AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I found his hand and held it. I felt him tense for a second, then he gave my hand a small squeeze.
“Do you want to talk about that?”
“I don’t know. It’s just this feeling I have. I haven’t really worked out what it goes with yet.”
“Is it Maddy?”
I felt him shrug. “I don’t think so. I’m getting used to her. As much as I’d get used to any kid in my life.”
For some reason, that surprised me.
“You don’t want kids?”
He scoffed. “You think I’d be a good dad?”
“That’s not what I asked.”
I felt him shift and turned to find him looking at me, his head propped up on his hand.
“There’s a difference, you know,” I said, searching his eyes. “You can still want them even if you think you won’t be any good at it.”
He dropped onto his back again and stared up. “First, I’d need to work out how to be with someone long enough. You don’t just have kids without thinking of the consequences. They deserve better than that.”
I nodded and lay my head on his shoulder. “Yeah. But, so do you.”
He scoffed. “Is that a compliment?”
I nudged him. “I’m serious. You can want something even if you think you’re not good enough or it’s not good for you.”
“Because you’d have experience with that.” His voice sounded rough and annoyed.
“Well, maybe not as much as some. But, enough to get the concept.”
“Fine. Give me an example, then.”
“Right, well… Chocolate, right? I could look at a huge chocolate cake and decide that I want to eat all of it. But, I also know I shouldn’t because otherwise I’d be sick or get fat or whatever. Plus, I have never done anything in my life that deserves the reward a whole chocolate cake.”
“Is this thing you have for chocolate cake something that should make Carter jealous… Or?”
“Very cute. Like my love for John, Mason is well aware of my love for chocolate cake.”
“And, this is all Johns and all chocolate cakes, or just certain ones?”
“One John and one chocolate cake. Mud cake. Dense and dark and moist– What?” I asked when he snorted.
“Nothing. I just can’t with that word.”
I smiled. “Moist isn’t a dirty word, Roman.”
He barked a laugh and his arm wrapped around me. “No, I don’t suppose it is. Funny though, and gives a guy all sorts of ideas.”
“Well, you can take those ideas and leave them in the gutter where they belong.”
“Ah, Barlow. Any guy who told you he didn’t get ideas around you has to be lying. But, I shall be a gentleman and keep them to myself.”
“There goes that word again,” I teased. “Anyone who told you they thought you could be a gentleman has to be lying. But as a lady, I won’t go spreading it around.”
I felt him shake his head with a laugh and he pulled me closer. “You think you’re a lady, do you?”
