Page 62 of Royally Drawn

“Duncan’s comment?”

“He said I was your girlfriend?”

At that moment, the remark flew over my head. “Oh, I didn’t take it to mean anything.”

Relief washed over her. “Oh, okay. I wanted to clarify that I don’t think of myself as your girlfriend. I think we are friends who sometimes end up in bed together. I like that very much, but I know we’re both in different places, and I don’t think we need that pressure. Never mind that there is the whole Lars thing. We haven’t even talked about that, and I will see you again in what? A week? We need to figure out how we do this.”

I needed to deal with it.

“I will manage Lars,” I said. “I have a plan.”

I had no plan but knew I needed one.

Ingrid squeezed my knee. “Okay.”

“Ingrid, I like yousomuch. You are witty and adorable. You are wonderful. I’d love to have you all to myself at times, but… I know that isn’t fair. You’re right. What we have right now is fun. I want to keep seeing you but without the pressure.”

She beamed. “Really? So, we’re on the same page?”

“Yeah,” I said. “But even with that said, I must come clean to my family. It affects them—and you. I am not worried about me. Duncan pointed out that if I try to cover it up and it comes out, you’ll be much more uncomfortable than I will be.”

“But if wedidcover it up?—”

I cut her off, shaking my head. “We cannot.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I look at you like you are the only person in the room,” I admitted. “And I want to touch you all the time. I cannot help it. I cannot ignore you. You’re fucking beautiful—perfect.”

She blushed, turning towards the window.

I squeezed her hand, “Ingrid, I have feelings for you. I’m a dreadful liar. If we try to lie, I will fail you.”

Ingrid took my hand to her mouth, kissing it. “Okay. If I can trust you won’t kill me in this flying tin can, I believe you.”

“Good,” I said, satisfied for now.

When we landed, I had to part ways for her. The airstrip was quiet on a Sunday. So, I had no audience. I wanted to say something remarkably sexy or memorable but had nothing. It was hard to be so articulate with her big blue eyes staring up at me like I’d hung the bloody moon. Wrapped up in this cocoon of new lust and discovery, neither of us was too articulate.

“So, until next time?” Ingrid asked.

“Until next week,” I answered. “I will see you then. Wear something sexy.”

She snickered. “I spent the entire weekend in your t-shirts, and you never complained once.”

“I noticed you also stole one,” I said. “You’re a little thief, Ingrid.”

She bit her lip. I melted.

“I hope you don’t mind.”

I leaned down, our noses almost grazing. “Not too much. I will punish you for it later.”

“I will take my punishment like a good girl,” Ingrid said.

The mouth on her never ceased. Even after hours spent in bed with her—hours of dirty talk and basking in the afterglow—she still knew how to wind me up.

I kissed her, unable to think of anything too sexy to say in response. It was slow and longing, then hot and intense. Finally, I let her go back on a sweet, gentle note. She nuzzled my nose with hers and pulled away.

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