Page 44 of The Baby Bargain
It was short and fun. Then he moved onto a new playmate and I felt like the stupidest person in the world. Like there was something deeply, truly wrong with me. I guess there was. There is. I suck at picking up signals.
With Phillip, I was crystal clear. I wanted something serious. Something with forever potential. Something that would end in marriage and kids and a house in the suburbs.
I wanted a partner.
And he was a partner. He made me dinner, rubbed my back when it ached, held my hand when I went to visit Mom.
He even brought the flowers. From his mom's garden.
He was a good boyfriend.
But not in the way Chase…
There was never a burning passion. I didn't want to tear his clothes off. I didn't lose myself in daydreams of his soft lips. I didn't demand he go down on me.
Don't get me wrong. The sex was good. He was generous. And we… we had fun. But it wasn'toh my God I need it now.
It wasn't the same as it is with Chase.
I mean, the way it is in my mind. Which is still thinking up delicious dirty images.
Him rolling my jeans—and my panties—to my knees. Sliding his fingers inside me. Groaning into my ear.
But…
Uh…
I'm still staring at his lips.
They're just so soft and pink and lush. I never understood the word lush. Isn't it for blooming green jungles, not flesh?
Right now, it makes perfect sense.
It's his lips.
Such beautiful—
Ahem.
"You want another round?" I force my eyes to my watch. I only have an hour. Less even. My next class is at three and it takes forever to get to the university. "On me."
"I got it." He reaches for his wallet.
I stop him. "It's the least I can do."
His eyes meet mine. Study mine. He must decide I'm in the right, because he nodssure.
"Same thing?"
"Yeah."
I take his glass and mine. "You, uh, you can start changing—"
"I will."
"Great." I force my lips into a smile. Which does nothing to settle the flutter in my stomach. Or the lightness in my chest. It's something betweenoh my God I want youandoh my God, you're going to judge my complete inability to masquerade as a normal human.
I drop our cups at the bus tray, move into line, order a second round. Another cold brew, splash of milk, dash of simple syrup for him. Another chai for me.
