Page 44 of Defended By Love

“That all sounds…interesting,” I say, not committing to admitting that I believe him. “But what all does that have to do with me? How is poking things with your broom at all related to me?”

Grant holds back a smile. Poorly. By the time he’s snickering, I hear it. Still, I don’t break. I just keep staring him down while he fights the battle of his life to maintain a straight face.

“Sorry, tickle in my throat,” he says once he regains his composure. I raise an eyebrow at him. “Son of a… I just keep lying to you. When you said ‘poking things with your broom’, I thought—”

“I know what you thought,” I interrupt. “But how does that relate to me?”

“Right. Well, you know how I’m not really flying so much as I am changing the direction of gravitational pull?”

I nod, still not loving that he was holding me up hundreds of feet in the air through the strength of his will alone.

“My own gravitational pull got changed then, too.” He runs his hand through his hair and tentatively meets my eyes. His own are so earnest and scared, like his next breath depends on how I take this. “Hailey, it changed to you. You became my new center. Everything about you, no matter how close or far you are, pulls me to you.”

“I don’t know if you’re being literal or figurative right now…” Honestly, either one is intense in its own way.

“Figurative. I’m not literally being dragged towards you. Well, I am, but just in my own mind. I don’t know what it is. I certainly can’t explain it, but I know that you’re my destiny. We’re meant to be together, you and I. Accident of science or plan of fate, it really doesn’t matter. You’re the one for me. So you see, I was following you that night, this night, every night because I can’t leave you alone. How can I when the very essence of you runs through my veins?”

After saying all that, he doesn’t say anything. I don’t say anything. What can you say after someone declares that a glowing object convinced them that you’re their true love?

Dr. Debbie did not cover this. Unless this falls under the category of someone giving you a compliment? That doesn’t feel right though. I don’t feel like the appropriate response to this is telling him that I like his shoes.

“Is being a super villain henchman for sure off the table?” I ask hopefully.

Upon reflection, I think I could deal with him being evil.

Chapter 23

In the awkward silence that fills the room after his declaration that I’m his gravity, or destiny, or fated mate—I really don’t know what to call it, I finally get a bit of clarity. Every time I asked men while we were on a first date if they’d get tested to see if we were genetically compatible for having children, this is how they probably felt. Like I was getting ahead of myself.

Way fucking ahead of myself.

Like, they were just dipping their toes in the water of a new relationship and I was showing them different boats we could purchase together. For our retirement.

Now that I’m on the other end of it, I can say that I don’t care for it at all. I’m just trying to get a little hot, superhero action and he’s talking fate with me. We can’t even seem to get past today and he wants to talk about forever?

God, no wonder I never get a second date.

“So…?” Grant asks, trailing off and looking up at me with the sweetest, most vulnerable puppy dog smile.

“No.”

Grant recoils.

“I know that sounds harsh,” I say as gently as I can. “But no fucking way. I don’t believe in soul mates, obviously. I believe in sensible choices made with clear heads about future trajectories. No feeling, no pull, or attraction is going to decide what partner I have for the rest of my life.”

Grant brightens. “So you feel it too then?”

“No,” I say with the severity of falling bricks. “I mean, I’m attracted to you, but only in a regular ‘you’re-drop-dead-gorgeous’ kind of way.”

With a smile like a cat with a mouse, Grant sits down on the sofa beside me and slides a little closer. “You feel it too. This heat between us. This awareness of the other person. The rightness of being together, like you’re the Doctor and I’m your Companion.”

Doctor? Companion?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh man! It’s only the longest running show—actually, it’s quite fitting since the Doctor can time travel—”

I cut him off. “I mean about the feelings. We’re just two people with amazing sexual chemistry. That’s all. It’s something I wouldn’t be opposed to continuing to explore, but not if it’s going to mean something to you that it really shouldn’t.”

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