Page 16 of Protecting Gina

“Were we too loud?”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

“I think we’re going to need to get more condoms.”

He nodded. “That would be wise.”

The second round was slower. By the time they finished, her body was sore in all the right places. Wave was good at this. They didn’t have a strong enough connection for her to think they would be together forever, but she certainly wanted more time than a few days with this man.

After their second time, he found a hair band so she could pull her hair up and shower. She felt refreshed, and yet deliciously tired when she stepped out into the den. He had heated a pizza and was just pulling it out of the oven.

“Want some food?”

She nodded, a chuckle escaping her lips. He raised his eyebrows as she came over.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’ve never had a guy make me food after sex. Not that I’m that experienced, but I did have one guy ask me to make him a sandwich.”

“Ouch. That’s so cliché. I’m a firm believer in knowing how to do things myself. Part of that I learned in the Navy, and part of it, I guess, comes naturally. If I’m hungry for something, I should learn how to make it.”

“That’s rather progressive of you.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s just common sense to me. I’m old enough that I’ve seen guys marry women who they wanted to use, not be partners with, and it never works out well for them. They want someone to cook and clean, but they don’t want a wife. They end up divorced and having to pay child support and spousal support. Then they complain that they don’t have any money. It’s a sad cycle for some of them. They never learn.”

“So are you saying you wouldn’t be like that?”

He chuckled. “I’m saying I might screw up, but I wouldn’t be a total fuck up.”

He placed two slices of pizza on a plate for her, and she took a bite. It was good, but then again, most frozen pizza was decent, unless she bought the really cheap stuff.

“I don’t know how I feel about long-term relationships. Like you, I’m old enough to have multiple friends who were married and then divorced.”

“Divorce happens, but it’s not something I want. It can be very messy. Like this one guy hid an affair, and then his wife found out. It turned into this big deal.”

She took another bite, thinking about his words. “I wouldn’t want something messy either. Then again, I would rather be honest with a partner instead of hiding stuff.”

“Honesty is important. I’d rather know than be blindsided. I think that’s why the issue with the guy I knew was so big. His wife felt totally blindsided, and she lashed out. If he’d just told her I don’t want you and I want to have other people, she probably would have cried and divorced him. It would have been simple. Instead, he made it into a huge production, ruining lives in the process.”

“Yeah. Being honest may be hard in a situation like that, but it’s important.”

Wave set down his slice of pizza and wiped his hands on a napkin before turning toward her. “I liked what happened between us. I’m in no position to say what next week will be for me. I don’t know how it will be with Cassandra living with me, but I am interested in you.”

Gina reached out and took his hand. “I have no clue what will happen. Being with you was very nice. I liked it, I like you. But I have no clue what will happen either.”

“I won’t leave for another two weeks.”

“So are you asking me to spend more time with you?”

“If you like the idea, then yes.”

Maybe she should step away and not get deeper with this man. They hardly knew each other. But she didn’t want to walk away from Wave. Maybe there wasn’t a future for them, but she wanted the chance to see how this worked out. And how else was she supposed to get to know him if she didn’t spend time with him? She would come over and maybe stay a few nights. She needed this, needed Wave.

CHAPTER TEN

Wave hoped this thing they had didn’t go south. Maybe it was premature to think they could be more than just friends. It would be smart to step back, but he didn’t want to walk away from her, not yet. Two weeks wasn’t long enough to judge if they would work, but it was a chance to see if it was worth it to work for more.

The door opened, and Cassandra called out. “I’m home.”