“Ugh.”
“What?”
“I’m not…” Benson squeezed his eyes shut as he reconsidered what to say. Liam patiently waited for him to open his mouthreally wideand proceed to insert his foot into it. “You and me. That was a one-time thing. I’ve never been interested in men beyond sexually. Except for you. You’re the only asshole I’ve thought about marrying.”
“Specifically, my asshole, or…?”
“Stop making jokes. I’m serious. Ideally, I want a wife. If I ever get married again, I don’t care how old or young she is. I prefer having a wife.”
“Because it’s more socially acceptable, or…?”
“Stop asking me leading questions while you’re at it.” Benson snorted into his mug. “What? Do you really think you’d prefer a husband to a wife?”
“I was gonna marry you, wasn’t I?”
“That wasn’t the question.”
Your questions are all over the place, bro.“I care about theperson.I don’t think myself more likely to marry one over the other. I was as likely to marry Libby if that kept us happy.”
“Libby wanted babies.”
“That you wouldn’t give her.”
“Ican’t.I had a vasectomy.”
“Just as well. You’ve got the oldest sperm on the block now.”
“Shut up. Why are you in my house, again?”
“Because you still think I’m charming and devilishly handsome.”
“No.”
“Because you like the way I look in your apartment.”
“No.”
Liam placed his elbows on the counter and threaded his fingers beneath his chin. “Because you still think about me after all this time.”
“Of course I do!”
Well, that made Liam jerk back.Wasn’t expecting him to actually be honest.
“Why the hell wouldn’t I still think about you? You were a major part of my life. Just like Sydney. My daughter adored you. I was on cloud nine.”
“So…” Liam swallowed the lump in his throat. “What changed?”
Benson sighed. “I don’t like complicated. You know that.”
“Right. Things fell apart when I pointed out that we needed to open our relationship even after being married. Beyond sex.”
“And I freaked out. Yes.”
“And I tried to move on.”
“So did I.”
“Ben…” Liam held his head in his hands. “Stop messing with me. Just say what you mean. I can handle it.”For Eden.That’s what he told himself.
