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“Oh. I thought you meant—” She shakes her head. “Never mind. It’s late. I should be getting home.”
“It’s too late for you to leave.” It’s a lie, but I don’t want her to go, not when I just found her. “Just stay here. There are a couple extra bedrooms. Pick one and crash here for the night.”
She opens her mouth and then closes it as if she wants to say something.
“What is it? Tell me.” The order sounds too harsh and demanding. I tack on a “please.”
It works because she says, “I went to the lab to bring you dinner.”
“You did?” A smile breaks across my face. “I went to the restaurant tonight, but it was closed. I would’ve been there sooner, but my assistant, Calvin, his husband got into an accident, and so I was at the hospital.”
She claps her hand to her mouth. “Oh my God. Is he okay?”
“Yeah, everything will be fine.” I take her hand in mine. “Except for me. I won’t be okay if you go home. I’m not asking for sex or anything. I just want you to stay with me.” I pull her close until her body falls against mine. “I’m a science guy. I know about compounds and chemicals. Isomerisms. Tartrates. But none of those things quite explain love. Love is undefinable because it’s an emotion—or so I thought. Instead, after seeing Calvin and Russ tonight, I think love is a palpable thing but measured differently than in a test tube. Instead, it’s the tightness in your chest when you think about losing that one person. It’s the happiness you feel hearing that person’s voice. It’s the warmth that fills your bones when you’re just in the same room as that other person. It’s the driving need to put a smile on that person’s face. To want them to be happy, safe, satisfied. I think that’s what love is, and even though we’ve only known each other for a short time, that’s how I feel about you, so please don’t leave. Not tonight. Not ever.”
CHAPTER 20
LUCIA
Fate.
It’s the one word pounding through my mind as I stare into Jase’s eyes. He loves me, but he doesn’t understand it. It’s interesting coming from one of the smartest men in the world. He’s taught people so many things. The man is a genius. I might be the one piece to the recipe that’s missing for him.
“I’m not going to leave.” I rest my hand on his chest. He’s not wrong. We’re so different, but we work. There is something that pulls us together. We can’t help ourselves.
In the small span of time I spent with his mom, I saw how she could go from one time period to another. It gave me so much insight into the man before me. He loves deeply. In fact, I think he loves so hard it’s draining him. He never wants another person to go through what he has with his mom. I understand that, but you can only give so much before you lose yourself. And I believe that’s what’s happened to Jase.
“Can I ask you something?” I run my hand up his broad chest, needing to feel him. All day I missed him and questioned everything. Being with Jase feels right. I know it sounds a bit crazy since we’ve only known each other a short time.
“Anything,” he responds without hesitation. I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, not sure I really want to ask. The question is selfish really. Jase pulls my bottom lip from my teeth with his thumb to stop me so I’ll ask his question. “Ask me.”
“Will work always come first?” I blurt out. “Over our children’s baseball or volleyball games.” I hate asking the question. It feels so trivial considering what this man does for the world, but they are giant when it comes to what he can bring to our children’s world. I may be able to live with him putting his work before me, but I wouldn’t want that for our future children. “I mean, not that you want them or anything. Like if, or whatever,” I add when the silence stretches.
“Lucia, you could ask me for anything, and I would do it. You make me want things I never have before. Things that I thought weren’t in the cards for me. A family. One maybe a bit like yours.”
“Are you sure about that?” I let out a small laugh. I may give my family a hard time, but they are truly the best. Nosy, opinionated, and a whole lot of other things. But all of that balances out with how hard they love.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything.” I wrap my arms around his neck. He lifts me, his hands going to my ass. I’m not sure why I even questioned him. I see how he is with his own mom. He’d do anything for her.
