I opened my mouth and closed it. Questions had been plaguing me while we’d been out doing a little more scalloping for a couple of hours and then when we’d spent the afternoon cleaning our catch under the carport using tablespoons. I’d even thought about my questions while I’d showered and eaten lunch. And then while helping Aaron make dinner, my head filled to the point where it felt like I’d burst. I knew I wasn’t being very graceful or classy or mysterious. The truth was, I wasn’t any of those things. I liked people being upfront with me with their expectations and thoughts. I wasn’t so good at picking up hints or trying to play games with people. So I just did it. I just asked Aaron. “What exactly does this mean? Youandme?”
His eyebrows went up as his lips left the rim of the bottle and he swallowed thoughtfully, one of his bare feet coming up to rest on the opposite knee. “Whatever you want itto,Ru.”
That wasn’t helping any. “What doesthatmean?”
Aaronsmiled.
“I don’t want to… take things out of proportion. Does that make sense?” I asked him hesitantly, his smile crumbling into a smaller one as his eyesnarrowed.
“How would you take it out ofproportion?”
Why was this conversation making me itchy and restless? “Like maybe we both really like each other, but you still want to besingle—”
“No.”
I shot him a look and continued with my examples even though I didn’t want to. “Like maybe you like me, but when we’re not together, we go our own ways and dateother—”
“Hellno.”
Iblinked. “No?”
His entire expression changed, and Aaron set the beer down on one of the side tables. “I haven’t liked you dating other people in months.” He spat the words out with so much disgust I couldn’t help but fall even more in love. “It’s making me mad right now just thinking about it, Ruby,” he said in that low voice. “I was jealous when I hadn’t seen you, when I didn’t know how much I like having you close by… when I hadn’t heard your voice….” He swallowed. “Even if you didn’t… look the way you do, I would’ve been here, feeling this way about you. Does that help youunderstand?”
He was feeling what kindofway?
My confusion must have still been apparent because those brown eyes bore into mine. “You’re my Ruby girl. And if we would’ve met and hadn’t kept hitting it off, then I’d feel differently, but I don’t. That’s not how it worked outbetweenus.”
I shook my head slowly, watching his face, lost, still confused and a littleoverwhelmed.
“I’m not going anywhere. Today or tomorrow. We can do this at whatever pace you want. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We’re going to move forward, but we can do it when you want to,” heexplained.
“Just to make sure I’m notmisunderstandingyou…”
He grinned and Ismiled.
“Just to make sure,” I reiterated. “We’re talkingaboutsex?”
Aaron tipped his head back and laughed before looking at me once more and cocking it to the side, grinning wide. “I was talking about holding hands, kissing you, sex, too, I guess.” He laughed again. “What am I going to do? Tellyouno?”
I snorted. I couldn’t help but watch him, suddenly feeling in control for the first time in forever and not really sure what to do with it. “Do youwantto have sex with methough?”
The tips of his fingers went up to press into the space between his eyebrows as he laughed and peeked at me from the side of his hand as he kept oncrackingup.
“Why are you laughing at me? I want to make sure I understand,” Icried.
“I know you are, but it’s making me laugh when you callitsex.”
“Why? That’s whatitis.”
“Damn it, Ruby,” he said, laughing again. “I thought we’d be having this conversation monthsfromnow.”
“Why?”
“Because!”
“Because what?” I asked him, too amused to be embarrassed. “Why are youbeingshy?”
Aaron blushed even as he grinned and shook his head. “Comehere.”
