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“Um, earlier, at my house. Just now...I always feel like I’m flaking out on you.” My fingers played with the curly patch of hair on his chest.
“You apologize entirely too much for no reason.”
A simple statement. One that was most likely true. And I was sure he didn’t mean anything by it—he wasn’t trying to be mean—but it didn’t stop the anxious, self-conscious feeling from creeping in.
“Sor…” I stopped myself and attempted to pull away.
Malcolm’s arms were locked in place, preventing me from making an escape. He didn’t say anything. He simply held me there. I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and started counting in my head. My hands curled into fists against his chest. His hands wrapped around them. I really wished he’d say something, crack some sort of joke, but he didn’t. I didn’t fight it. I didn’t try to pull away. It wasn’t until I felt his hand on my face that I finally opened my eyes. Fearing he’d be angry, I was too nervous to look up at him.
“Old habits,” I whispered and mustered up the courage to face him.
Patience. That’s what was written all over his face. Calm, collected patience. Something that should’ve put me at ease, but it only served to make me feel more like an idiot.
“To stay ahead of the trouble, or try to at least. Apologizing is second nature.” I rambled on.
“Calida, I’m your man, not your daddy. I don’t dole out punishments, so you don’t need to apologize for speaking your mind or expressing yourself. Nothing you say or do will result in you being in trouble, whatever the hell that means. And especially never in relation to you talking about how you feel about anything.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Now, go get ready for bed.”
I jumped when he gave me a playful smack on my ass as he walked away. I picked up my bag and hurried into the bathroom, careful not to slam the door. I dropped my bag onto the counter and covered my face with my hands.
“God, why am I such a freak?” I mumbled to myself.
Why was I constantly doing or saying the wrong thing? But I wasn’t imagining his mood. There was something on his mind when I walked upstairs. There had to be a reason he was just sitting there instead of coming back down.
I shook my head as I unzipped my bag. “Just let it go, Calida. It’s been a long day. He’s probably just tired.” I started laughing quietly. “I’ve really lost it. I’m in here having a full conversation with myself.”
When I exited the bathroom, I dropped my bag on the floor beside the door. Malcolm sat at the foot of the bed, wearing a pair of dark blue basketball shorts. When he stood, my face got warm as I wondered if he wore anything beneath them.
“What are you thinking that created that blush?”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. I was not about to voice those thoughts.
He moved toward me, slow and easy, with a mischievous smile on his face. “I can get it out of you. I know your weakness.”
Again, I shook my head, taking a slow step to the left. I had a good idea of what he had planned.
“Oh yeah. Now I really want to know.”
He lunged for me. I squealed, barely dodging him. I headed for the door, but his arms were around me. He began to tickle me, making it hard to breathe through the laughter.
“What’s in that pretty head of yours?”
“Mal…”
He picked me up, and I found myself on my back on the bed under his merciless attack. No escape. He’d trapped me between his legs as he straddled me. He was relentless, laughing at my fruitless attempts to get away.
I couldn’t take it anymore. My sides hurt. “St...stop...you win…”
He stopped almost instantly, and shifted so his full body weight wasn’t holding me down, but the contact remained. One leg was thrown over the lower half of my body, and one arm laid across my stomach. I stared up at the ceiling, attempting to catch my breath. He propped himself up with his other hand. The weight on my stomach lifted, and his fingers brushed my overgrown bangs out of my face. His warm hand travelled down to my jaw, turning my head to face him.
“That wasn’t very nice of you.”
He looked happy and playful when he answered. “Not my fault you’re extra ticklish.”
“I’ll get you back for that.”
“Bring it on, baby.”
I shoved him, and he started laughing as he fell to his back. “I should make you sleep on the couch.”
