“Yes, I see that distinction. Does that mean I can kiss younoton the lips?”
“That information is included.”
Ah, so it is.
In private, anywhere but the lips is free real estate. The reason is not included. “Fully agreeable,” I say, “but might I be privy as towhy?”
Her eyes dart strictly off me. “Despiteprevious displays of poor judgment and idiocy…I…would like to wait for marriage, please.”
“To kiss?”
She lifts her dainty chin. “It is not a matter I am willing to compromise on.”
My head shakes. “No, no. I would never ask you to. I’ve just…not heard about that before.”
“I’m messed up,” she says. “Not because of this decision. Just…my general state of being is messed up, and that led me to this decision. I don’t trust easily. I put a lot of weight into what most people consider small. Everything—everything—you have done to me lingers in my brain, on repeat. I can’t shake any of it. But I can at least fool myself a little because the touches you’ve given me haven’t been thebigones that society has rammed into my head asimportant. For the sake of my sanity, I’d like to keep the firsts I’m most likely to cry about off the table until there’s a sense of permanency.”
“That’s perfectly reasonable and makes exceptional sense.”
A tiny breath leaves her as she seems to ease fractionally. “Thank you for understanding.”
I let the pages all fall back into place. “Am I right in assuming I am your first serious relationship?”
Eyes remaining squarely off me, she says, “Yes.”
“Am I also right in assuming it is the first you have approached authentically as yourself?”
A small breath trembles through her chest as it enters her. Soft, she says, “Yes.”
“I’m honored to have been trusted this far.”
“I don’t trust you,” she says, eyes flicking to and from me for half a second. “I just…want to.” Lifting her hand, she waits. “Do we have a relationship? Or do you need a moment to review the break-up charts already?”
Clasping her hand, I reel her in until I can circle her in my arms and nestle my forehead against hers. Breathing in the frantic exhale she releases, I let her warmth flow through my limbs. “I love you, Mirabelle.”
She tenses, then jerks and tries to get free. “Wha— Tha— Wejuststarted. Except, no we didn’t! Because you didn’t reply. I said,do we have a relationship; you said,I love you. That is NOT a reply!”
I chuckle at the way she made her voice deep to sound like me.
She fights me. “Don’tlaughnow! I am in distress! What do youmeanyouloveme? You can’tloveme! You don’t know me! We haven’t begun the getting to know one another dating portion of our relationship, which hasn’t started yet at all, due to the non-answering!”
I hum as I snuggle. “I fear it’s too late for me already, precious. Everything you do, all of this planning and devotion to what you set your heart to, has me smitten. I’m so happy that you’re giving us a chance.”
The fighting leaves her, and her hands ball into fists in my shirt. “It’s…not annoying?”
“It’s peace incarnate. I don’t need to guess. Your honesty and sincerity is comforting.”
She shivers. “So…we have a relationship?”
“Yes, love.” I kiss her hair. “We do.”
Minutely, she settles in, closer. “I… I don’t want to be called your girlfriend. I’m not a girl. I’m a woman. Butwomanfriendsounds stupid. Please refer to me as your lover.”
A swear hisses through my brain in response tothat. “Okay.”
“And…I like flowers, but I don’t like them for holidays. I like food gifts that I can make. Like those jars with all the dry ingredients already in them and the recipe on a ribbon around the lid. I also really like fancy chocolate. But I don’t want you to go allbillionaireon me with anything. Just regular little things. No more million and one dollar crowns.” She pushes back and looks up into my eyes. “However, an exception,ifwe last long enough for it to make sense, you may absolutely go billionaire on me and build me a library. I like romance. No-to-low spice. Donottrust Lynn or Leeann’s recommendations. They read some wild stuff.”
I smile and watch the way it causes her entire being to relax. “Got it.”
