“Eleven tomorrow.” He squeezes my hand and starts leading me to the bedroom. “I thought this wasn’t sex,” I say, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
Ari tickles my side, and I squirm underneath him. “It’snotsex. I’m just trying to help my girlfriend relax after a rough night.”
I smile and lean into him as he leads me toward the bathroom, and I see a tub full of steaming water when we walk in.
“A bath?” I ask, turning to look at him.
He kisses the top of my head. “Mhmm. You need to relax.”
“Candles can help, too.”
“I love how you think I own candles.”
I laugh lightly. “I have some in my room on the dresser.”
Ari’s nostrils flare.“Yourroom? You mean the room you haven’t slept in for over two months? That’s just where your things are until I can convince you to move them over to youractualbedroom, the one where you sleep besideme.”
“You… you want me to move into your room?”
He wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead.“Ourroom, Lucia. I don’t want you sleeping anywhere else.”
“I guess I just wasn’t sure what the formal arrangement would be,” I say. “We haven’t talked about what our living situation looks like now that we’re together.”
“I’ll tell you what it looks like.” Ari lowers his eyes to mine, and all I feel is warmth. “It looks like you continuing to live here. It looks like you never moving out. It looks like you turning this place from a bachelor pad into a fucking home.” He grasps my face in his hands. “It looks like youalwayshere because this is the only place you’re meant to be.”
I melt against him and sigh in contentment. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He smiles at me, and everything feels a little more okay now. “Get into the tub, sweetheart. I’ll go grab one of your candles.”
He leaves the room, and I strip myself down before sinking into the hot water. He returns a moment later with a candle and a lighter. He lights the wick and then sits down beside me on the floor, leaning against the side of the tub.
“What scent did you grab?” I ask.
“The most Lucia scent I saw,” he chuckles. “Mint chocolate chip.”
I smile at him. “Thank you, Ari. I appreciate all of this.”
“Gotta keep my girl happy,” he grins.
“You’ve never done this before, but you sure know how to be a good boyfriend.”
“Thank goodness for romance novels.” We both laugh, and he leans over for a kiss before grabbing a cup and pouring water over my head.
“You gonna wash my hair now, too, Casanova?”
“Yes. Now hand me your shampoo.”
Ari spends the next several minutes shampooing my hair before adding the conditioner and rinsing it out.
Then we spend the rest of the night cuddled up in bed, talking about anything and everything.
I know he was right earlier; everything is going to be okay.
Whatever happens, I have him.
That’s all I need.
sixty-two