still pulled across his lap, but she wasn’t
sure he noticed the weight of them. A frown marred his handsome features as he absently
rubbed her calves.
At some point, the silence got to be too much. It had gone on far too long eating
away her sanity, and she needed up. Maybe telling him he wasn’t the only one with
plans and dreams burst some strange bubble in him. Did he really think he was the
only one to want to figure out what happened next?
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, breaking him from whatever realm he inhabited.
“Need to pee.”
Pushing up off the couch, she made her way to the bathroom. When she came out a few
minutes later, Declan still sat in the same spot, the same distressed look on his
face. Same dazed, out-of-this-world aura emanating from him. Her words had hit a chord
within him, and she feared she’d broken him.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” she said, crossing the living room and stopping
in the doorway to her room to study him.
He looked at her, studied her much like she studied him. There were some heavy thoughts
going on in his head. Worry lines crinkled at the edges of his eyes and mouth. He
searched her face She didn’t think she had the answers to whatever questions tumbled
through his head. She wanted to go to him, soothe him, reassure him everything would
work out okay. Unfortunately, she was 100 percent sure he needed to get there on his
own. Figure it out and come to her.
“You didn’t,” he said. “I don’t feel bad. What you said made me think, though. I’ve
been caught up in my own tunnel vision for the last couple years. I wonder if there
are other things I might have missed.”
That didn’t sound good. Did he think he had passed up on something important—maybe
love? Did that mean he didn’t think he would fall in love with her? Her heart broke
at the thought. She could envision falling in love with him even though they hadn’t
spent much time together. With time, their mating connection—their physical connection—could
lead to more. She couldn’t come right out and ask him. She wasn’t that brave yet.
But she could ask a blanket question.
“Like what?” Her voice broke, overwhelmed with insecurity about their new relationship.
She dropped her head to her chest and cleared her throat. She forced her head up,
leveling her gaze on him. The most important thing her parents had taught her was
to tackle problems head on, even if you were afraid. Her current actions proved she
hadn’t followed their sage advice. She had been running scared ever since she assumed
he’d rejected her. Time to pull up her big-girl panties and act like the adult she
desperately wanted to be treated like.
Declan shrugged, unaware of Avery’s issues. “I have no idea. Maybe a different career
path. Job opportunities. Things I didn’t give a second glance because they didn’t
fall into my plan.”
Not quite the answer she’d hoped for. In for a penny, in for a pound . Avery might as well ask what she wanted. Being a cop, he would probably appreciate
a direct approach. If she didn’t, it would weigh on their relationship if they were
to have one. “What about falling in love? Do you think you might have passed up on
the one woman you could fall in love with?”
That seemed to surprise Declan. He got up from the couch and came to her. He cupped
his hands on either side of her face. “No,” he declared vehemently. “There’s no doubt
in my mind about that. I was slow on the uptake with us, nothing more. I know not
all mated couples fall in love, but I did hope I would fall in love with mine. I hope
one day maybe you and I.…”
His words trailed off, and a little weight lifted off her chest.
“Me too,” she smiled shyly.
Her phone buzzed, pulling their attention. Jesus, he acted like he really cared, as
if he really wanted to make things work. It did funny things to her.
sure he noticed the weight of them. A frown marred his handsome features as he absently
rubbed her calves.
At some point, the silence got to be too much. It had gone on far too long eating
away her sanity, and she needed up. Maybe telling him he wasn’t the only one with
plans and dreams burst some strange bubble in him. Did he really think he was the
only one to want to figure out what happened next?
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, breaking him from whatever realm he inhabited.
“Need to pee.”
Pushing up off the couch, she made her way to the bathroom. When she came out a few
minutes later, Declan still sat in the same spot, the same distressed look on his
face. Same dazed, out-of-this-world aura emanating from him. Her words had hit a chord
within him, and she feared she’d broken him.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” she said, crossing the living room and stopping
in the doorway to her room to study him.
He looked at her, studied her much like she studied him. There were some heavy thoughts
going on in his head. Worry lines crinkled at the edges of his eyes and mouth. He
searched her face She didn’t think she had the answers to whatever questions tumbled
through his head. She wanted to go to him, soothe him, reassure him everything would
work out okay. Unfortunately, she was 100 percent sure he needed to get there on his
own. Figure it out and come to her.
“You didn’t,” he said. “I don’t feel bad. What you said made me think, though. I’ve
been caught up in my own tunnel vision for the last couple years. I wonder if there
are other things I might have missed.”
That didn’t sound good. Did he think he had passed up on something important—maybe
love? Did that mean he didn’t think he would fall in love with her? Her heart broke
at the thought. She could envision falling in love with him even though they hadn’t
spent much time together. With time, their mating connection—their physical connection—could
lead to more. She couldn’t come right out and ask him. She wasn’t that brave yet.
But she could ask a blanket question.
“Like what?” Her voice broke, overwhelmed with insecurity about their new relationship.
She dropped her head to her chest and cleared her throat. She forced her head up,
leveling her gaze on him. The most important thing her parents had taught her was
to tackle problems head on, even if you were afraid. Her current actions proved she
hadn’t followed their sage advice. She had been running scared ever since she assumed
he’d rejected her. Time to pull up her big-girl panties and act like the adult she
desperately wanted to be treated like.
Declan shrugged, unaware of Avery’s issues. “I have no idea. Maybe a different career
path. Job opportunities. Things I didn’t give a second glance because they didn’t
fall into my plan.”
Not quite the answer she’d hoped for. In for a penny, in for a pound . Avery might as well ask what she wanted. Being a cop, he would probably appreciate
a direct approach. If she didn’t, it would weigh on their relationship if they were
to have one. “What about falling in love? Do you think you might have passed up on
the one woman you could fall in love with?”
That seemed to surprise Declan. He got up from the couch and came to her. He cupped
his hands on either side of her face. “No,” he declared vehemently. “There’s no doubt
in my mind about that. I was slow on the uptake with us, nothing more. I know not
all mated couples fall in love, but I did hope I would fall in love with mine. I hope
one day maybe you and I.…”
His words trailed off, and a little weight lifted off her chest.
“Me too,” she smiled shyly.
Her phone buzzed, pulling their attention. Jesus, he acted like he really cared, as
if he really wanted to make things work. It did funny things to her.
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