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"Good idea. So, Dr. Hollister got on my case about the bed thing, too."
"Well, I guess it's a good thing I don't have the bang factor, then. It makes me feel safer sleeping in the same bed with you not having to worry about waking up with your dick poking at me."
Goddamn. Her snarky comment literally gave me a hard-on. First time that's ever happened to me.
"I can't make any promises about that," I admit, winking at her. "Sometimes it's got a mind of its own."
With a little pout on her face, she nudges my leg with her foot. "You're kinda hard to stay mad at, ya know."
"I hear that a lot, actually."
"You can't keep using it to win every fight."
"Neither can you. Those eyes really get to me."
"Really?" She bats her lashes at me. "I didn't know that."
"Now ya do. So stop it."
My phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket to see I've got an email from the Realtor. Scanning it quickly, I read that she's got five houses for us to view tomorrow.
"Good news. The Realtor has a bunch of houses for us to check out tomorrow."
"Wow…so soon? That's like…tomorrow."
"Yeah, I'm stoked." I type a reply to Sandra to tell her we'll meet her at eight a.m. "We're gonna meet her in the morning, but first let's stop at my condo and get my other car. I think you've had enough of the truck."
"All right. That sounds good. Are the houses near where either one of us lives now?"
"Not too far," I respond, browsing through the listings. "A few are kinda near the city and the rest are in smaller, woodsy towns. I kinda want to move away from the city. What about you?"
She nods slowly. "I never really thought about it much, but I would really like to live in one of those little, typically quaint New England towns. Woodsy, like you said. Something with a nice porch would be amazing."
"A porch, huh?" I see two of the houses we're checking tomorrow have porches. Whew. I should have asked Asia what kind of house she would like before I contacted Sandra this morning. It's going to be hard remembering that I have someone else to consider now when I do things, as I'm used to making all decisions by only thinking about myself and what I want.
"I've always wanted a porch with a swing," she adds.
"A porch and a swing?" I sigh heavily, pretending to be annoyed. "I guess we can make that happen."
"Really? That would definitely make me like you a little more."
I stand up and smile down at her while shoving my phone back in my pocket. "I might just get two swings, then, jelly bean." I reach my hand out to her. "Can we be friends again? I don't like you and the princess sitting out here plotting against me."
She takes my hand and I pull her up to her feet. "I guess if you're getting me the porch and swing, I can forgive you."
I put my arms around her before she can walk away again. "You kinda take off and pout a lot, don't you?"
Embarrassment heats her face and she looks down at her feet. "Sometimes."
"I think this might be the third time, and we've been together less than two days. I see a pattern starting."
"I'm sorry… I don't cope well sometimes." The cat jumps from her arms that were squashed between us, and Asia quickly tries to squirm away too, but I tighten my embrace so she can't.
"Not so fast. The cat can go but not you."
She peers up at me with those big, pastel eyes. "It's not fair that you're so much stronger and bigger, ya know."
"I'm going to refrain from making a sexual comment for once."
"Impressive."
"I'm trying to be serious. Isn't that what you asked for?"
"Yes…"
"Then stop it."
"Geez—"
"Shh." Damn, sometimes she doesn't shut up. "You can't just throw a tantrum and stomp off to pout every time you get upset. Okay? Talk to me when something's bugging you."
"What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, Talon, I eavesdropped on you and heard you say I was too cute to fuck'?"
"Yeah, that works. Don't just go hide and then I gotta come find you. Or find out you're gone, like you tried to do at the hotel. I don't like that at all."
"I'm sorry. I don't think I realized I was doing it that much."
I lift my hand and push her long hair away from her face so I can see her better. "I'm a little worried that if I'm gone on tour, and you get some kind of bug up your ass about something, you're either gonna move out of the house while I'm gone, or not answer the phone when I call…things like that. That will seriously drive me crazy. I'd rather you just confronted me with whatever's bothering you."
She leans her forehead against my chest for a moment and then looks up again. "Okay, you're right. I'll try not to do it. I definitely won't move out—I can promise you that. This is just hard, ya know? It hurts hearing that you don't like me in that way. That's not exactly what I was hoping for in a husband."
"Do you think I liked hearing that you don't like the way I look? I have feelings too. I may joke and be sarcastic a lot, but I still was hoping that whoever I ended up with wouldn't be repulsed by me."
Her hands clutch the scarf that's still draped around my neck. "I'm sorry." Her voice is soft, almost inaudible. "And I'm not repulsed by you."
"You could prove it by giving me a kiss. Maybe." I move my hand to her chin and gently lift her head up. "You might actually like it."
"Close your eyes," she says. "I can't do it if you're looking at me like that."
"Are you twelve? Stop stalling and put your lips on me like you own me."
I close my eyes and wait. A few seconds go by and I feel her go up on her tiptoes. Her lips touch mine quickly, then they're gone.
My eyes fly open. "What the hell was that?"
"A kiss."
I laugh in her face. "That was not a kiss."
"Yeah, it was. Don't laugh at me."
"That was supposed to prove to me that you're not repulsed by me? If anything that proves you are."
"Talon, I am not. Not at all. I'm just kinda…shy, I guess. And not used to kissing on demand." Her eyes lower again, like she's afraid to make eye contact with me for too long.
And then it hits me. It's not that she's not attracted to me. It’s that she's too attracted to me and it's freaking her out. She's a jittery, nervous mess around me.
This changes everything.
This, I can have even more fun with.
* * *
"So, what do you want to do now?" I ask her as we're strolling back to the guesthouse after having dinner with Gram.
"Hmmm…" She ponders. "Anything?"
"Sure. If you wanna go someplace, I'll take you."
"Do you promise not to laugh at me?"
"No, I'll probably laugh at you, but I'll still do whatever you want to do."
"Fair enough. I want to cuddle on the couch, watch a movie, and eat popcorn."
I stop walking. "That's what you want to do?"
Shrugging a little, she grabs my hand and tugs me to keep walking. "Yeah. It's actually something I've been wanting to do for a long time, but it sucks to watch movies alone."
"Ya know what? That's something I haven’t done since I was in high school. So you're on."
"Are you kidding me?"
I open the front door of the guesthouse and let her go in before me. "Nope, I can honestly say I haven't hung out on the couch and watched a movie with a chick since I was about sixteen."
"Wow. What did you do with your exes then?"
The past ten years flash through my brain, and none of it seems like something I should share with my new wife if I plan to keep her. "You really don't want to hear all that, babe."
"Yeah, no. I don't want to hear gory details, but I'm really curious. How did you spend your time?"
I head into the kitchen to see if I can find some microwaveable popcorn. Gram keeps this place pretty stocked since there is usually someone staying here several days per month. "Um…drink, sometimes some recreational drug
s, went to some clubs, and sex. That's about it."
She opens a cabinet and pulls out a box. "Look! Popcorn!"
"Awesome."
"And that stuff really doesn't sound like much fun. No offense."
"It was at the time, but I guess I outgrew it and started to want more. Which is why I signed up to do this."
"This with me?"
"This with whoever who ended up to be you."
"Is it disappointing? So far?" she asks, opening up the popcorn box and taking a pack out.
"Disappointing is not the word I would I use. Would you?"
"Not exactly."
She heats up the popcorn in the microwave while I hunt for a bowl. "I think my Gram is right, though. We should stop focusing on what we were expecting and didn't get and just focus on us."
"You're right. She's right. If we keep dwelling on it, we're going to waste the time we have together causing damage and not getting to know each other."
The microwave beeps and I take out the puffed-up bag and dump it in the bowl, afraid she might burn herself if she does it. She grabs the bowl and skips to the living room with the cat chasing her.
"Come on! We have to find a movie before it gets cold!"
I follow her to the couch, enjoying seeing this happier side of her. I guess I'll have to be sure to give her popcorn more often if this is the effect it has on her.
"Here." She hands me the remote control. "I'm not good with all those buttons, so you find us a movie."
I lean back and bring up the movie guide on the TV. "Is porn okay?" I ask casually.
She throws a piece of popcorn at me and I catch it in my mouth. "No porn, mister. And nice catch."
"Thanks. I have lots of oral talents to show you."
"I'll keep that in mind. How about a good comedy or a mystery?"
