“What’s a CBAT?”
“The Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams.”
She chuckled a little, thoroughly enjoying how excited he was. “Telegrams? Do people even send those anymore?”
“I’m sure as hell going to,” he answered, peering through the telescope again. He threw her a smile. “I’m sure I could email, but honestly, I’d rather send an actual telegram. Like in olden times.” He grinned at her. “Imagine if it’s a comet no one’s seen before. It could be named after us.”
“After you.”
“Nope. I want your name on it too. The Crawford-Kurilla Comet,” he answered. “That’s got a nice ring to it.”
“No Crawford. I didn’t discover anything. I’m just the lucky lady who got to take a peek.”
“Kurilla-Crawford then, but we’re definitely adding your name. That way we’ll be joined forever in the skies.”
Claudia reached out and pulled him to her by his T-shirt. “Come here, Professor Kurilla.”
He gave her a knowing grin. “Wait a minute, are you saying my nerdy side is a turn-on?”
She nodded. “Let’s just say in that other life, you’d also be getting laid a lot.”
“Nice,” Mike answered, lowering his mouth to hers.
In that moment, she was as close as she’d ever been to being in love with Mike. If he could stay like he was on boring married couple nights, she knew she’d learn to love him all the way. But he wouldn’t, and the thought of that made her kiss him with the desperation of a woman whose husband is leaving for the war.
A few minutes later, they found themselves in bed. Mike moved his way down her body and tugged off her panties, then set to work pleasuring her with his mouth. He was surprisingly skilled at it for a guy who put on such a macho show all the time. He was careful and thorough and always got the job done. Claudiaooohed andaahed and moved in a way to show him that she was enjoying all his hard work. Her mind started to wander, and soon she found herselfimagining Zane was the one between her thighs. It was Zane’s tongue and his lips and his hands. They were alone on a beach somewhere tropical that she’d never been. Maybe Bali. She’d seen pictures in a magazine the day before. She was on a lounge chair, and Zane was the one making her writhe and wriggle and moan. “Oh, yes, yes,” she whispered.
Mike stopped long enough to ask if she liked what he was doing.
“Mmm, yes, Zane, you’re so good at this.”
It took her a second to realize what she’d said. She froze, hoping he hadn’t heard.
But he had.
He was now sitting up on his knees halfway down the bed, staring at her like she’d smacked him across the cheek.
Panic set it. How could she spin this? How could she make everything perfect again? “I… don’t know why I said that. I was thinking about the birthday party on Saturday, and his name popped out.”
But it was too late. He was standing, tugging his jeans on without a word.
“Mike, please come back to bed. It didn’t mean anything. It was just a slip of the tongue.”
The sound of the water running in the en suite was her answer. A moment later, he came out, dabbing his face dry with a hand towel.
“Babe, don’t leave,” she said, pulling the sheet up to cover herself. “Come back to bed. I’m sorry. I love you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Of course I do. I’m withyou. I loveyou.”
“Just not the way you love him.”
She opened her mouth, but he stopped her with one hand in the air. “Nope. Don’t. You’ll only make it worse.”
“I’m sorry. My mind wandered. I was thinking that I need to buy a present for Poppy. I should’ve been concentrating on you.”
“It shouldn’t be such an effort,” he said, his tone quiet.
