Page 96 of My UnTrue Love
But she’d be sleeping in his bed, from now on.
Having Clem cuddled beside him all night had been damn near paradise. She’d fit right up against his body, just like she belonged there. He never slept so deep or woke up so content. Not having her with him would be awful and he needed…
His thoughts skidded to a halt.
No, he didn’tneedher sleeping in his bed. Of course that wasn’t what he meant.
His growing-up years had shown him the folly of needing anything. He justlikedClem cuddled up beside him. “Like” wasn’t the same as “need.” He liked her in his bed. And wanted it. And was keeping it. That was all.
Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, he rolled his shoulders and focused on reaching the racetrack. It wasn’t far. He’d make it to the interview. Good. Great. See? Everything was still fine and dandy.
“We’ll take all the timeyouneed.” Clementine corrected. “Artists often struggle to process changes and I think it will especially impactyou. Things you’ve been ignoring or suppressing might resurface, if you feel like your life is out of your control.” She sent him a knowing look. “You don’t likebeing out of control, Bill. This situation will bring up all kinds of feelings for you.”
Bill instantly denied that idea, perhaps with a touch more force than necessary. “No, it won’t.”
Clem sighed. “You think that I don’t understand artists…”
“I’m sure you understand them just fine, but I’mnotone.”
“Youarean artist.” She sounded very sure. “You just like to pretend that you’re not. Chaotic, whimsical things inspire you, but they also feel unpredictable. Anything unpredictable worries you, because you can’t be sure you can really have it. And you’d rather not want anything that you can’t have.”
Bill frowned down at his whimsical, chaotic, very unpredictable new bride.
She patted his arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll get through this. Just try and be open to your emotions, okay?”
“I’malwaysopen to my emotions.”
Clem looked skeptical.
Bill tried again. “Darlin’, you did not pressure me to do anything I didn’t want to do.Iwas the one who maneuveredyouinto the wedding, if you wanna know the truth.”
Clementine literally laughed.
“I did!” He insisted. Clem proposing might’ve been an accident, but Bill getting them married sure wasn’t. “Now, if you’re having second thoughts about me, I understand. But…”
“I’m not having second thoughts about you.” She interrupted incredulously. “I just think we should try dating.”
He didn’t love that idea. At all. This whole conversation made him antsy and he blamed Tony for getting her het up, in the first place. That fucking beaver was gonna pay. “Why would I want to date my own wife?”
“So you can acclimate to marriage.”
“Seems like you’re the one struggling with ‘acclimation.’ You’re all het up.”
“I’mnothet up. Stop saying that. I just know that I pressured you into the wedding, so I want to give you some…”
“Bullshit.” He rarely directed that kind of language Clem’s way and the novelty of it had her stopping short. “No one pressures me to do anything I don’t wanna do. Ilikebeing married to you and that’s not gonna change.”
She blinked up at him. “Well, I like being married to you, too.”
“What’s the problem, then? You and me are headed in the same direction, right? We’re already roommates. We’re best, best friends. And we’re attracted to each other.” That last part must’ve come out more like a question than he’d intended, because Clem answered him.
“Oh, I’mveryattracted to you.” She assured him guilelessly. “I always have been.”
That got him smiling again. “Have ya?”
“Yes.” Her nose wrinkled up in an expression of self-deprecation. “Even when we were supposed to be platonic, I was admiring how your backside looks in jeans. I’m sorry for objectifying you.”
“Darlin’, we wereneversupposed to be platonic.” He slipped an arm around her waist, just because he could. “And I can’t begin to count the times I found myself staring at your lovely posterior, so this is yet another commonality we share. Seems to me we have all the makings of an ideal marriage.”
