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He nodded and took my hand in his, kissing my knuckle. “Yeah. You’re right.”
“Do you know what I’d really like?”
“What’s that?”
“I think I’d really like to get cleaned up, lie back down, and spend tonight talking,” I said. “We haven’t really done that lately. I’ve missed just chatting and joking with you. I mean, it’s been at least a month since we’ve talked about the peanut butter and tuna sandwich. We’re really falling off our A-game.”
“Damn, you’re right. What were we thinking?” Cole cupped my face with his free hand and leaned down to kiss my forehead. “Honestly, I feel guilty for not fucking you properly.”
“We’ll fuck properly later,” I said. “Another day, when we’re not holding vigil over Travis and fresh off our first real, substantial, prolonged fight. Tonight, let’s just remember what it feels like to be blissfully in love.”
He smiled at me and sighed. “I couldn’t forget what that was like even if I wanted to.”
Chapter 12
Cole
We did exactly what Marley suggested: took a shower, brushed our teeth, and got into bed. We stayed naked because it felt right after such a vulnerable night, and having the warmth of her nude body against mine was fantastic. It wasn’t even a sexual enjoyment. I just loved feeling close to her.
We talked about emotionally difficult things and about nothing important at all. We laughed and spoke with hushed voices, like we were teenagers sneaking around, trying not to wake our parents. In the end, I watched her drift to sleep mid-sentence as she was telling me how much she wanted to learn to roller skate, but was certain she would kill herself trying it.
Once she was asleep, I admired the soft curves of her slackened face, the fall of her lashes and how they brushed the edge of her cheek, the way she nuzzled closer to me when the air conditioner kicked on. I’d been thinking about how much I wanted her in my life permanently for a while, but now that we’d had this night, now that she’d stopped me right before I was about to pull out all the stops the way I hadn’t done since Olivia or a rare night with Farrah, I knew for certain that I wanted to make her my wife.
I didn’t want to wait around for it any longer. If she wanted a long engagement, I would give it to her, but I had never felt so certain of anything and wanted to put the wheels in motion.
I stared at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance across it, thinking about how I could ask her to marry me. How would I do it? Would I surprise her or lay it all out there? What if I screwed it up? What if she said no?
Then I remembered what she’d said: that she wasn’t going anywhere, that she wanted me in her life. I remembered the moment in Georgia when she’d blushed as she admitted that she would love to be my wife.
Maybe she would say no. But I knew that a no would really be a not quite yet. I knew I could wait for her. I could spend my whole life happily waiting for her to be ready and never grow resentful because I also knew she would never treat me as disposable or pointless.
My hands found hers where they rested on my chest, and I laced our fingers together. I stroked my thumb over her knuckle, letting the soft skin slide under my touch. The thought of putting a ring on that finger enticed me so much that I resolved to get one.
Sure, it was unconventional to get engaged this early, but we were an unconventional couple. All that mattered was that Marley was happy with it, not what anyone else thought about the speedy engagement. And if she wanted to put it off, I wouldn’t make her feel bad about it. Knowing that Marley truly loved me made me feel unendingly patient because I knew the conclusion would be the one I hoped for.
I finally fell asleep when the sky shone pink outside with the rising sun.
When I woke up, Marley was already awake, sitting cross-legged on the bed and sipping coffee from a white mug. She offered me some, which I accepted gratefully.
We spent the morning relaxing, catching up on sleep and conversation. Once we had rested enough, we ventured out into the bright afternoon sunlight, finding Travis making breakfast…or was it lunch? In all honesty, I wasn’t even sure Travis himself knew. He’d made everything from steaks to pancakes to sandwiches, all set out on the kitchen island. Enough food to feed a soccer team.
Lana gave me a wry look from where she sat at the breakfast bar, sipping a smoothie. “He’s ravenous,” she said. “Been eating since this morning.”
“Uh, is there any food left in my house?” I asked.
“There’s still some oatmeal in the cupboard,” Travis said a little sheepishly. “I...I mean, I’ll restock the pantry.”
“It’s fine, dude,” I said with a chuckle. “This is exactly why the ladies went grocery shopping. I’m just surprised you’re still eating.”
“This is for all of us,” Travis said. “I figured you guys would be up soon after Marley got coffee.”
“We’ll try not to ruin the second breakfast,” I joked.
Travis, with his new appetite that rivaled a lumberjack’s, approached the food like a man on a mission. He loaded his plate with a hearty assortment of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a stack of fluffy pancakes that teetered dangerously. On a second plate, he piled one of the ridiculous sandwiches he’d made and a healthy serving of gooey mac and cheese.
I couldn’t help but grin at his voracious appetite. It was clear that his shifter biology was getting stronger. Soon enough, he’d be shifting with the rest of us. It was almost surreal to think that I’d soon be able to go on a run with him, both of us as wolves.
On the other side of the table, Lana and Marley were engaged in animated conversation, their voices a soothing melody. They spoke of their plans for the day, their laughter harmonizing with the clinking of cutlery. After going through their mental calendars, they both determined they didn’t have much to do that day. At least nothing overly time-consuming.
