially earned the title of First Girl to Read One of My Comic Books. I’m kind of geeking out right now.”
“Can you shorten that a bit? It’s far too long.”
“How about I call you a brat instead?” I ask. I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. My mouth drops to her neck, and I kiss her throat. “Is that better?”
“Much. Say it again.”
“I’ll call you whatever you want after you pick something.”
Avery shimmies her way out of my hold and sifts through all the editions I have. I’m not even this thorough when I’m deciding what I want to read, and I appreciate her commitment to detail. After twenty minutes, she settles onThe Amazing Spiderman, and my tongue might be hanging out of my mouth.
“Done.” She settles on the right side of the bed. It’s become her side whenever she stays over, and she stretches out her legs. “Are you going to join me?”
