Page 74 of Ugly Duckling
“I think that’s a myth,” he murmured as he moved in closer to me. “Come closer, let me pop your back.”
I tilted my head at him, but still moved closer so he could get to me. “That’s really random.”
“It is,” he agreed as I moved even farther into his arms. “But from there, I can say that I was popping your back for you. But when I’m done, I’ll keep holding onto you because that’s right where I want you. And later, when I wake up with you wrapped around me, I’m going to take advantage of you.”
I liked the way his mind worked.
Probably more than I should.
“You have this all planned out, don’t you?” I asked as he wrapped me in a tight hug.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and groaned when he popped my spine with only the power of his arms.
“That felt good,” I murmured as I found the perfect spot for my head between his chin and his shoulder.
“I know,” he muttered sleepily. “It felt good that I got that kind of pop out of you, too. The satisfaction is real.”
I snickered. “What’s your obsession with popping your joints, anyway?”
“Habit, maybe,” he admitted as he nuzzled my hair.
I ran my nose along the bare skin of his chest. “A nervous habit. Why are you nervous right now, Gun?”
And why was I so nervous?
Then again, I was lying to myself if I didn’t admit why I was nervous. I knew damn well and good why I was nervous.
Because I wanted things with Gunner that a woman who was so recently divorced shouldn’t want. Not to mention, I was his roommate. If this went bad, I’d have to scramble to find something suitable, or I’d have to put on my hat of shame and move back into my parents’ house.
I shouldn’t want him to be wrapping his arms around me in my bedroom in his house.
I shouldn’t want him to leave his kid with me so he went to work, and I could pretend that she was mine, and we could live happily ever after together.
I shouldn’t be happy that he showed up at my track workout today and made it a whole lot less miserable just by his presence alone.
Suffering with someone always was more fun…
Yet, here I was, wanting all of those things with this man.
I wanted to wake up in his arms.
I wanted to hang out all day with his kid tomorrow.
I wanted to text him to see how he was doing.
I wanted everything when it came to Gunner, and to be quite honest, always had.
Now that I was pretty enough…maybe, just maybe, I could have him.
Admitting that to myself felt like a lead weight had settled inside my chest.
Because, deep down, I was still that ugly girl who knew she’d never be able to pull a man like Gunner.
A man like…
“Hey,” Gunner said, turning us so that his forehead was pressed against mine. “Are you even listening to me?”
Was he talking?
