He sighed. “I’ve had a serious boner since the boutique.”
“Well, there are ways of fixing that,” I teased.
“I’m well aware, Miss Germaine, but not until tonight. I want to take my time with you. Good things come to those who wait.”
“And those who don’t?” I asked, brushing my lips against the corner of his mouth. He turned his head and caught my mouth for a heated kiss, pulling me closer so his erection pushed into my hip.
“You taste so good,” he murmured when he released me. “Tell me you’re moving in, and I get to do this whenever I please.”
“David,” I protested, placing a hand on his chest. “It’s too soon—”
“We have a house together, for God’s sake,” he said.
Oh, yes, the Oak Park house. I’d purposely been avoiding the topic. David had bought my dream home on a whim because he couldn’t stand the thought of someone else buying it for me. Not two days into our relationship and there was a house involved.
“Youhave a house,” I corrected.
“Wedo, Olivia.” His eyebrows furrowed. “Great as it is, that house means nothing to me without you in it.”
That, I already knew, since he’d practically given it to me days earlier when he’d almost walked out of my life. “That’s way in the future anyway,” I said. “I still have a whole divorce to get through.”
“Again,we,” he corrected. “I’m going through it with you, no matter how hard you try to do it alone.”
“Right, okay,” I said slowly, “but it’s ridiculous for me to go from being married to someone else right to moving in with you.”
“What’s ridiculous is you paying rent on some shithole when you’ll be here with me every night anyway.”
Butterflies filled my tummy at the enticing thought of falling asleep and waking up next to this god on a regular basis. “Everynight?” I repeated.
“If you think I’m willing to spend even one night away from you, after every night we’ve already spent apart, after everything I did to get you . . .” He shook his head. “Then you have no clue what’s been going on in my head the past few months, honeybee. You’re my girl,” he said softly, “and I want you here.”
I smiled and touched his hair, because I thought it was cute when he called mehoneybee. But it was downright sexy to be his girl, and I showed him so by shifting on his lap in a way I hoped would entice him to break his rule about waiting until tonight.
“Don’t try to distract me,” he said. “We’re having this talk now.”
I blew out a sigh and stilled. “You’re a cock block.”
He grinned. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you off so easy tonight.”
My insides clenched, and I wished we were already home from the party. I stood. “Okay. You’re right. Let’s talk.”
He frowned. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t think straight being that close to you.”
“If thinking straight is a requirement, then might I suggest we do this over the phone?”
“Very funny,” I said, moving to a dove-gray, heathered tweed couch on the other side of his office. I removed my shoes and sat against one cushioned arm with my knees bent. He followed my lead, and after toeing off his own shoes, sat opposite and extended his long legs on both sides of me.
“I could get used to this,” he said, letting his eyes drift over me. “I look forward to spending my days learning what you love, what you don’t, and all the little details in between.”
I put my hand on his shin. “Me, too.”
“I want our relationship to be completely and totally open,” he continued. “Honesty—and the irony of this is not lost on me, but it’s the most important thing to me when it comes to us. No lies. No fibs. No telling me you’re goddamn fine when you’re not. Nothing.”
I took a deep breath. It would be hard. Not that I wanted to lie, but I’d spent my life beating back the things I didn’t want to feel. Telling Bill I was “fine” and having him accept that made things easy. Telling David how I really felt, whether it was mad, sad, happy, jealous—that would be a challenge.
“Hey,” David called, and I realized I’d been staring off into space. “You hear me? No ‘fine’ bullshit.”
