Page 70 of Love You, Mean It

Theo and I made our way across town in silence. Just as we were pulling up to my apartment, he reached across the console to take my hand.

“Hey. I’m sorry.”

“Why?” I blinked, genuinely confused.

“I’m sure that wasn’t fun for you.” His eyebrows tented with concern.

“It was fine. So I suck at tennis. I could have told you that before.”

“Well, for the record, I appreciate it.” He leaned closer. “You putting yourself through that just for the two of us…” Closer yet.

“I mean…we have to sell this thing.”

“On that note…”

And before I could think to move away, his mouth was on mine, hand cupping the back of my head, his tongue gently parting my lips, and my brain just shut down, leaving only this, the feel of him, the soft pressure of his skin on mine. I sucked his lower lip between my teeth, nibbling lightly, and he tangled his fingers in my hair, mouth growing hungrier against mine.

When he pulled away, I was dizzy with the intensity of it, body so taut with desire it felt like a single touch in the right place could shatter me into a million pieces.

Theo tilted his forehead against mine, thumb softly caressing the back of my head as he spoke.

“I’m going to be pretty tied up this week with work stuff. There’s an event I want you to come to, but…sorry in advance if you don’t hear much from me in the interim.”

“I’ll try to hold it together,” I said, smirking.

He leaned in to press one more kiss to my lips, the gentleness of it somehow…tender? I couldn’t be certain, it had been so long since anyone had kissed me that way, not with urgency, just sweetly, like they were looking for attachment, nothing more.

“Until then…I’ll be thinking of you, Ellie.” Theo pulled away, and my breath slowly returned to my body, eventually reaching my brain.

“Should I be worried?” I fussed with my gym bag so I wouldn’t have to meet Theo’s smoldering stare, afraid of what I might do if I did.

“Only if you get rid of that tennis skirt before I see you next. I will personally undertake your trainingsolelyto keep seeing you in it.”

“Ha,” I barked, unsure how else to respond, frothy delight filling my chest. I hadn’t even noticed him looking…“Sounds like you should make that shower cold.”

Theo tilted his head in playful acknowledgment, and I took the opportunity to get out of the car and its inexplicably potent atmosphere of sex. Probably something to do with all the leather trim.

Theo waited at the curb until I made it into the lobby, making me too aware of my body to process…well,anythingthat had just happened. It wasn’t until I was safely in the confines of my living room, the familiar dinge an antidote to all twittery feelings, that it struck me.

I had fucked this upso bad.I knew what I had to do, knew it was better in the long run—and even the short run, going softcore in front of Sam wasnotgoing to convince her to hold up her end of the Mangia bargain—and in the moment, none of that had mattered. My body had taken over, responding to Theo’s scent, the intensity of his eyes, the intoxicating feeling of him against me—I shivered a little, imagining it again—and it had somehow entirely short-circuited my brain.

At least Theo’s busy week was a reprieve—I wouldnotgive into the achy sensation in my chest that the prospect was bringing on. I’d use the time to get my shit together and get things back on track.

As if in answer to my thoughts, my phone pinged inside my gym bag.

From: Samantha Lindsay

I think we need a debrief. Drinks tonight?

I winced. I knew things had gone badly, but if Sam was clearing her schedule to discuss justhowbadly…that couldn’t be good. Stomach sinking, I texted back.

Sounds good, just tell me where tobe.

Maybe the week would be a chance to get things back on track.

Or maybe all of this was going to end sooner than I’d planned…and not in the way I’d been hoping.

“Oh you havegotto be fucking kidding me,” I muttered aloud as I pulled up to the maps pin for the Boston restaurant Sam had chosen, Amicizia.

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