Page 102 of Love Me Boldly

I turned to Jonah and climbed into the bed, sitting between him and the wall so Graham could have more room on the other side.

“All right, Jonah.” I adjusted so he was resting against my outstretched arm and ran my hand through his hair. It was so silky, and I took every opportunity I could, knowing someday he wouldn’t allow it. Wouldn’t want anything to do with this bedtime story.

“One day, a very long time ago, there was once a sad girl who was all alone. She only had one friend, and her mom and dad were both gone, leaving her to take care of herself. One night, she and her friend went out to a party and ran into a big scary monster who wanted to eat the sad little girl, but out of nowhere, a handsome and strong boy stepped in front of her…”

I tried not to watch Graham’s reaction as Jonah settled into my story, but it was useless. He was tense as a board as he listened, oftentimes sucking a breath. I told the story of how he demanded this girl be her friend and how he showed her what true friendship was like. I told the story of how he made the lonely girl laugh and taught her to have dreams of her own, and then I ended it with the story of how another monster showed up, and both the boy and girl had to battle to survive. In the story, the boy teaches the girl how to fight, and in the end, the prince doesn’t save her. They both end up saving themselves, and when they do that, they learn they should always be together, because they’re stronger when they’re together than when they’re alone.

I cried the first year I started telling this story, but it’d been years since I did so. Tonight, with Graham’s occasional sniffs, I found myself crying along with the story all over again. Most of it was fake, but there was enough truth weaved in to make it obvious whose story I was telling.

Not like he hadn’t already figured it out.

“He’s sleeping,” Graham whispered with a raspy voice.

“He always falls asleep before I finish.” I smiled at him in the small room, the hallway light illuminating his face.

“But you finish it anyway.”

I could have brushed it off, made it seem like nothing. I trusted him. It was time I started proving it. “I like knowing they end up together in the end.”

“Funny.” Graham’s smile went wide, and all I saw was a mouth full of teeth. “That’s my favorite part, too.”

* * *

“I feellike I should take back what I said earlier, but I won’t.”

We were on my front porch, my front door open. Behind me, Graham was looking down at me, cupping the side of my throat beneath my jaw. His thumb did a gentle sweep across my cheek.

“Especially not after hearing that story,” he continued, like he wasn’t turning my knees to jelly and my bones to mush.

After we left Jonah’s room, he gave me a kiss that could only be described as scorching. He then brought me downstairs and didn’t mention the story.

I’d been waiting for him to bring it up, and when he did, I dropped my forehead against his chest. “You were never supposed to know about that.”

“Ah, but now I do.” His thumb pressed to the soft flesh beneath my chin, and he tilted it up until I met his stormy, dark gaze. “I like knowing I was on your mind all these years.”

I fought the urge to hide, even though he was staring so intently at me, and decided I couldn’t.

I didn’t need to hide from him or protect myself.

“You were never far from it,” I admitted and licked my dry lips. My throat turned parched at the admission, and all my senses flared with that familiar flight-or-fight response being vulnerable brought me.

Instead of fleeing, I pressed my toes harder into the cement porch and rooted myself, waiting for his judgment.

“I know opening up is hard for you,” he whispered, bringing his head down close to mine. “So thank you for that.”

Graham closed the last whisper of space between us and kissed me. I sank in immediately and reached out, fisting his shirt in my hands. All too soon, and not nearly soon enough, he stepped closer, pressing his body against me and walking us backward until my back hit the door.

I chuckled against him and allowed myself to feel every part of this beautiful moment. The quickening of his breath, the deep, quiet groan that rose from his throat, the way his hands were gentle but firm and confident as the pads of his fingers pressed into my cheek and lower back.

I gasped when he pulled back, our lower halves pressed together. His desire for me was evident, and my own arousal was rushing through me.

“What…” I tried pulling him back with my grip on his shirt.

“Soon,” he promised and kissed my forehead. “We have all the time in the world to take.”

We had all the time. A grin tugged at my lips. “Okay.”

“Call me if your doctor calls, okay?” He asked it with another brush of his thumb over my cheek, like he couldn’t not be touching me. Like heneededit, even if it was in the smallest ways.

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