Page 113 of You, As You Are

“Whatdoyou like?” Iain took her news in his stride like she always should’ve known he would. Blushing furiously, she reached for his hand and played with two of his fingers. They were long and thick, covered in tiny little old scratches and scars. “Well that I don’t mind at all,” he said with a glint in his eyes.

Maisie dipped her gaze to hide her face in his shoulder, and he let her. She hated the awkwardness of saying these things, but if they wanted to be together then he needed to know them. “Sometimes it’s fine,” she managed, and swallowed at how personal this had gotten when all they’d done was kiss. “Shallowness is better but … it won’t feel fair to you.”

“Why not?” Iain sounded genuinely affronted.

“Because you’re only getting … half of the experience.” Assuming that half of him still wasn’t too much for her. Maisie didn’t even know what he looked like, really, but it was safe to assume that he was as big downstairs as the rest of him.

Iain’s hand was gentle as he stroked along her arm, his voice softening. “I want whatever you’ll let me have of you.”

That was the sweetest thing that could have come from his lips.

Feeling fuzzy, Maisie nodded her understanding. It was so nice to rest her cheek on his shoulder, nudge her nose to the warm skin of his neck. It was so comfortable just to exist with him like this.

“And, you know …” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and left his mouth there. “There are other ways that we can enjoy one another.”

Even though a thrill worked its way through Maisie at the possibility of thoseother ways,she couldn’t help but say,“You’ll get bored.” They always did.

Iain let out a quiet sigh as if he was fed up of her pushing back at him. Maisie couldn’t help it – it was self-preservation.

He cupped her head in his hands and coaxed her off his shoulder, dipping his face to pull her focus to his. “If I did, that’d be my problem to deal with,” he promised. “But it won’t happen. You could never bore me, Daffy. You’ve kept me on my toes for weeks.”

“I can’t believe you’d want to have sex with me anyways.”

“Why not?”

Maisie didn’t answer. It wasn’t as though she’d put her best foot forward the entire time that she’d known him. Too much falling had been involved …literally. They wouldn’t even be here right now if it weren’t for her grandma and her meddling friends.

Iain swept his thumb across her cheek. “I’ve been thinking about you for weeks.” His voice was like her cosiest jumper. “I’ma patient man, and if you’ll let me learn how to make you happy then I will. Whenever you’re ready.”

Maisie set her hand gently on his thigh, sorry that they hadn’t done anything about his aroused state. “It could take weeks.”

His lips flashed a smile. “I don’t mind.”

“Maybe months.”

“Doesn’t matter to me.”

“You say that – others have said that, but?—”

Iain moved two fingers over her mouth and pressed her lips shut. “Daffy, I am not whatever boy you’ve dated before. You don’t need to try and convince me to wait for you. Let me show that to you?”

He didn’t need to convince her either; he was the first man who Maisie believed when he told her that he would wait for her to be ready.

She leaned in to kiss him, their lips barely touching before Ted started scratching at the bathroom door. Sighing, Iain rolled his forehead against hers.

“The interruption would almost be funny if he was a sausage dog,” Maisie said in the quiet space between them.

“Why?”

“Cock-blocked by a wiener.”

Iain stared at her for a second, then his expression flattened into resigned amusement. Their hands fell away from each other.

“I’ll see to him.” He stood and shifted the front of his jeans that Maisie still felt sorry they hadn’t relieved. “Probably thinks we left him.”

“Poor baby boy.” Maisie pouted.

“He’s five.”

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