Page 88 of Falling into Place
“Should ... should we just stay away from each other until the final article goes up?” Carly asked. “About four more weeks, right?”
Brooks cleared his throat. “Yeah. We could try that.”
Carly frowned. “Really?”
“Sure. I can wait if you can.”
She regarded his sweet, hazel eyes and thick, dark hair that was honestly still a little messy from sex. She swallowed. “I can wait.”
“Okay. Good. We’ll stop and revisit things when it’s over.”
“Right.”
They stared at each other for a beat, then both faced forward. Carly took a bite of pizza and Brooks a pull from his beer.
The bottle hit the table with a clatter. “Or we could not stop and just be really, really careful.”
Carly was nodding before he finished speaking. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
He groaned with relief, and she almost laughed. “Good.”
They finished their dinner, and after she helped take the box and dishes to the kitchen, he stopped in front of her and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Carly leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he pulled her in. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then did it again, relaxing with each one.
Today had been a lot—some of it in wonderful ways and some not.
His chin came to rest on the top of her head, and his arms held steady across her back as if he were perfectly content to stay like this for a good, long while.
Few things felt as good as standing in a man’s arms. The best hugs made her feel safe and wanted without expectation.
“Hugs are underrated.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Her cheek found the perfect spot against the curve of his shoulder. “Especially hugs with men. I love my girlfriends, but boobs get in the way.”
He choked on a laugh, and her head moved against his chest. “I’d have to disagree. Boobs are my favorite part.”
“That’s because you don’t have any. Trying to hug another woman means arranging four of them between us.”
“I can honestly say I’ve never thought about that.”
“You’re going to now, though, aren’t you?”
“Frequently.”
Feeling more like herself, she gave him a quick smack on the ass and pulled back. “I’d better go.”
“What? Why?”
The fact that he didn’t want her to leave sent a rush of warmth through her. “I don’t know, because it’s late and I still have work to do?”
He just looked at her, blinked, and gripped the back of his neck with one hand. “But we just talked about boobs and stuff.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Wanna come to my place? I thought I’d be home hours ago, and I really did have some prep work to do for a client I’m meeting tomorrow. But I can put on another movie that makes most people cry and see if you have a heart in there somewhere, and when I’m done, we can do stuff.”
“Would this be, like, a sleepover?”
“I don’t hate the idea of you in my bed.”
A huge grin split across his face. “Can I bring Oreo? Introduce him and Pepper?”
