An hour later, after a delicious meal, he looked at her over the table and took both of her hands.“Dessert?”
She patted her full stomach, but the thought of pastries from Sophie et Mia made her reconsider.“If I say yes?”
“I figured S&M, but I have other ideas too.”
“Doyou?”She grinned at his double entendre.“I’m rubbing off on you.”
“I wish.”His deep, innuendo-laden voice had her clenching her knees together.
Whew.Maybe she should’ve skipped lunch and gone straight for her favorite dessert.Him,obvs.
At Sophie et Mia, she splurged on a carac, a chocolate-filled tart with bright green icing and a little chocolate disc on top that made it look like a boob.She took a bite.Just the shortbread crust alone… “Mmm.It’s almost better than sex.”
He raised an eyebrow, his face smug, and she laughed.
“You’re right.”She licked the top of the tart and watched his eyes spark.“It’s a distant second, but if you ever throw me over, I’m going to have to move next door to this place so I can eat one every day.”
Expression suddenly serious, he caught her gaze.“I’m not going to throw you over.”His head dipped just enough to put him at eye level.“You know that, right?I love you.”He gestured between them.“I want to make this work.”
Her heart turned to goo.“I know.”She really did.She felt it in her bones.“I love you, and I want this to work too.”If they weren’t in the middle of a shop, she’d kiss him senseless, ganache on her lips be damned.
He took her free hand.“I had this whole day planned out, a choose-your-own adventure for you, but I’m not sure I can wait until the end.”
Now her entire body softened like warm chocolate.“You did?”
He nodded.
“How perfect.You get to plan.I get to pick what comes next.”Honestly, now that she thought about it that was pretty much the rhythm they’d developed, though he’d never presented it that way.“You don’t mind the extra work?You must have a whole decision tree in your head, an endless cascade of contingency plans.”
He shook his head and gave her a slightly embarrassed smile.“On my phone actually, but I don’t mind.It’s what I do automatically anyway.”His thumb stroked her fingers, sparking little ripples of delight across her skin.“But doing it for you, getting to watch your eyes light up when you’re having a good time…” A blush crept over his cheeks, and he swallowed.“I love that.You’re already beautiful, but when you’re having fun, you’re fucking incandescent.I can’t look away.”
It wasn’t all the sugar making her lightheaded.“Ford, Jesus.How am I supposed to resist kissing you now?”
He laughed and lifted her hand to press his lips to her knuckles.“Savor the wanting, baby.I promise to make it worth your while.”
Holy shit.That much smolder should’ve set the patisserie on fire.A full-body shiver ran through her.“Okay.What’s the next choice?”
He rolled his lips between his teeth, suddenly looking unsure of himself.“This one’s tougher than lunch or dessert, and might require some discussion.”
“Okay.”A trapeze act took up residence in her gut.“Hit me.”
Squeezing her hand, maybe harder than he realized, he said, “I don’t know if I can survive a long-distance thing with you.After the New Year, I can’t imagine leaving you in LA, only seeing you when one of us can visit, only being with you a small part of the year.I want more than that, Nat, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”He watched her carefully, his shoulders tense.“If you feel the same way…”
Nat was flying now, tethered only by his hand.“Do you really not know?”Maybe he didn’t.He wasn’t used to happiness, probably didn’t fully trust it.“I want to be with you.Every day.Whatever it takes.”
He blew out a pent-up breath, a small smile relieving the tightness in his face.“Ihoped, but I didn’t know for sure.I know I’m not as easygoing as you are, and—”
“Stop right there.”She turned intertwined their fingers.“I love you exactly the way you are.Becauseof who you are.You think I don’t have the same fear?That you’ll eventually tire of my freewheeling ways?”
He put his other hand over their clasped ones and shook his head.“I’ve been fascinated with you from the moment we met.”
Her disbelieving look had him sitting up straight.“Truly.You were a challenge, and maybe a reminder of what I’d lost when Con died, and a temptation like I’ve never known.Any anger or frustration I felt was with myself.Any exhaustion came from fighting this attraction that hasn’t waned since we met four years ago, and has only grown stronger in the past few months.Iloveyour ‘freewheeling ways.’Without them, you wouldn’t be you.”
The desire to cry pricked at her eyes.She pushed away the half-eaten tart to take his other hand.“Ford.How am I supposed to eat when you say things like that?”
A small laugh fizzed out of him, and he gave her the look that always made her eager to get naked.
“Don’t keep me in suspense any longer.”She raised her brows and gave her head a little shake to spur him on.“What’s the next choice?”
