Page 93 of Unmatched

I hesitate. “What about Sharon, though? Do you need to stay here in case?—”

“Mom wouldn’t want that,” he says, though it seems like he’s choosing his words with care. “She was so proud of you. She’d want me to go with you and support you.”

Seth nods, looking resigned. “Anton’s right. I’ll call you guys if anything changes, but you can’t stay here forever.” He glances at the kitchen clock. “And on that note, I need to take off. Lock up when you leave, okay?”

He gives me a warm, brotherly hug, then forces Anton into an awkward one too.

And then it’s the two of us, alone again.

“Guess I’ll see what flights are available,” Anton says, taking out his phone.

I put my hand over his, forcing him to look up at me. “Are you really sure about this?”

I’m not talking about his mom anymore, or going to Denver. This is deeper, much bigger than anything the two of us have successfully handled.

“Yes.” He sets the phone down, focusing entirely on me. “If you are.”

I manage a nod, but I’m afraid to admit how scared I am. That I’ll go home and still get the balance wrong. That things will somehow go back to the way they were. That I’ll wake up one day and realize everything still fell apart.

As if he can read my mind, Anton looks at me and says, “We’ll work on it together.”

I don’t have words. Only the warm sensation spreading through my chest, so I just press my lips to his.

“Going from sole proprietor to a partnership is a big sacrifice,” he says, looking at me warily.

“It is,” I say. “But I think it will be good for me on a lot of levels. You were right, I can’t do everything myself. It was hard to admit that. But I want things that can’t all exist together without a little flexibility.”

“What do you want?” he says, moving closer.

“I want to run and grow the Pooches, but...I also want space to breathe. To exist outside of the businesses. I want to find some stability, more time to do things other than work, and maybe...maybe think more seriously about whether we should start a family.” I trace the line of his collarbone with my fingers. “But most importantly, along with all of that, I want you. Our marriage. I’ve neglected it. And I want to work at least as hard at building it back up as I do on the Pooches.”

“I want all of this too.” He pushes my hair back, then glides his hands down my front and gives my breasts a playful squeeze. “Well, and these.”

I laugh, shoving him playfully away until he comes in with a repentant kiss.

“I’m not going to deny sex is a need for me,” he says more soberly. “But if I’ve learned anything the last month or so, it’s that I don’t just want sex. I want sex with you, my wife. Lydia, you are the most important person in my world.”

I look down. “I’ll try to get better at it. I want to keep learning.”

He catches my chin, giving me a reassuring look, which morphs into a lustful grin. “Happy to help you practice.”

I giggle, but there’s an uneasiness balling up in my stomach, which ends the moment a little too soon. “I’m just worried—I might still mess up sometimes.”

He presses his mouth into a line. “I probably will too.”

Neither of us says anything more for several minutes. I lean into his chest, pressing my cheek against his flesh, listening to the steady beat of his heart. His arms come up, around me, holding me close. Secure.

“Seth suggested—” Anton says abruptly. “Maybe we should see someone.”

I take a moment, letting that sink in. Caprice had encouraged the same thing. “Like a sex therapist? I guess we could.”

“I don’t know.” He grunts. “What does someone like that even do?”

I glance up at him. “Hopefully not watch us have sex.”

His eyes flash briefly with a very dirty look, but then his expression softens. “Do you think talking to someone would be helpful?”

“Maybe, for me,” I say slowly. I can’t argue that advice from a professional might go further than some sex guide I found on the internet. “I’m still trying to figure a few things out.”

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