“But that’s the thing.” Her expression turned beseeching. “Iknowwhat we share is more than hormones. We’refriends, Wolf. And I cherish that. I don’t want to lose it. So what I propose is that we become friendswith benefits.”
His heart thudded so hard he wouldn’t have been surprised to look down and see it burst from his chest,Alien-style.
“That way,” she continued, “we’ll have made no promises and no sweeping declarations. And since no future plans will get broken, there won’t be hurt when one or both of us decides we’ve exhausted thebenefitsportion of our relationship. It’ll be a return to the status quo. To you and I teasing each other, taunting each other, beingpals. And you’ll see, Wolf. You’ll see it was only ever unrequited lust to begin with.”
She thought there would come a time when they exhausted their chemistry?Pfft.Passion like theirs was a rare gift that didn’tgetexhausted. It simply mellowed and matured, the fire dimming to a long, luxurious smolder.
For proof of this, he need look no further than his own grandparents. Before his grandfather died, hisagidudawould chase hiselisiaround the barn, pulling her down into the hay and kissing her until she laughed, swatted him on the butt, and accused him of being a lecherous old fart.
As a boy, Wolf had rolled his eyes and made gagging noises that old folks would behave in such a way. But as a man, he took comfort in knowing desire, true desire, stood the test of time.
And when it came tofallingin love versusbeingin love? Well, they were one and the same. Part of an infinite circle that endlessly looped through the lives of lovers.
How many times had his grandfather told a story about his grandmother, some sweet or silly anecdote that ended with,“And I fell in love with her all over again.”
So many times, Wolf had lost count.
Thatwas the kind of love he wanted. The kind that renewed itself again and again.
If that meant he had to keep his mouth shut and use his body to show Chrissy the folly in her plan—use his body over, and over, andoveragain? Well, you can bet your bottom dollar he could do exactly that.
Boy howdy, can I ever.
She mistook his silence for an objection to her idea. “Okay, so what if you’re right? What if this thing we’re feelingisus falling in love?”
He got very still. Did she realize what she’d just said?
It didn’t appear so, since she went on without taking a breath. “So what? Falling in love doesn’t last. And when it’s faded, what’s left? Heartache? Desertion? Grief? No.” She shook her head. “I don’t want that. Not for us.”
Desertion…That one word rang in his head like a church bell, crystalline and clear.
“Did any of them stay in contact with you after they took off?” he asked quietly.
He didn’t need to clarify. She knew exactly to whom he referred. “No.” She shook her head. “Well, Tony wrote me a handful of emails. He was my mom’s fourth husband,” she explained. “But as soon as he remarried, he stopped writing.”
Tony stopped writing and Chrissy had been thrown away like yesterday’s trash.Again.
Jesus.She hadn’t been a simple bystander to her mother’s love life. Oh, no. She’d been right there, strapped in beside Josephine on that roller coaster ride. She’d experienced the highs of having a father figure enter her life, someone who doted on her, whom she grew to love and who made her feel loved in return. And she’d experienced the lows of having that love and devotion ripped away once the relationship fell apart.
It was his job now to prove to her that not all men left. That when it was real and right and good, when both parties were as crazy for each other and as well-matched as he and Chrissy, it lasted.
With one finger, he tipped up her chin. “Okay, darlin’. Let’s do it your way.”
Her narrowed eyes broadcast her suspicion. “This feels too easy.”
“Look,” he told her honestly, “I’m not sayin’ I think you’re right. I think you’re dead wrong. But I’m willin’ to go along with your experiment. I mean, if you’re right, we’ll end up as friends. And ifI’mright, we’ll end up as life-long lovers. It’s a win/win as far as I can figure.”
Her eyes lit up. “Seriously?”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“No.” Her expression turned teasing. “But youdidconfuse me for a redhead once, so…”
“Ugh. You’re never goin’ to let me forget that night, are you?”
“Not on your life.”
“You could at leastpretendto grant me a sweet little reprieve.” He feigned a frown.
