shut yourself off, you’re doing the same thing. Tell me what you mean.” My heart began to thump against my chest. What was she going to say?
She sighed underneath me. “Stuff like that. Things you’ve said to other women.”
It wasn’t the answer I expected. She wanted to be special—she had no idea how incredible she was. I’d failed her if she didn’t know. And failing Haven wasn’t a possibility.
I pulled out of her, discarded the condom and slumped to her side, my face opposite hers. She opened her eyes. “I don’t say anything I don’t mean, Haven. I’ve never enjoyed watching a woman come the way I enjoy watching you. It makes me feel like I crash through you and take you over. I see a part of you that’s rare and precious in those moments. You are amazing. Don’t doubt it.”
She stayed silent for a few long moments. I kissed her forehead. “You own me. As much as you let me in and that feels like an honor, you also see every part of me in a way I’ve never shown anyone, ever.” I’d spent so much energy trying to break through Haven’s tough shell, I’d not noticed that she’d found a wall in me I hadn’t realized was there. She’d taken it down, unexpectedly, brick by brick.
“You do,” she whispered.
“I do?” I asked.
“You take me over. I don’t know myself when I’m with you.”
I couldn’t get her close enough. I pulled her toward me, molding us together so there was no separation, no space between us.
I must have dozed off. Haven’s cell woke me and she turned in my arms to reach it. I tightened my grip around her, not letting her wrestle free.
“Hey, it could be important,” she said.
“Then they’ll call back,” I said but she continued to struggle so I released her.
The phone silenced before she reached it. “It was Ash.” She burrowed back into my arms. “It’s nearly six. We should get going. I guess we’ll have to buy new tickets—you punched our ride. What was that about anyway?”
“Nothing. The guy was being a douche about you and about Beth.” The last thing I wanted to do now was talk about Romano.
“What happened between them?”
“It’s not my story to tell.” There was no way I would repeat what he’d said. Not to Haven and not to Beth. “Will you trust me? I don’t want you upset and I don’t want to talk about him. Especially when we’re naked in bed and I’m recovering from . . . ”
“Recovering?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
I didn’t answer. I just smiled and pulled her closer and she sank against me.
“But we do need to go. I think the last train is at nine.”
“Why don’t we stay?” I suggested. “We’re here, we have the hotel room. I can have you home to cook for Luke tomorrow.”
“Ash is cooking this week,” she said. It didn’t sound as though I was going to have to try hard to convince her. I fought a smile. It would be easier this time.
“So what time would you have to be back?”
“Hmmm, two?” she suggested.
“We can do that easily.” I kissed the top of her head.
She opened her mouth to say something, then stopped herself. I raised my eyebrows expectantly. Her ribcage expanded against me as she took a deep breath. “You could come, too, if you wanted? I mean, you don’t have to and you’re probably busy but—” I smiled at her as her words came out too fast and my heart swelled. She was going to try and make this work. Maybe the fight was won.
“I’d love to come.”
She looked up at me and half grinned. I caught her face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers.
“Holy crap. I’m not good at all this stuff,” she said. I got the feeling she wasn’t just talking about dinner.
“Stuff?”
“With relationships, men. But I want to do better than I did last time. I don’t want to mess this up.”
“I won’t let you. I got us covered. Follow my lead.” I wasn’t sure where we’d end up but as long as it was together, I didn’t care.
“So,
She sighed underneath me. “Stuff like that. Things you’ve said to other women.”
It wasn’t the answer I expected. She wanted to be special—she had no idea how incredible she was. I’d failed her if she didn’t know. And failing Haven wasn’t a possibility.
I pulled out of her, discarded the condom and slumped to her side, my face opposite hers. She opened her eyes. “I don’t say anything I don’t mean, Haven. I’ve never enjoyed watching a woman come the way I enjoy watching you. It makes me feel like I crash through you and take you over. I see a part of you that’s rare and precious in those moments. You are amazing. Don’t doubt it.”
She stayed silent for a few long moments. I kissed her forehead. “You own me. As much as you let me in and that feels like an honor, you also see every part of me in a way I’ve never shown anyone, ever.” I’d spent so much energy trying to break through Haven’s tough shell, I’d not noticed that she’d found a wall in me I hadn’t realized was there. She’d taken it down, unexpectedly, brick by brick.
“You do,” she whispered.
“I do?” I asked.
“You take me over. I don’t know myself when I’m with you.”
I couldn’t get her close enough. I pulled her toward me, molding us together so there was no separation, no space between us.
I must have dozed off. Haven’s cell woke me and she turned in my arms to reach it. I tightened my grip around her, not letting her wrestle free.
“Hey, it could be important,” she said.
“Then they’ll call back,” I said but she continued to struggle so I released her.
The phone silenced before she reached it. “It was Ash.” She burrowed back into my arms. “It’s nearly six. We should get going. I guess we’ll have to buy new tickets—you punched our ride. What was that about anyway?”
“Nothing. The guy was being a douche about you and about Beth.” The last thing I wanted to do now was talk about Romano.
“What happened between them?”
“It’s not my story to tell.” There was no way I would repeat what he’d said. Not to Haven and not to Beth. “Will you trust me? I don’t want you upset and I don’t want to talk about him. Especially when we’re naked in bed and I’m recovering from . . . ”
“Recovering?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
I didn’t answer. I just smiled and pulled her closer and she sank against me.
“But we do need to go. I think the last train is at nine.”
“Why don’t we stay?” I suggested. “We’re here, we have the hotel room. I can have you home to cook for Luke tomorrow.”
“Ash is cooking this week,” she said. It didn’t sound as though I was going to have to try hard to convince her. I fought a smile. It would be easier this time.
“So what time would you have to be back?”
“Hmmm, two?” she suggested.
“We can do that easily.” I kissed the top of her head.
She opened her mouth to say something, then stopped herself. I raised my eyebrows expectantly. Her ribcage expanded against me as she took a deep breath. “You could come, too, if you wanted? I mean, you don’t have to and you’re probably busy but—” I smiled at her as her words came out too fast and my heart swelled. She was going to try and make this work. Maybe the fight was won.
“I’d love to come.”
She looked up at me and half grinned. I caught her face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers.
“Holy crap. I’m not good at all this stuff,” she said. I got the feeling she wasn’t just talking about dinner.
“Stuff?”
“With relationships, men. But I want to do better than I did last time. I don’t want to mess this up.”
“I won’t let you. I got us covered. Follow my lead.” I wasn’t sure where we’d end up but as long as it was together, I didn’t care.
“So,
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