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I don’t bother denying it. If we hadn’t needed to finish painting the bedroom before we both passed out from the fumes, I would have taken her right there on the floor, paint-tipped fingers and all. My need for her is at an all-time high tonight, but being with her like this—being normal together—is more than enough.
“There’s not much you could do that I wouldn’t like,” I tell her.
“I’m sure I could find a few things.”
After pressing Save on my messy first draft of a university syllabus, I shut my laptop and set it on the floor beside our blanket bed.
“Like what?”
“I don’t think you like it when I forget to put my box of Lucky Charms away in the morning.”
I bite back a laugh. “I guess not.”
“Or when I don’t stack my shoes on the rack by the door.”
“You do have a lot of shoes.”
She pinches the outside of my thigh. “Cooper.”
“What? Do you really think I care about those things? Because I don’t. Not enough for it to be a big deal. Does it bother you that I always bring a basket of dirty clothes to the laundry room and then forget to put them in the washing machine?”
“No.”
I lean over and kiss her cheek as I say, “Exactly.”
“Well, don’t you just have an answer for everything.”
“It’s one of my best quirks.” With my hand on the back of her laptop, I press it shut and then set it on the floor.
She watches me curiously as I grab her thigh and use it to urge her onto my lap. Straddling me, she sets her hands on my shoulders and hums, “Along with being humble, apparently.”
“And patient.”
Her smile turns goofy as she brushes her fingers over my forehead. “And what exactly are you waiting patiently for, Sparrow?”
I grip her waist and pull her closer, accidentally rocking her against my cock. It has a mind of its own around her and, apparently, doesn’t need much more than a look at her to grow rock hard.
“Oh,” she breathes. “That.”
A laugh tears free from my chest as I shake my head. “No. That’s just from being around you. All I need is to feel you close to me. Especially after earlier.”
“You mean when I told you that I love you?”
My heart stills. Somehow, even after seeing it written on my skin, it’s an entirely different experience to hear her speak those words out loud. I feel them settle deep in my chest.
“And I said that I loved you too,” I rasp, cupping her nape and stroking the side of her throat. “You make it impossible not to fall for you. I should have known from our first day in Madrid when you stripped in front of me on the way to the pool that I never stood a damn chance. I’ve never been more grateful to be a replacement travel buddy.”
“Shit, I was so nervous you were going to hate being around me every day. It still feels like a dream to have you here, telling me all of that.”
“You better get used to it, love. I’m not going anywhere,” I promise.
Suddenly, a pang of guilt hits me. I fight back a wince, knowing full well what I have to do but wishing with everything in me that I didn’t.We’ll be okay, I tell myself. We’re in love, married or not.
“Addie, there’s something I—”
Her eyes go wide as she speaks at the same time, and I immediately shut my mouth, listening to her.
“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! We got invited to a Champagne Swim party tomorrow night. Well, it’s not really a party. It’s more of a get-together with the models from today and a few others who aren’t featured in this new collection. It’s tradition to celebrate after a killer shoot. Obviously, this is the perfect time to introduce my husband to everyone. What do you say? You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
