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“Would you like me to tuck you in?” I lighten the mood, hoping she doesn’t look down because Woody is acting like a pussy divining rod searching out water. I shove my hands into the pockets of the baggy hoodie, holding the sweater away from my body.
As though she read my mind, she attempts to look down.
My right arm whips out at lightning speed, resting the tip of my finger on her chin, pausing her movement. “Ah-ah-aah.Eyes up here, beautiful. You don’t even want to know what is going on down there.” I point south.
My good intentions for a PG-13 visit are rapidly dwindling.
Curiosity gets the better of her, and she pushes her chin down, but the force is strong in that one finger of mine. I would do Yoda proud.
“How are you feeling, Hamlet?” And that is my half-ass attempt at a distraction, but I genuinely want to know.
She takes a step away, and I drop my hand. “My sangria brain is much clearer. I can’t even remember the last time I took a nap in the afternoon. It seems like such a waste of time. I have my phone, so I thought I might read some chapters of a book, but I don’t need to get in your bed to do that.” She turns around, eyeing up the sleep shorts.
Oh, that simply won’t do.
I spring into action, snatching the shorts off my bed and throwing them across the room.
She whirls around on me, eyes narrowing. Bring it on, Spitfire.
“What the hell, Royal?” Her annoyance is half-baked. I think I surprised her with that move, and she’s deciding whether to be grouchy or laugh.
I casually shrug. “Pajama bottoms are overrated, Hamlet. You can read in my spectacularly comfortable bed dressed the way you are. Perfect,” I add on, thinking I had better work doubly hard in the gym shortly. “So, is this a bad time to mention that I want so very much to kiss you before I tuck you into my bed, and I will head off to the gym?”And work this hard-on out of my system.
She holds her hands up. “Okay, I call a truce. I will get under the covers of your spectacularly comfortable bed for my cousin’s wife.”
“A simple yes would have sufficed, but now you have me intrigued to know what conversations you are having about me with your cousin’s wife. Have you been seeking council from her? Doing that whole girlfriend thing where you tell her you like me, but follow it up with, ‘What should I do? He’s handsome and funny, but I have my rules.’ Should I keep going? Did I nail it?”
Ophelia drops her head, but I see the telltale smile on her face before her wild mane hides it from view.
I sit down on my bed, patting the area next to me. “Do tell.”
She remains standing.
It was worth a try.
Then she starts pacing back and forth. “Dammit, Royal. I like you. You make it easy to like you and your family, but I have to protectme—hence my rules.”
Now we are getting somewhere. I think? “Do you want to talk about your warring attraction toward me versus keeping yourself protected? I can assure you I am equally attracted and wish nothing more than to protect you.”
Ophelia pauses mid-step dragging her hands through her hair. “It’s not that simple.”
I can see I caught her off guard, but I have no time to spare beating around the bush. I want to help her if I can. “I doubt it is but talking it out is an excellent place to begin. I am a good listener.”
“No. That’s opening wounds that need to stay bandaged for now. I have stuff I am dealing with, and I do that by protecting my heart. Staying focused and busy keeps me turning the pages of each new day in my week and too tired to let sadness envelop me. Your family today… well, they remind me of what I used to have. My immediate family got wiped out in the blink of an eye, and I haven’t allowed myself to let my hair down in quite a while. Aubrey gave me a gentle reminder that it is okay to enjoy your company. She urges me to do so, and I know you are a good guy. Today you have shown me that I can act spontaneously and take a day off work and have fun with the guy I have just met, and I’ll be okay because I can return to my life tomorrow.”
“I’m so sorry if I have—”
She silences me with a hand in the air. “No. quite the opposite. It feels good, and I thank you for sharing your family with me today. I’ve been working on the Fainting Goat Ranch from morning to night; having my cousin’s family visit these past few days has also given me a gentle reminder to value those who care about me.” She starts pacing again, rubbing her palms together, an anxious gesture. “I am admitting out loud that I have had the best day with you. God, you are persistent, but I needed to slow down and smell the roses. I went up in a hot air balloon, something I had been telling myself to find the time to do, but I hadn’t. It has been all work and no play.” She stops and looks at me. “Royal, as we have both stated, I am working on me, and you are going to fly to Alaska, reunite with your parents, and grow more memories to cherish with your family, but I want to bend my rules for you, just for today. I want to let go and kiss you without strings attached.”
There is so much more I want to know about this woman, but the last thing I should be doing is pressuring her to open up. If I lost my family, man, that would put me in a deep, dark hole. One strong woman stands before me. I need to keep this moment light for her sake, but I need to know one thing. “Can I ask if you have found a good therapist to talk to? I am ex-military, so I have seen and done things as a soldier that you can’t just forget. We all need to talk about what we have lived through and survived.”
“Yes. I have that covered, and it does help. Cellie is amazing.” And I believe her. “I don’t know what this is, but let’s not label it. It is just a kiss between two people who acknowledge they are attracted to each other. I am thinking of it as an itch I want to scratch.”
“I am an itch? I will try not to take offense, Shakespeare, but you will be eating your words for that oh-so-flattering comment. Have you got a safe word?”
“What? Why do I need one?” She tilts her head as though she didn’t hear me right.
I quirk an eyebrow at her. “You find my request amusing?”
