Page 45 of As You Crave It

“Why are you so bashful?” he asked. “You’re not exactly a stranger to casual hookups.”

“But that’s exactly it. I think I want more than a casual hookup.”

Reid’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“I look at you and Lila. You guys are so happy.”

“That didn’t just happen, though. Sure, Lila quickly became my world, but us being together didn’t just happen overnight. I resisted hard. But if you want Celia, go for it. Tell her how you actually feel.”

“I just don’t understand what she wants. I fucked up almost a decade ago, and it’s her right to never forgive me. She says she doesn’t want a relationship—” he shrugged “—but she still spent the night. She woke up in my arms and everything felt so perfect, so right. I thought we’d made progress. But she went into panic mode. I guess I was disappointed. But it really just kind of hammered home that we won’t be a couple. I’m finally paying for the consequences of my past actions and it sucks.”

“It all stems from what happened between you guys before?”

“Yeah, I absolutely crushed her, and I know I don’t deserve another chance. And I get her not being able to trust me again. I’ve apologized, and I just don’t know how to make it up to her. Get this, don’t laugh, but on the yacht, I was in such a weird headspace—I was so desperate to be with her that I asked her to teach me how to be a good boyfriend. How to romance a woman.”

Despite being told not to, Reid laughed, loudly, and Quin glared at him. “What could she possibly have to gain from that?”

He thought about Celia’s end of the deal—teach her how to be a more assertive lover. Mission accomplished there. “She wanted something from me, too, but I don’t want to get into it.”

Reid nodded. “Fair enough. But are you going to tell her how you feel?”

“I tried. I don’t know how I can just be her friend, though, especially now that we’ve been together.”

His phone rang and he picked it up. The screen showed Celia’s number. “That’s her.”

Reid took the cue and stood from the table. “Good luck.”

When he was alone, he answered the call. “Hello?”

“Hi,” she said, sounding breathless.

“Hi, Celia, what’s up?”

“Can we meet for lunch?”

He checked his watch. It was close to noon, and the rumble in his empty stomach told him he hadn’t had anything but coffee that morning. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine. I just have something I need to talk to you about.”

That got his attention. She sounded worried, hesitant, and he hoped nothing had happened to her. She named a place he knew near the marina.

“Yeah, sure. I can be there in twenty minutes.”

Celia sat at the table on the patio of the waterfront restaurant. She wasn’t sure why, but she was nervous. Something had happened between her and Quin that morning. She’d woken up, comfortable and warm in his arms, and then gone into panic mode. She’d been agitated and scared, and he’d been moody and sullen when he’d dropped her off. She’d hurt his feelings, no doubt. Would he be open to what she was about to propose, especially since she’d been so reluctant to have any sort of romantic relationship with Quin? She looked up and saw him, strolling across the crowded patio to her table.

“Hey,” she said as he took a seat.

“Hi.”

The server came and took their drink order. Perrier for Quin, and iced tea for herself. She had thought about ordering an alcoholic beverage to settle her nerves, but decided against it. She needed a clear head.

When they were alone again, Quin put his elbows on the table and leaned in. “So what’s going on?”

Before she could discuss the real reason she’d invited him, she needed to get something off her chest, and instead launched into something that had been on her mind al morning. “I can’t believe it that when I told you I needed to leave this morning, you decided to get a shower.”

He blinked in what looked like surprise. “What?”

“It was so inconsiderate. I really didn’t appreciate it.”

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