Preston nodded. “I need to explain about the SEAL.”
Shocked, I looked at him with widened eyes. I swear he had some telepathic ability to read minds.
“But I’m not saying anything until you’re back down here with me on this bed.”
I swallowed roughly and shifted to lie back. I intended to mirror his position with my arms under my head, but Preston had other ideas. The minute I turned my back to him, he wrapped one strong arm around me and pulled me back against his chest. When he had me where he wanted me while he spooned me, he told me about what happened with Jesse.
When he’d recounted the story to me, I thought about what he’d said for a minute. “Hadn’t you ever seen him in the bar? They came in all the time until they adopted their little girl.”
Preston tightened his hold, and I absentmindedly ran my fingertips over the dark hair on his arms.
“No. I’d never seen him until he walked into the restaurant. The boyfriend got very protective, which I can appreciate, and I had no choice but to walk away. I went to my office and called Alejandro while Stella made sure their food was perfect.”
I continued to run my fingers over his skin as he moved his head to nuzzle his beard against my hair. “I’m sorry that happened to you. Were you guys close?”
“Yes,” he said. “We were like brothers. He and Scott, his roommate, shared the suite in our dorm with us, and the three of us were thick as thieves.”
I’d never lost anyone like that, and I couldn’t imagine how painful that was for him. But the reality that Cooper was wrong about what happened lifted my hopes. “You need to tell them why you reacted the way you did. Set the record straight. Then you don’t ever have to worry about it again.”
Preston kissed the side of my head and sighed. “I will. But you need to know I’m serious about us, Nick. I’m a passionate asshole who notices everything about the person I—”
I smiled and needed to tease him. “The person youlooovvee?” I dragged out the syllables like I’d found funny in a movie I’d forgotten the title of.
Preston cleared his throat and pulled back enough for me to drop to my back. He stared at me with an expression I couldn’t read. I returned his gaze.
“I was teasing you, Preston. Last night you said all this shit, and I knew they were just drunk ramblings. I don’t have any expectations from your drunken, amorous confessions.” I smiled and tried to put him at ease. It couldn’t be easy to think with a hangover.
He squinted as if in pain and took my face in his left hand. “That’s the thing, though, Nick. I was drunk, but I remember almost every word I said to you. Including when I thought I’d killed you.”
I laughed. “That was funny as hell. You kept confessing all this shit, and we were all dying. But I couldn’t laugh in your face like that. You seemed so serious when you declared how pretty I was and talked about your love rocket.”
Preston was beginning to see the humor in it. His smile was sweet as he gazed down at me, looking into my eyes before making more confessions. “They weren’t drunk ramblings, Nick.” He ran his thumb over my cheekbone, then extended its reach down to my lips. I pursed them and kissed the pad of his thumb.
“What do you mean, Preston?”
He looked at me with such intensity. “I’m a straight shooter. I tell things the way I see them. I’m a jealous asshole who can be overly sensitive. I overthink every stressful situation, and I will lose my shit if someone lies to me. But at the same time, I love the idea of love and honesty, and I crave a long-term relationship. Like forever.”
I reached up to cover his hand with mine. “You trying to scare me off? That’s quite a list.”
Preston pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed my palm.
“No, I’m just trying to be transparent with you. Everything I said last night was true. I’ve barely been able to eat or sleep since you stopped our flirty thing last week. I think that’s why the beers hit me so hard. I can’t let you slip away from me, Nick.”
My heart swelled at the thought of a dynamic man like Preston James loving me. I smiled and lifted my hand to his face.
“Turnabout is fair play. I’m a sarcastic asshole and workaholic who can easily get lost in my projects. I can’t handle disorder or messiness in my life, and I hate surprises. Well, most surprises. I’m obsessed with music and love my family more than I can say. I want commitment and unconditional love, and anyone I choose to involve myself with must understand how much my sister and my family mean to me.”
Preston grinned down at me. “I can do that.”
I smiled, but held up a finger. “There’s more. If we’re being transparent, I’ve been attracted to you for a long time. Maybe since the first time you glowered at me. I watched you with Alejandro and wondered how someone like you could be single. I’ve got some pretty intense feelings for you, too, Preston. But I’m fascinated by you and how you look at the world. I want to experience that with you.”
Preston’s smile was radiant as he leaned down and kissed my lips sweetly. “I want to devour you after my head stops pounding and I brush my teeth.”
I laughed. “So let’s take this thing growing between us slow, and see where we end up.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That thing growing is my dick, and there’s nothing slow about it. But I understand and agree with what you’re saying.”
“Good,” I replied with a smile. “And for the record, since we apparently record things now, I really was slammed with schoolwork, but I also needed some time. I was caught off guard.”
