“Sure you will.” This time, he kissed her temple. “That’s okay.”
Did he have to look so pleased with himself? If it wasn’t bound to hurt her, she’d have elbowed him. Hard. “I’m going to the bathroom. You have five minutes to... do whatever it is you need to do.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be ready.” The smile brightened to a grin. In fact, he gave a short laugh. “Need any help?”
Shooting him a deadly glare didn’t faze him. Having no idea what to make of that, she slowly made her way down the hall. “I’m going to brush my teeth, too, then yes, you can help me change into my sleep shirt.” Irked by his smug happiness, she added, “It’s been a long day. I might just turn in early.”
Kam stood there in the hallway, watching her. Right before she would have shut the bathroom door, he said, “Glory?”
She looked at him.
“I want to do this right.” Running a hand over the top of his head, he laughed again. “Just give me a few minutes, okay?”
Dowhatright? Reject her? Leave her? Confess his own love? “Sure. Take all the time you need.” She closed the door with a resounding click, but she still heard his laugh. He sounded happy, damn it, and she had no idea what it meant.
Laughter wasn’t the reaction she’d expected. But then, everything with Kam had been different. Unique. Special.
She sure hoped he made good use of those minutes.
14
Finally, fresh from his shower, wearing only boxers, and semi-prepared for her big disclosure, Kam eased into place on the couch next to Glory. Eyes closed, she either feigned sleep—or ignored him. He understood that.
After a really rotten day, she’d figuratively knocked him on his ass. Caught between laughing over the thrill of it, the rush of desire to hold her close, and a terrible fear that he’d somehow misunderstood, that she hadn’t meant love as in “good times and bad,” but rather, that she loved having him with her now, when she needed the help.
Of course, she’d done all right on her own today—as he’d known she would.
He knew she loved the sex.
She definitely loved his family.
But him? Could Glory really love him?
If so, a rotten day couldn’t end any better than that.
“Hey.”
One blue eye opened, looking mean.
Wasn’t easy to keep his overjoyed smile at bay. Hell, he’d grinned through his shower. Even while brushing his teeth.
But this was serious, life-altering stuff. “I had so many plans.”
Both eyes opened and she turned her face to better see him in the dim light. “I know, and I won’t interfere—at least, not more than I already have. Loving you doesn’t change anything.”
The hell it doesn’t!“It changes everything.” By her own admission, life was different now. He wouldn’t sleep until she understood that. “Now let me explain, okay?”
Stubbornly, she faced forward again. She even closed her eyes and tried for nonchalance when she said, “Fine. Have at it.”
He watched her a moment and decided she wouldn’t interrupt. “For a while now, I knew I wanted to get my own place. I talked to Tanner about it once, but he couldn’t imagine ever leaving the tree farm, or the house we helped to remodel and expand.”
Nothing. She didn’t blink. She barely breathed, but he also knew shallow breaths were easier on her ribs.
“As a kid—before I moved in with Addie—I was told I’d be just like my dad.”
Lashes lifted so she could gaze at him with her unique brand of quiet sympathy.
For once, he didn’t mind. Talking about his folks was always difficult, but it was easier here with Glory. Everything was easier with her.
