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At five-eleven and size twenty, I was not what you’d call petite. The world labeled me plus-sized. The guys said I was voluptuous. A Valkyrie. I could kinda, sorta see that…sometimes. But my brain defaulted tofatanduglyway too easily.
Aithan slipped behind me, grabbed my hips, and pulled my ass against him. “I mean I want cushion when I’m pushin’, Zelda Gordon.”
I laughed and caught his hands. “Holy crap, that’s a very Drew thing to say. I think he’s a bad influence on you.”
He pressed his lips to the nape of my neck. “’Cause I’m the wholesome one?”
“Yeah, nooo.” I pulled him back to my side, twining my fingers with his. “You’re sonotwholesome.”
He lifted my hand to his lips. “Not at all. That’s just a lie I use to lure innocent maidens into my clutches.”
“Then how’d you end up with me?”
“Damned lucky, I guess.”
I looked down. Part of me wanted to believe he really found me more attractive than my beautiful, petite sister, but the damned bitchy Voice of Doubt that lurked in my head whispered lies.
He’s too nice to tell the truth. He doesn’treallythink you’re prettier than Greer. No way, Zaftig Zel.
“Zelda?”
I looked up. He was watching me, brows furrowed and eyes filled with concern.
“I’llnever lie to you,” he said quietly. “You know that, right?”
“I think so?” His expression fell, and I grabbed his hand. “Aith, my doubt’s not a reflection of you. It’s my insecurity. It’s a lifetime of hearing I’m ugly. It’s boyfriends telling me I’m too fat to love.”
“Te pieprzone dupki,” he muttered.
“Don’t know what that means, but I’m sure I agree.”
“It means I’d like to hurt the people who hurt you so much.” He pulled me off the paved trail and onto the grassy slope surrounding the lake. “Zel, you’re not ugly, and you’re not too fat to love, and if I have to repeat that every damn day to drill through those layers of lies and the walls you put up to keep them out then that’s what I’ll do.” He cupped my jaw. “You’re beautiful and perfect, and I love you. Just. The way. You are.”
A noise to our left made us look over. A woman stood gawking at us while her dog sniffed the grass. “I’m sorry.” She fluttered her hand at us. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but that was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard a man say to a woman.” We just stared. She awkwardly backed up. “Just, I mean, you gotta keep him.” She turned and headed toward Green Lake Avenue, pulling her dog away from whatever smelled so intriguing.
“I know,” I said then threw my arms around Aithan and kissed him hard.
Hand-in-hand, we walked the rest of the way around the lake and back home, kicking around ideas for Drew’s training.
My cell phone buzzed in my pocket as we reached the townhouse. I glanced at it.
How’re you, honey?
I swiped the screen. “Text from Mom.”
Aithan nodded. Inside, he toed off his shoes and took my running belt. He glanced at the hall clock. It read eight fifteen. “I’m gonna shower and head to Blue Water.”
“You working all day?”
“No. Half-day. I overdid it this morning.”
I smirked. “Yeah, you did. You gonna be okay?”
He dropped the belt on the hall bench then trapped me between his body and the wall, his arms caging me in. “Why? Are you offering your services?”
His breath caressed my face. His chest and hips pressed against mine. I swear my heart rate doubled. I met his eyes and had to fight not to get lost in their beautiful blue depths. “No, but I know where you can take a cold shower.”
Aithan snorted and kissed the tip of my nose. “Now I need it,” he said and followed me upstairs. He continued up to the third floor while I went to the kitchen and started breakfast.
