Page 250 of Steamy Ever After

“Do you want it to be?”

“Not necessarily.”

“Good answer.”

“Slow hasn’t worked out all that well for me. As hard as I tried to avoid being hurt, in both cases, I was. And not hurt, more like devastated.” She leaned forward and looked into his eyes. “Scaring you away yet?”

Brodie smiled. “Not even close.”

“You’re easy to talk to. That’s part of it. It doesn’t feel like five days.”

“For me either.”

“You aren’t saying much.”

“I’m listening,” he told her.

“I’d like to hear what you’re thinking.”

“I’m not sure you do, Peyton.” Talk about being scared off. If he told her what he was thinking, she might get in her car and drive away, leaving him sitting here. Everything he knew about Peyton Wolf, he liked. When he learned something new, he liked that too.

“Brodie?”

“I’m crazy about you, Peyton. If I told you all the thoughts running through my head, you’d think I was nuts.”

“Maybe I said too much.”

“That isn’t it at all. I’m worried I’m going to.”

“This was your idea, Brodie. You’re the one who said we should talk.”

He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Here goes. You ready?”

She nodded.

“When I said I wanted to talk, I didn’t mean we should talk about Kade or your relationship with him. I want to talk about you and me, separate from him.”

“Okay.”

“You asked me if you had been with my brother was too weird, that. I guess if I let myself think about it, it might be. But I don’t let myself. I don’t believe it’s any different than me imaging you in any other relationship. That was then, and them, and this is now, and us.”

Peyton nodded. “I get that.”

“What about you? Do you think about me and other relationships I’ve been in?” Brodie asked.

“Not relationships.”

He grinned. “Ah. So you picture me having sex with other women.”

“I didn’t say that either,” Peyton responded.

“What is it then?”

“Lang was such a player?—”

He started to argue, but she asked him to let her finish.

“Alex and I talked about this the other night. I asked her how well she knew you. Her answer makes a lot more sense after tonight.”

---