I groaned at his murmured words like a bratty teenager and tried to play it off. It was easier to be a punk than show these goddamn feelings charging through my body. I couldn’t let him know I was falling for him.
“You’re so needy.”
“Maybe so, Rockstar.” He squeezed my hand and tugged me closer.
I breathed deeply, then turned to look at the side of his handsome face. “I don’t want to, but we need to talk about earlier. Just so we’re on the same page.”
Michael turned to me with a serious expression.
“Yes,” he sighed dramatically again. “I think we have to. As difficult as this may be to hear, you’re a shitty housekeeper. You should really look into hiring someone. In fact, why not look into moving? I’ll even help you look.”
I laughed and nudged my shoulder into his. He continually surprised me. “That’s not what I’m talking about, asshole, and you know it.”
He grinned at me with a smile that lit up his entire face. It caught me off guard that I could have caused that reaction in him.
“I know, but I couldn’t help myself. And it’s true, Rockstar. This place is a mess.”
I tried to pull my hand away again, but he just tightened his grip and pulled me back. “You’re not running away from me now that I’ve found you.”
His words confused me. My brows furrowed as I looked over to find him staring down at our joined hands. He’d encased my hand between both of his. And that small gesture made me feel more than I was prepared for.
“What? What do you mean?”
I continued to watch as he bit his bottom lip before shifting his gaze to me. Whatever he was debating in his head, he must have made a decision. He lifted his warm gaze to mine.
“I’m demiromantic, Adam. For all your failed relationships, I’ve never had one. But I’d like to.”
I nodded, even more confused than before. “I didn’t know that about you. But you flirt like there’s no tomorrow.”
He smiled and ran his free hand over his face. “I do, especially with you. Flirting is just part of my personality. I can be sexually attracted to someone without having romantic feelings. Those have to develop over time.”
I’d heard of it before but wasn’t clear on what it meant. He must have seen the confusion on my face, because he kept talking.
“Here’s the thing, Rockstar. The more I get to know you, the more Iwantto know you. Trust is a big deal for me, and for some reason, I feel like I can trust you.”
I held onto his hand, tightening my hold, trying to make him feel safe to go on.
“You can trust me, Michael. I promise. You can tell me anything.”
He smiled at me and nodded. “I know. But it goes beyond words. You have no idea how much it takes for me to really open up to someone. To show them the real me.”
I looked down at our joined hands again, the realization of what he was saying filling one of the empty spaces in my heart. “And you just did with me.”
He nodded, a knowing smile gracing his handsome face. “It would seem that I did. I’m very comfortable with you, Rockstar. And it’s been that way since we met. You should feel honored.”
I laughed at how easily he shifted us back to where we were both comfortable. “I do, actually. But what did you mean when you said you’d found me?”
Michael shifted and looked into my eyes. He held my hand even tighter than before, and it felt like he didn’t want to let go of me. “It means I’ve developed romantic feelings for you, Rockstar. I want you, even though we both have obstacles in the way.”
I swallowed, trying to control these damn emotions, and held on to his gaze like a lifeline. “What’s my obstacle?” I asked, understanding him a little more with every soft word he spoke. Something told me he could read me like a book.
“Fear,” he said, cupping my face. “Fear of being rejected, and fear of having your heart broken again. Fear of believing that someone could actually love you.”
I blinked at him for a moment. It was coming, and there wasn’t a thing I could do to stop it.
“Yeah, well,” I said, feeling a little exposed. “I suck at relationships. Every one I’ve ever had crashed and burned. And when the one person who is supposed to love you no matter what doesn’t, it gets in a guy's head. You assume that’s all you’re worth.”
He didn’t respond for a moment, but when he did, it knocked me for a loop.
