She bites her bottom lip and says, “I want this too, Breaker.” She groans and then flops back on the bed while covering her eyes with her hands. “God, I’m so annoying.”
I laugh and lie down next to her while settling my hand on her stomach. “Why do you say that?”
“Doesn’t it seem obvious? That I should just be with you and not have any reservations holding me back? You’re the clear choice, yet I’m so scared to take that step toward dating, because that would mean . . . that would mean our friendship is over.”
“Uh . . . excuse me?” I ask. “What do you mean our friendship is over?”
“If we take that first step toward dating, Breaker, then this could end in two vastly different ways. We are together forever, which just seems crazy to even think about. Or we break up, and I doubt we can be friends after breaking up.”
I scratch my cheek. “Why does being together forever seem crazy to you?”
“Well, do you even want to get married one day? Ever since I’ve known you, you haven’t had a serious girlfriend, so is that something you want? Doesn’t getting involved with me freak you out at all?”
“Not in the slightest,” I answer. “And I think it’s because in my mind, I’ve always been with you. You’ve always been mine.”
“That’s annoyingly sweet.”
I chuckle and then cup her face. “You said you trust me, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me lead the way, okay? Can you do that? I promise I won’t push too hard.”
She swallows and nods. “Okay, yeah, I can do that.”
“Good girl.” I smirk and then say, “Now, if you want to go back to your place and sleep, you are more than welcome to. Just borrow some pants of mine first. If you want to stay here, that’s good too. But the choice is yours.”
“I want to stay here,” she says, her eyes on mine.
“Then let’s get ready for bed because I’m exhausted.” I lift from the bed and pull her up as well.
After taking turns going to the bathroom and brushing our teeth, I walk her to her side of the bed, pull down the covers, and help her in.
Once everything’s locked up and my phone is charging, I slip in behind her, the cool sheets a stark contrast to her heated body. I slip my arm around her waist and pull her into my chest.
“You good?”
“Very,” she says. “This is my favorite way to sleep. Ever.”
I lay a kiss on her neck. “Mine too.”
“Breaker?” she asks after a light pause.
“Hmm?”
“Tomorrow . . . is that date still an option?”
I smile against her silky hair. “It is.”
“Okay. I think I want to go on it.”
“You think, or you know?”
“I know, but can it not be some awkward date where you wear a suit and I get dressed up? That’s not really us.”
“Trust me, I know. I have something entirely different planned. Something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”
“Really? What is it?”
“It’s a surprise.” I slip my hand under her shirt. “Now go to sleep.”
“You’re just going to leave me hanging like that?”
“Yup.” I kiss the top of her head. “But block out your day tomorrow because you’re mine.”
“The whole day?” she asks.
“Yes. The whole day. I might not make you dress fancy, but I’m still going to make a lasting impression. Consider this your last first date ever.”
“Awfully confident, don’t you think?”
“It’s not confidence, Ophelia,” I whisper. “It’s facts.”
Chapter Twenty
LIA
“Is the blindfold really necessary?” I ask as he stops at what feels like a stoplight.
“For the tenth time, yes.”
“And dressing me yourself, was that necessary? Or did you just do that so you could play with my boobs?”
“Lia,” he says in a stern voice. “I don’t need to blindfold you and say I need to dress you to cop a feel. I can do that any time I want.”
“Oh? And when exactly did my body become your body?”
“The moment you came on my tongue,” he answers as his hand lands on my thigh.
“Okay, well, that’s an answer.”
He chuckles and says, “We’re almost there, just a bit longer. And I have to say, you did an excellent job eating your donut this morning. You didn’t get any crumbs on you.”