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“Morning,” he said. “We just came in.”
“I see that.” She smiled and came toward him. She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss when he wanted to hold on. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t. Maybe because he’d let Sage dictate everything about this relationship, and she seemed satisfied with a quick peck on her way to get a cup of coffee.
Talk to her.
He watched her as she got everything put together and joined him at the small table against the wall. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring at me.”
Ty took a sip of his coffee, but that didn’t settle his stomach. “Are you—I mean, are you happy with how things are going with us?”
Her eyebrows went up. “Am I happy about how things are going with us?”
“Yeah.” Ty maintained his eye contact, because he didn’t want a relationship like he’d had with Gloria, and he suddenly knew that he’d somehow gotten himself into the same situation. He wouldn’t break-up with Sage; she’d end things with him. He waited for her to lead out on almost everything. Hefollowed.
“Because I feel like we’re turning stale,” he said honestly. “And I’m…” He wasn’t sure how to tell her he was tired of following a woman around. “My last girlfriend, remember I told you about Gloria?”
“Yes,” she said cautiously.
“She controlled everything. She wouldn’t even let me break-up with her, for crying out loud.”
“Okay.” Sage stirred her coffee, but she hadn’t taken a single sip yet.
“I guess I just feel sort of powerless in this relationship too, and I don’t like it.” There. He’d said something he hadn’t even realized was true until it had come out of his mouth. “I want—I want to give you everything you’ve ever wanted. I don’t know if I’m doing that or not. I don’t know if you’re happy or not. I don’t know if my boring, day-to-day routine will be exciting enough for you long-term.”
When she didn’t immediately reassure him that of course he was amazing, non-boring, and she was totally happy, Ty’s frustration only grew.
“I guess I want to know what you think is different between us compared to you and Jerry.”
“I don’t think Jerry cared if I was happy or not,” Sage said. “So that’s one big difference.”
“But he was boring,” Ty pressed. “He got up and went to work every day. He got home and kissed you about how you just kissed me, I’m imagining.”
Her eyes widened, and Ty didn’t like the shock pouring into them. “I—I…”
“Yeah.” Ty finished his coffee in a couple of big gulps. “I have to go. I’m meeting with Katherine again this morning. Then, I have another boring call with a client, and then I need to check on some photos that should’ve been taken. Then, to top it all off, I have somesuper excitingpaperwork to go through tonight.” He got to his feet and took his coffee cup into the kitchen.
Sage quickly joined him at the sink. “Is this about us, or about you?” she asked, gently putting her hand on his arm.
“Both, I think.” He looked at the wall in front of the sink, because she didn’t have a window there. “I like you a lot, Sage,” he said. “But you were clear from the beginning that you want something special, and well, I don’t know if I measure up.” He barely looked at her as he turned. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay,” she murmured, and Ty bent to grab his dogs’ leashes before he left the apartment. “Ty.”
He turned back to Sage with his hand on the doorknob. She had not said anything to assuage his need for reassurance, and he now seriously believed he was as dry toast as they come. And Sage Grady certainly didn’t want dry toast.
She came toward him, and Ty dropped the leashes. He moved toward her, took her face in his hands, andkissedher. None of this pecking stuff. No quick kiss on the way to something else. Nothing friendly about it at all.
Heat filled him from top to bottom, and he braided his fingers through her hair and turned her until he had her pressed up against the front door. This was the kiss he wanted when he came over, and maybe he just needed to be more up-front about it.
Maybe he should’ve pulled her onto his lap andkissedher instead of letting her walk on by him. He pulled away and said, “I didn’t like the kiss you gave me this morning.”
“I see that now.”
“I don’t want boring either.” His voice turned husky as it stuck in his throat. “But I know I’m boring, so I’m just going to have to take what I want when it comes to us, because even though you haven’t said it, I know you’re feeling the same as me.”
“What’s that?” She curled her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, which sent showers through his limps.
