Page 48 of Forever Fallen

His voice was achingly soft and vulnerable.

“So, I need you to not get so mad at me when I act up or cross a line, because I’m no good at relationships. There’s a reason I’m single – and why I wanted to avoid being set up by Glory. I screw things up every time and finally quit trying… until now,” he paused for a moment, struggling to find the words.

“I don’t want to quit, and I need to fix this if you are mad at me, Sophie. Now, fudge ripple or chocolate chip cookie dough?”

He held up two pints of ice cream – and his dark eyes finally met hers.

“Oh Ryan…” she whispered, touched beyond measure. “I may act mad or pretend to be all stuffy, but I’m just as much of a mess as you are on the inside.”

“I think you’re beautiful on the inside.”

“Funny, I remember you saying something very differently when we first met…” she blurted out before she could stop herself – only to see his shy smile.

“Now, I have a feeling that if I told a perfect stranger that she was the most breathtakingly beautiful woman that I’ve ever seen in my entire life… that she might not have married me in desperation,” he whispered openly, his eyes searching hers. “Besides, I think you said that you thought I was exceedingly unappealing as well.”

“I lied…” she breathed openly, realizing they were more alike than either of them imagined. “I lied,lied,lied,through my teeth like a lying dog, a sinner, and a Fibber-extraordinaire…”

“A liar… with pants on fire?”

“A freakin’ inferno,” she admitted, softly.

“I might have lied as well, my beautiful Sophie.”

“I can’t believe my amazing fake-husband went and bought ice cream to pacify me because he thought I was mad… only to not know which flavor I would like,” she teased, trying to lighten the tension between them.

“He might have lied too…” Ryan smiled. “He isn’t the greatest or amazing husband in the world – and will screw up a lot in the next five years.”

“Or so…”

“Or so…” Ryan amended tenderly, before looking over his shoulder and getting to his feet.

He kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his uniform jacket, before rolling up his sleeves and picking back up the two pints of ice cream.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting comfy…” he hedged and smiled. “Pants stay on, dear wife. I wouldn’t want you to take advantage of me.”

“Oh, good gravy…” she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Ryan, planting one foot on the bed, stepped up boldly onto her bed making her burst out laughing at the outrageousness of the man. He walked over her, to the other side, handing her a pint of ice cream. He inelegantly plopped down, dislodging and bouncing her abruptly from her pillowed cocoon.

“Can I borrow a pillow?” he grinned.

“I guess, since you took it from me.”

“You still have one.”

“What are you doing, silly?” she chuckled, loving this playful side of him.

“Watching TV in bed with my wife and about to down an entire pint of emotional comfort food with the most beautiful woman in the world who finds me incredibly sexy and can’t fight it anymore…”

Sophie blushed wildly, feeling completely found out and looking away.

“Ohhhh ho?!Reeeeally?” he drawled, laughing in delight. “Youdo?”

“Shut up, Ryan…” she blurted out, throwing him the remote. “Find something on TV, so I can eat my ice cream before it melts.”

She was trying to ignore looking at him, peeling the lid off the ice cream pint like it was the main focus for her instead of the incorrigible man beside her… only to see a spoon come into focus, waving boldly before her eyes, interrupting the view of her hands as she was peeling back the seal on the ice cream.

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