Julian tipped his head and regarded her carefully.
“In the dark,” he repeated. “As in, pitch black? No lights at all?”
“Uh, huh.” Petula tried not to dig her nails into her palms, waiting for his verdict.
Julian shrugged and glanced out the windows. “Huh. I guess that means we have time to eat supper then, because the sun hasn’t gone down yet.”
Wha…? Just like that?
Julian slapped the arms of his chair and stood up, all smiles. “Unless there’s more?” he asked, poised.
A weight Petula had been carrying slipped almost entirely from her shoulders as she shook her head.
Julian hadn’t made a big deal over her fears. He hadn’t questioned them at all. Was he…?
“Are you for real?” popped out of her mouth.
Julian smirked, then purposely pinched himself. “I think so,” he quipped. “Why?”
“Because… I know this is a lot to ask,” Petula returned.
Julian plunked back down in his chair and leaned forward, knees on elbows as he regarded her earnestly. “Telling me that you don’t want sex at all would have been a big deal. Telling me what you just shared? Not a deal-breaker or a turn-off. Those things? We can work on them, slowly, over time,” he assured her. “And if they never change? It’s small beans in the larger scheme of things.”
A corner of his mouth then twitched upward. “Whatwillchange, however, is something you told me before.”
Oh, shit. Here it comes. Something that might?—
“You said you don’t like sex,” he clarified. “And let me just say that I plan on doing everything I can to convince you otherwise. Sex is awesome. So buckle up, baby,” he said with swagger and an exaggerated wink.
Petula snickered, which is what Julian had probably been angling for.
“Does anyone say ‘buckle up, baby’ anymore?” she asked with a grin.
“I don’t know,” he answered, returning her smile. “But, remember me? The Sothard who’s never been cool? If you decide to hang with me, you better get used to lame, outdated little chestnuts like that coming out of my mouth.”
“Chestnuts, huh?”
“You see?” Julian huffed, mocking himself. “There’sanotherone. I’m sonotcool like my brothers, and they’ll be the first to tell you that.”
Petula was in safe territory now. She knew how to stroke an ego.
“You might not be consideredcool by them. Bythem,” she reiterated. “But that’s because they’re jealous you’re smarter andwaymore handsome,” she lauded. “I’m actually a very lucky girl that you stayed in the Air Force as long as you did. If you hadn’t, one of your brothers’ wives would have scooped you up instead of turning to your lesser siblings.”
Julian’s chest puffed out while he laughed and shook his head.
“As if,” he countered diffidently. “But even if that were true, there isn’t a chance I would have chosen any one of them over you. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for a sassy, redheaded UPS driver to come my way and sweep me off my feet.”
Petula returned his laugh. “Then we’d better eat fast, because the sun is going down, and I want to do someextensivesweeping.”
Julian grinned, stood again, and this time held out his hand.
Petula got to her feet, reaching out to twine her fingers into his, giving him a tug forward until their bodies collided.
“First, however,” she rasped huskily, “I need some kisses before we get to food and…other things.”
“I can oblige you with that,” Julian told her, then hesitated. “Wait. Can I…? Would it be okay if I pick you up?”
“Pick me…?”
