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I took her hand and held it between mine. “You end the relationship before the other person has the chance.”
“I don’t want to this time. I want us to be together like you said you wanted. Forever.”
“But you’re afraid that, as soon as you let your guard down, I’ll be the one who leaves.”
“Yes.”
“Putting the brakes on a sexual relationship with me is your way of protecting yourself from getting hurt.”
“I’m serious when I say you could’ve had this conversation with yourself since you already know how I feel.” She pulled her hand away and rested against the sofa.
“I have, Butterfly, which is why I’m willing to do whatever you want me to do. My birthday wish?—”
“Don’t tell me.” She put her hands over her ears. “Then it won’t come true, and I really want it to.”
“So, I’ll remain on the fifth floor until further notice.”
Her nose scrunched. “Can you please move to the third?”
I cocked my head. “Sure. Is there a reason?”
“When I told Tara where you were sleeping, she made a face. I don’t want her to think I’m forcing you to stay in the least nice part of the house.”
“I see. Well, to begin, I’ll be delighted to sleep wherever you’d like me to. Next, I suggest we consider that wherever that is, is none of my sister’s business.”
“Agreed.”
I wriggled my eyebrows. “Shall we kiss on it?”
15
BUTTERFLY
God, I wanted to say yes. Yes, to everything—him sharing my bed, having amazing sex all night, and yes, I was ready to commit to a lifetime together.
Except I wasn’t. He’d been back in my life less than a week after never really being in it. It wasn’t as though we’d been a couple before he went to prison. Or ever. We’d shared one kiss and a boatload of flirting. But that was all.
How could I be sure he was as all in as he insisted he was? On the other hand, he’d given me no reason to believe otherwise. But it was less than a week. God, some couples dated ten years or more before they decided to get married, which was what “forever” meant to me. Maybe it didn’t to Brand.
I bit my lip. “I need to ask you something.”
“Anything. You never need to hesitate.”
“Do you want to get married someday? I mean, not necessarily to me, but at all?”
His smile came through his eyes. “There is no one other than you I would ever consider marrying, and if I thought for a single second you’d agree to it, I’d whisk you off to Vegas and marry you tomorrow.” He looked at his watch. “Even tonight if we were quick about it.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked, barely above a whisper.
“Come here.” Brand put his arm around me and pulled me close, and I rested my head above his heart. “I’ve known it since the day we met. I told myself I wasn’t good enough for you, especially after I blew my life up, but you’ve always been the woman for me, Butterfly. Always. You mentioned I hardly know you, but isn’t everything I said earlier proof that I do?”
“It is.”
“Here’s the other thing I know. You aren’t ready to hear the words I am so desperate to say to you. So I’ll wait. Because making sure you’re okay, that I haven’t freaked you out, is more important than anything else.”
I closed my eyes and put my arm around his waist. I was so thankful he was in my life. The last thing I wanted to do was mess it up. “You’re my Ike Graham.”
“And you’re my Maggie Carpenter.”