Day Seven: What do you wish your partner understood about you?
Neither of them answered that one.
They’d sat in silence until the pasta grew cold, and then Lexy had excused herself to do the dishes with a small, apologetic smile that made Leonidas want to put his fist through a wall.
Not at her.
At himself.
Day Eight: Describe your relationship history before marriage.
The card sat between them on the dinner table like an unexploded grenade.
Lexy had cooked again—something involving chicken that was actually almost good this time—and they’d made it through most of the meal with careful small talk. The weather. A book she was reading. An investment opportunity he was considering.
Safe topics.
Nothing that made her pulse race or her palms sweat or her heart ache with wanting things she couldn’t have.
But now the card was staring at them, and Lexy could feel heat rising to her cheeks before anyone had even spoken.
“You first,” she said.
“Ladies first.”
“You’re older.”
“That is not how this works.”
She picked up her wine glass. Set it down. Picked it up again. Took a long sip for courage.
“Fine.” Oh goodness, this was mortifying. “I had...there were a few. Before.”
Leonidas went very still across the table. “A few what?”
“You know.” She waved her hand vaguely, not meeting his eyes. “Experiences.”
“Experiences,” Leonidas echoed. He didn’t like how she was saying it. Like she had something to hide.
“Nothing serious. Just...” Why had she started this? Why hadn’t she just said she didn’t want to answer? “The usual.”
“Who?”
The word came out harder than she expected, and when she glanced up, his tawny eyes were fixed on her with an intensity that made her breath catch.
“What?”
“Who were they? These experiences.”
“I don’t think the card requires—”
“Lexina.”
Oh, that tone. That low, commanding tone that made her want to tell him everything and nothing all at once.
“Fine!” She set her wine glass down with a little too much force, her mind racing for something—anything—that sounded plausible. “There was...Guile.”
Where had that come from?
