Page 69 of Perfect Guy

“I have a confession to make.”

I lift my brows, waiting for her to continue.

“I got self-conscious after I sent you that message. All you responded with was ‘Lol,’ so I thought you were brushing me off. It was meant as a joke. Obviously, we may not be ready to vacation together, especially such a big trip, and I thought you took it as me moving too fast.”

The glow from the tiki torch flickers across her face, and I can see the awkwardness in the way her nose scrunches up.

“I didn’t mean it to come off like that. As soon as you mentioned it, I started thinking about how to make it possible without traveling. Not because I wouldn’t want to, but because it’s impossible at the moment with work. I’ve been pretty clear about my feelings about you. I’m in this. I am invested in our relationship.”

I shift, and the hammock rocks unsteadily.

“Whoa…” Madelyn grips my arm.

“Maybe trying to move on this will be harder than I thought.” I grab her hip, tugging her body as close to me as possible.

“I’m in this,” I repeat, moving my hand over her hip to her ass, gripping her.

“I am, too. Obviously. If I said that, I want to be with you. Okay, I need to stop rambling…” She hides her face in the crook of my neck.

I chuckle, lifting her chin so that she’s looking at me. “I love when you ramble.” My heart beats furiously. “I love a lot of things about you.” Her eyes look up at me with equal parts admiration and joy.

The way I feel about Madelyn is only explained in one way. I’m falling in love with her. We’ve been dating for weeks, talking daily, and spending as much time together as possible. Being with her feels like home. It was so unexpected, always seeing her as someone younger than me, part of a different group of friends. Now, I can’t imagine not sharing everything with her.

“I feel the same about you,” she whispers.

We may both be skirting around saying those three words, but I have no doubt we’re both on the same page when it comes to our relationship. She’s mine. I refuse to let her go, come hell or high water.

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