Page 106 of Suits and Spark Plugs

“I almost ruined everything.”

“You had a little help from this bumbling idiot.” I pulled a face.

“I hardly slept at all last night,” he admitted quietly. “I’ve been practicing what I was going to say to you when I got off work.”

“What were you going to say?” I asked.

“You want me to tell you now?”

“We’re alone and I’m on high doses of pain medication. Seems like a good time.”

“I was going to tell you that I don’t want to control your life. I don’t want you to give things up to be with me. I only want to be your partner and work together and...”

“Okay.”

“Okay? But I’m not done yet.”

I grinned. “You already said the really important things, and I don’t want you to make me too many promises because I’ll hold you to them.”

His face lightened and he dropped his head to lay on my shoulder. “I won’t ask you to change who you are, because then you wouldn’t be you anymore. I knew who you were when we started dating. Nothing about your hopes and dreams is a surprise to me.”

“I like who you are too.”

“I’ll probably lose my temper, get bossy, tease you too much, and all sorts of other tiring things.”

I leaned my cheek down to rest against his hair. “Probably.”

“I hope I won’t ever make you feel like I know what’s best for your life, because I don’t. I hope you’ll trust me enough to be a sounding board when you’re making decisions, and that you’ll believe that all I want is for you to be happy.”

I shook my head. “Stop, stop, stop.” I laughed. “You don’t have to say all these things.”

He ignored me and pushed on. “I’ve watched you for a long time, and I think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known, Liv.” My stomach dropped like I was on a roller coaster. Connor Hunt thought I was beautiful? And he was still talking. “I want you to paint. I want you to find a place for that in your life. I want you to travel and see new things. I can’t stand the thought of you feeling like I was trying to clip your wings.”

“Do you know what I really want from you?” I asked in a soft voice as I began to feel sleepy.

“What?”

“I just want you to try to forgive me when I make a mud pie out of life, and to keep me from accidentally killing myself.”

“That’s a pretty big job for one man.”

“You’re up to it.” My head felt heavier and my eyes closed. “And, Connor, I want you to be happy too. You don’t have to give everything up for me either. Partners fifty-fifty, okay?”

“I’m sorry about last night.”

“Me too. I should have sat on your head until you listened.”

“I’d like to request an addition to our pact: No physical violence.”

My laugh turned into a yawn, and I nodded. “You have a deal.”

“You do realize that this little conversation means two things.”

“Oh yeah?”

He grinned. “First, I get to call you my girlfriend, officially.”

“Fair enough, but only because you’re pretty good-looking and it gives me street cred to be seen with you.”

---