Page 45 of Insta-Love

“If I’m interrupting, I can go.”

“No.” He comes to a stop before me, leaning his arse against the edge of his small table, hands braced on the edge. “I just didn’t expect to see you again tonight.”

Didn’t expect to be here either, but it is what it is.

“I want to try this.” His gaze drops to my hands where I wring them before me. “I want to see if this thing between us could work. But I want to ease Lily into it.”

“You set the terms.” His smirk is lazy, his eyes hooded. “Because I know it’ll work. You’re the only one who needs convincing.”

“How can you be so sure of yourself?” I say with a smile curling my lips.

“How can you not?” He pushes off the table, taking a step forward. “Ever wonder why I pissed you off so much right at the start?”

I shake my head. “Not really, but you have me intrigued now.”

“Because of this.” He taps a thick finger to my temple. “You had it already in your head that a guy like me—whatever that means, anyway—wouldn’t be interested in a girl like you. And because you liked what you saw, that pissed you off.”

“Is that so?” I cock an eyebrow at him.

He nods. “Opposite reason to why you pissed me off.”

I incline my head to seek an explanation.

“I kept telling myself I didn’t want you, that you weren’t what I needed, but this knew better.” He taps his own head. “Took me a while to figure it out, but once I did …”

“Doesn’t make the whole situation any easier though, does it?”

“Is it ever easy?” The backs of his fingers graze my jaw, his gaze almost awestruck as he watches the movement.

“I guess it’s not.” He could be any regular guy, and I’d still hold these fears because of Lily.

I worry about this, for her. I worry what will happen if this doesn’t happen, because of her. I do everything—have done everything in my life since she was born—for her.

Isn’t it about time I was selfish for just the teensiest of seconds?

“My insecurity won’t go away over night,” I warn.

His breath tickles my face as he leans in close, so damn close that his lips brush my own as he answers, “Neither will mine.”

As our mouths connect, I realise, that’s just it, isn’t it? He’s equally as insecure. Maybe not about his outward appearance, like I am. But his fears based around love and dependency have just as much validation, if not more, than mine.

Maybe we really can balance the other out?

My hands run a slow path across his stomach, my fingers bumping over the ridges of his abs. I grin against his kiss at the absurdity of it: little old me, actually feeling up the kind of man I thought would be nothing more than a home screen wallpaper.

“What?” Bowen mumbles against my lips.

“You’re real.” I say with a chuckle, our connection still holding.

He pulls away; touch skimming my shoulders before he takes my face in his hands. “Real, and very much yours.”

“This is crazy.”

“Only if you believe it is.” He steals another chaste kiss before hoisting me against him. “I happen to think it’s fucking awesome.”

My feet dangle off the ground, knocking his shins as he carries us halfway across the living room.

I tip my head in question when he comes to a stop and frowns at the sofa.

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