Page 53 of Stranded

“Ronan,” I tell him, my voice sharp. He quickly looks up at me, and the spark of fear in his eyes makes me wince. I squeeze his hand gently and soften my tone. “This isn’t… I don’t want to be friends with benefits.”

He pauses and watches me closely, his eyes flickering between mine. “Why not?”

“I want more,” I tell him firmly. “And I don’t want to rush into it. If I have to wait until the end of the semester, so what? Like I said, neither of us is going anywhere.”

Ronan just shakes his head a little. “Why?” he asks, frustration in his voice. “How can you… how do you know you’ll feel the same way in a couple of months?”

“I can’t,” I admit. “But this is how we find out, right?”

Ronan sighs, and his hand finally relaxes under mine. “A couple of months seems like a lifetime.”

“I want something that lasts a lot longer than that.” I smile at him softly when he glances up at me with those startled eyes. “I’m willing to wait.”

Ronan hesitates. “I… I don’t want to sound like a dick,” he starts, and I grin at him to welcome whatever he’s going to say. He blushes. “This isn’t… like you and your ex, is it?”

I blink at him. Not because I’m mad, but because I don’t get it.

Ronan finally huffs out a little sigh. “You’re the kindest man I’ve ever met. I don’t want to use that kindness. It would make me feel just as rotten as… as you feeling like you’re distracting me. You know?”

I snort. “If you’re being honest about your intentions, it’s not using me. And you’ve been honest aboutallyour intentions since day one.”

At last, Ronan giggles for real. “Yeah. I have been,” he admits. “Maybe too honest.”

“No such thing,” I promise him.

It’s a beautiful moment, watching the hope return to Ronan’s eyes. He turns all shy, and then his cheeks flush pink.

And it makes itsomuch harder to keep my hands to myself.

“You trust yourself so much,” Ronan says at last. “I like that about you.”

“I trust my gut more than anything. And I’ve wanted you ever since I saw you, too.” I wink at him. “Not just in bed, although that part is… life-changing.”

Ronan laughs richly. He tilts head back and making a gesture like a movie poster. “Ronan Ashfield: life-changing in bed.”

I laugh, too, and then I gently nudge him with my knee. “I think we could be great boyfriends. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Oh.” Ronan beams at me, and there it is—that sparkle again, through and through. “So it’s like a boyfriend betrothal.”

“A…”

He goes bright red. “Forget I said that.”

“Not a chance. I’m never forgetting it.”

“Oh, god.” Ronan covers his face with both hands. “Kill me now.”

“Never. In fact, I’m here to protect you from all those serial killers… my betrothed,” I grin.

Ronan heaves a sigh that makes me snort with laughter. “Anyway,” he says, dragging his palms down his face as he looks at me. He raises one hand to cup my cheek with a little, wistful sigh. “It’s going to be hard to keep my hands off you. You’re sure we really can’t just…? You know?”

“Sleep together now, figure out our feelings later?” He nods, and I grin. “When has that ever worked?”

“No. You’re right,” Ronan finally says. He pulls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees to study me.

For once, I can’t tell what’s going through his head.

“What?” I finally ask him softly.

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