Page 16 of Falling Madly
I kicked my foot, making the towel fall off my knee. “I guess not.”
“People don’t make those decisions rationally, either. They fall in love.” His voice sounded wistful.
“Suze says I’m too independent to fall in love.”
“You say it like it’s a good thing.”
I jerked back at the suggestion. “Itisa good thing, isn’t it? Kids are brought up to be independent. That’s like the main goal, right?”
“Sure. But I think independence is overrated.”
“Says he on Independence Day.”
He smiled at my joke. There was no judgment in his eyes. They were open and searching. “We’re a tribal species. Back in the caveman times, the worst punishment was being shunned by your tribe. It was a death sentence. And we’re not that highly evolved these days. Maybe ye can technically survive on your own, but that’s not how we thrive.”
I thought about Suze. She relied on her husband for so many things. She didn’t even know how to start the lawnmower.
“I guess you’re right, but it’s a huge risk, too. Every time you enter a co-dependent relationship of any kind, you’re risking a lot of hurt.”
“So, you never take a chance?”
I smiled, letting the odd, warm feeling gush through me. “I didn’t say never.”
We sat there for a long time, chatting. Most of it was innocuous and light, a stream of consciousness that would later fade from memory. But I knew I’d always remember the feeling of bathing in his undivided attention. I’d never felt so fascinating. I talked about my house-buying dream, about the suburbs I liked and the layouts I hated. I showed him my Pinterest board, featuring my absolute dream living room decor and other interior designs I couldn’t afford but still drooled over. He asked why my username was DragonflyDreams and I told him I loved dragonflies.
At some point, Trevor pulled on his jeans and T-shirt, but I was oddly comfortable under my fluffy towel, in no hurry to squeeze back into my tiny black dress and heels. I told him that.
“You’re adorable,” he said, straddling the bench.
I turned my back to him, and he pulled me into his chest, kissing my neck. My body vibrated from his touch, the rough of his beard scratching against my skin. “I love these curls.” He nuzzled his nose into my short, dark bob.
“I think they have more personality than I do.”
At the start of the evening, my hair had been sleek and straight, but after the impromptu plunge, the ends were curling again. I’d have to go back to my usual messy style. I’d never been the adorable one. The word didn’t seem to fit. It was something people said about my fairer sister. She was the embodiment of adorable. I was something between intimidating and sexy, depending on the day.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” he whispered into my ear. “I know I said we shouldn’t do anything here, but it’s becoming hard to control myself.”
“Hard, you say?” I giggled. The way he pronounced the word, with the soft yet distinct Scottish ‘r’, was doing things to me.
“Very,veryhard,” he rasped.
I felt something solid against my lower back, and it sent a zing through me. I wanted so badly to sleep with him, but now I knew it meant something. It wouldn’t be the grand finale of our weeks of flirting. It’d be the beginning of something, and the thought made my gut wobble.
“It’s not my fault,” he argued. “You’re basically naked. Youstrippedin front of me.”
“And I got wet,” I teased.
He shifted a little closer with a low growl, that hard-on now fully evident, pulsing against me. “Fuck. What are ye doing to me? Where can I take you?”
“I have a roommate and she’s having friends over. I couldn’t… Is your place disgusting or something?”
He shook his head, scratching his beard on my neck. “No… but I just moved, so it’s basically a pile of cardboard boxes.”
I sighed. “Well, it’s the only option. Unless you want to sneak into the office?”
He kissed my neck, sending thousands of tingles down my spine. “And do it on Rhonda’s couch?”
I laughed, wondering how serious he was. I knew he had the key fob for after-hours access, but it was the worst idea. “Recording a surveillance camera sex tape sounds like a spectacular way to leave our jobs.”
