Page 124 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

“In your head, you are.” He turned onto his side. “I’m not the most romantic guy, but maybe I took it too far.”

“Oh, come on.” She laughed. “You know I love it. All of it. I want you to be honest. I need your honesty.”

“Yeah, I get that. I figure it’s the only way to earn your trust.”

“Exactly. It’s the shadows in people’s eyes, the shuttered expressions, that make me uncomfortable. Your transparency makes me feel safe.”

“And that’s what I want. The safer you feel with me, the more depraved ways I can fuck you.”

“Has anyone ever told you your post-sex game is fire?”

He burst out laughing. “I can’t say I’ve had any complaints.”

“But then, aren’t you usually gone by now?”

“Excellent point.”

Ah, there was her cue. She started to get up. “Well, we’ve got a big day tomorrow, and I need to sleep?—”

Quick as a snake, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down to the mattress. “Don’t go.” All the humor had left his voice, and she could see him trying very hard not to plead. He swallowed. “You can sleep here if you want.” She could see the effort he made to lighten his tone. “I don’t snore. And I don’t hog the blankets.”

“Slick, I want to sleep with you. I just know you need your space.”

“I don’t want space. I’ve had a lifetime of space, and now I want you to crowd me. I want you to sit on my lap and leave your makeup all over my counter. I want your yogurt in my fridge and your underwear in my dryer.”

“But you don’t snuggle.”

“Apparently, I do with you. Now, can we go to sleep? We have a big day tomorrow.” They settled under the covers, and she curled up next to him, her arm across his chest.

“Slick?” She played with the silky hairs on his chest. “What happens if your partners won’t change the contract?”What happens to us then?

“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it.”

“You don’t seem worried.”

“That’s because right now, there’s nothing to be concerned about. They haven’t said no. One thing my dad always used to say is that we think we’re choosing between two options. In reality, there are a dozen other options we don’t see. We just have to leave ourselves open to them.”

“Okay. Then, I’ll try not to worry.”

“I’ve got George on my side, so at the very worst, it’ll be two against two.”

“Is that because George needs to change the contract, too?” she asked.

“No, it’s because George and I have each other’s backs. We met freshman year at Yale, went to law school together, worked at Elite?—”

“So, good friends.”

“Colleagues. Great colleagues.”

“You’re so weird. Ginty’s a client, George is a colleague… and what am I?”

“Mine.” His eyelids drifted shut and he wrapped an arm around her, tugging her close. “You’re mine.”

ChapterTwenty-Four

For the first time,Booker had silenced his phone and blocked out the world.

And spent the night spooning with Hellcat.

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