“I didn’t like him,” I whisper. “I was supposed to, and he was fine—he didn’t mistreat me—but I didn’t like him. My parents loved him, so I thought there was something wrong with me that I didn’t. That if I just got to know him better, I’d find this mysticalthingthat seemed to be missing in our relationship. But when he started talking about getting married…”
Theo doesn’t say anything.
Just lies there, quietly breathing behind me.
“When I realized I was more worried about disappointing my parents than I was about if I’d be happy with him, I knew it wasn’t the right relationship for me. And I realized I didn’t even know if my wholelifewas the life for me.”
“Hard thing to face.”
“Why is it so easy to tell you this?”
“I’ve been too much of a shit to judge anyone else.”
“I don’t think you’re a shit.”
“Can be.”
“Are you being a shit here? Right now?”
“No.”
“Would you tell me if you were?”
“Yes.”
“Would Sabrina think you’re being a shit?”
That earns a soft chuckle. “She always thinks I’m being a shit.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
He shifts behind me, and this time, he pulls away.
But only for a minute before he’s pushing me onto my back and crawling on top of me. It’s instinct to spread my legs and cradle his hips and his impressive morning erection.
“Hi,” I whisper, like a complete and total dork.
His brown eyes study me. There’s no cocky grin. No mocking my awkwardhiat the first sight of his face this morning. Just an entirely more serious Theo than I ever would’ve given him credit for being. Even if only in the occasional moment.
“I don’t fuck around with women I don’t like.”
My belly tingles. My nipples tighten. And my overworked vagina decides she’s not so tired after all.
“Is this—is this fucking around?”
“I like you, Laney. I havealwaysliked you, even when I hated myself for it. This is the scariest shit I haveeverdone.”
“I don’t want to be scary.”
“You were born that way, princess.”
“I didn’t mean to be.”
He squeezes his eyes shut, but there’s a smile playing on his lips. “You’re my favorite pain in the ass.”
I loop my arms around his neck, wanting to lick the patterns of his tattoos from his collarbone down as far as they go. “I like you too.”
One eye cracks open, andoh my heart.
