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“You want to get married?” she blurts out, immediately blushing at her words.
I sit back a little, grabbing her hand and taking it in mine, even as my heart pounds in my chest at the fact we are finally having this conversation. Because even though she asked me to think about it and even though I promised her I would, it’s still not as simple as me just telling her what she wants to hear.
Exhaling, I thread our fingers together, lifting them to my mouth, I press a kiss to her knuckles. “I don’tnotwant to get married,” I start.
“What?”
“Fuck,” I mutter, shoving my other hand through my hair. “Okay, let me start again.” I pause, taking another deep breath, as I squeeze her hand in mine. “I’m not against marriage, Tess,” I tell her. “But yeah, it’s not something I’ve really put a lot of thought into.” She opens her mouth to say something, but I hold a finger up to stop her as I continue before she has a chance to say anything, needing to get this out. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not something I want. I do. One day.”
“One day?” she repeats, a confused look on her face.
“One day,” I confirm, taking her hand in both of mine now as I move closer so she’s practically sitting between my legs. “I really like you, Tessa. I know things started out differently between us and I know I gave you the impression that hooking up was all I was interested in.”
She hits me with a look that has me laughing, even as it morphs into a scowl at my reaction.
“I know, I know,” I say, kissing her knuckles again. “I was a horny guy and you are fucking hot and seemed into it, what do you want me to say?”
Tessa rolls her eyes now, but she’s smiling. “I know, I can’t fault you for being honest about what you were after back when we first met, it’s just…”
“You wanted something different?” I suggest.
“I did,” she says with a nod. “And apparently now, so do you,” she adds. “I guess, it’s still kind of hard for me to understand why, you know? I mean, what changed.”
I chuckle, wishing I knew the answer to that too. “I’ll be honest, babe, I don’t really know. Still don’t know, actually.”
“You don’t know?” she asks, and I can hear the confusion in her voice again.
Laughing, I lean in and kiss her again. “I don’t,” I admit. “And I know that’s weird, but it doesn’t mean what I feel now isn’t real. I want you, Tessa. And not in a hook up kind of way, although of course, the sex part is awesome.” Tessa swats at my arm and I laugh, before continuing. “But I’m not too proud to admit that now things have changed for me too and I want you in a relationship kind of way. The kind where we hang out and you stay over and we meet each other’s family and shit.”
Tessa narrows her eyes at me. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with the guy I’m supposedly dating?”
“Hey!” I say, laughing. “What, a guy can’t change his mind about how he feels?” I ask, wondering if I’m sounding more and more like a chick as this conversation continues.
She gives me a smirk, squeezing my hand. “Of course you can, it’s just…I don’t know, I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone quite as honest as you, Dylan.”
I grin, giving her a wink as I ask, “But that’s totally a good thing right?”
Tessa laughs. “Yeah it is. Unnerving at times, but it’s good. Even when I don’t want to hear it.”
My smile falls just a little as I let go of her hand and slide both of mine over her thighs, squeezing once before curling them around to slip underneath her legs. “So let me tell you what I want right now,” I say, my voice low. “So you can be absolutely crystal clear.”
“Okay.”
I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest at what I’m about to admit, words and feelings and thoughts that I’ve never felt or had about anyone. “I want you,” I tell her, my gaze locked with hers. “I want to date you, fuck you, be with you in every way possible. And I want it to be good, so good that—”
“How’d you make your money?” Tessa suddenly blurts out, interrupting me.
I blink. “What?”
Tessa swallows, licking her lips as she holds my gaze. “You said honesty, right?” I nod, wondering if I’m about to regret that. “And you also said on the fifth date.”
I pull my hands from beneath her thighs, sitting back. “Does it bother you?” I ask, stalling a little because I get the feeling everything’s going to change when I tell her. Fuck, five seconds ago I was about to admit that yeah, I could see myself getting married one day. Married to her even, but now, somehow, we’ve swung back to the other secret I’ve been keeping.
“What, that you’re rich?” she asks.
I lift a shoulder in a shrug. “Yeah, that and…”
Tessa shakes her head. “No, it doesn’t bother me and for the record, you being rich is not why I’m interested in you. Or why I’m asking about the money.”
I nod, holding a hand up to stop her continuing. “Yeah, I know, you hooked up with me when you thought I was just a dumb gym guy,” I remind her. “I get it.”
“I’m just…you know…” she trails off, clearly embarrassed because of how this whole conversation sounds, before taking a deep breath and continuing. “If we’re really going to do this, and I want to, I really do. Then I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.”
“Okay,” I finally say, understanding what she’s really saying as I take her hand in both of mine again. “I made all my money.” I pause, kissing her knuckles once more as I seriously wonder if this is going to be the last time I ever see her.
“Yeah?” she prompts, her eyes wide.
“I made all my money from inventing a sex toy.”
