Page 64 of Flawless

“You started it.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“And now I’m finishing it.”

This couldn’t even be considered flirting.

We’d passed that stage at hello.

“Let me put these in some water so we can get out of here.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Cameron

Our non-date lunch date extended into the evening with take-out pizza and a movie on Netflix. And I didn’t want to leave.

Rylee had fallen asleep on my shoulder, so I’d pulled the blanket up to cover her before wrapping my arms around her and settling in. I knew she’d complain we were breaking another rule, but I didn’t care. It felt too good, having her back in my arms.

Why couldn’t she admit this was where she belonged?

I saw the way she looked at me. It was the same way I looked at her. Like every second it was getting harder to fight the urge to kiss. To fall back into bed together. To admit we were still in love with each other.

My hand drifted to her stomach and she snuggled closer. I’d always been protective of the people I cared about. Hell, in my line of work, I felt protective of strangers. But this was different. This territorial instinct… never wanting to leave her side. The certainty I’d lay down my life for Rylee or our baby, that was new for me. And I didn’t know what the hell to do with those feelings.

If we were still a couple, I’d hit one knee, ring in hand, and beg her to marry me before our baby was born. But I couldn’t do that while she was still keeping me at arm’s length.

Her hand covered mine as a soft sigh escaped, putting the squeeze on my heart. This girl. I thought I’d loved her before, but now that she was carrying my child, love couldn’t even describe my feelings for her.

I kissed her temple, fighting the urge to whisper my confession in her ear, just to see how she would react. Would she throw me out… or turn into my arms and kiss me, admitting she felt it too?

Could I risk it?

Her long eyelashes fluttered before she tipped her head back, looking at me. “Oh, hey.” She tried to shift out of my arms, but I wouldn’t let her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you. I swear, I can fall asleep standing up these days.”

It was getting late. Dark had descended hours ago, wrapping us in this cozy cocoon that felt perfect for secrets and confessions.

“Don’t apologize.” I leaned in, kissing her cheek. Testing the waters. “I love watching all your worries fall away when you sleep.”

She was drawing circles on the back of my hand when she said, “I’ve never slept better than I did in your arms. I miss that.”

I closed my eyes, wrestling with the urge to beg her for one more chance to do this right.

“I miss that too, Ry. I miss everything about us.”

“How is it we were together such a short time, yet you carved your memory into me?”

Since I couldn’t match this songbird’s words with anything as poetic, I said, “Maybe it’s because we’re soul mates.”

“Twin flames,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Twin flames,” she repeated. “In spiritual circles, it’s believed one soul is split into two bodies.”

“You really believe that?”

She laughed. “I heard about it from a girl who was in my band. She was a little woo-woo, to say the least. But when she talked about this twin flames thing, I was curious, so I had to look it up.”