Page 87 of Beni

He wanted it.

The words that Beni had refused to really say because he wanted August to make her choices about him and Chicago without his influence started to bubble up from his chest. They were going to spill out, irrevocably changing this agreement between them, if he didn’t get a hold on it, and fast.

“Now that,” August murmured, still trembling in his hold, “was a great way to make breakfast, even if it’s probably cold now.”

“Microwave,” he said, “and it’ll heat up just fine.”

“Mmm, maybe.”

“Except right now, I’m wondering how much convincing it would take for you to let me take you back to bed instead of—”

A knock echoed throughout the apartment, cockblocking Beni in the worst possible fucking way. August laughed at the deep scowl that settled into his expression, but it quickly melted away when she leaned forward to press a kiss to the underside of his jaw.

“Someone checking up on you, probably. Don’t be mad people care.”

“Right, right.” He stepped back from her, although it was the very last thing he wanted to do. “Better get dressed, but just know … the clothes won’t stay on you for long. As soon as I can get whoever the fuck that is gone, they’ll be going. And me and you will be—”

“Go answer your door,” she said, tossing a dishrag at him.

Damn her.

He loved it.

Loved her.

Beni blinked as the words drifted through his mind fast and yet, not at all fleeting. They couldn’t be something he just thought and then they went away when it felt like an echo chamber in his brain, the words coming back again and again to reverberate through his entire soul.

Love her, love her, love her …

You love her.

God.

It was so fucking obvious.

Once the words were there, he couldn’t forget them. Once he allowed himself to think them, there was no taking them back. His mind made good and sure of that.

“Yeah,” he said gruffly, stepping back to tuck himself away, and do up his pants quickly. Annoying, considering he hadn’t even discarded that fucking condom, but he would do it soon enough. “But get dressed.”

“Okay.”

She was oblivious, though.

Didn’t have a clue that a simple thought had just changed his whole life. To be frank, she had been the one to change his life from that first meeting, but it was only now that he was truly realizing what it meant, and that he had no fucking idea how to deal with it.

Strange how that worked.

The knocking continued, annoying the hell out of him further. Beni left the kitchen, shouting toward the apartment door, “Just a second—relax, fuck. I need a minute to get decent in here.”

The knocking stopped.

Thankfully.

Beni made a beeline for the bathroom, quickly discarding the condom and washing his hands. He grabbed a semi-clean shirt that he’d left sitting on the vanity counter the day before, and punched his arms through the sleeves as he headed for the door. He didn’t even bother to check the peephole before swinging the door open.

“Do you realize what fucking time it is?” he snarled.

And immediately regretted it.