Page 79 of The Perfect Love

I make a mental note to put it on my calendar later. If it’s on my calendar, it has to happen. That’s the rule.

Now his eyes drift to my chest where my nipples are no doubt poking through my bra and T-shirt. He smiles, then kisses my neck.

“Trev…” I groan.

He steps back and puts his hands up. “Nope. You saying my name like that? Fuck, Chels. It’s so hot.”

I laugh and hop off the counter. “Sorry. I’ll get back to making hot chocolate. Don’t want to give you blue balls.” I run my finger under his shirt along the top of his waistband. “Even if teasing you is my favorite kind of fun.”

“Mean,” he grumbles, but he’s smiling. “Need any help?”

“Nope. Go set up the next episode ofHaven. I’ll bring the hot cocoa over when it’s done.”

He grabs my arm and pulls me to him for a chaste kiss, then as I walk toward the fridge, he smacks my butt.

I look over my shoulder at him, giving him my biggest smile, because I like settling into this space in our relationship. Something more open.

Relationship.

Yeah, it’s time to tell him.

I pull out all the hot chocolate ingredients, including the raspberry syrup I didn’t tell him I made, and make up a batch of raspberry vanilla hot chocolate. Once it’s all done, I top the mugs with whipped cream, raspberry sauce, and then a vanilla sandwich cookie for good measure.

Trevor’s eyes get big and he gets that childlike smile on his face when he sees me walking over to him.

“What’s this?” he asks as I hand him his mug.

I set my mug on the coffee table, then sit down.

“The boyfriend special.”

He slowly turns to me, eyes even bigger. “Boyfriend? Really?” And then that childlike smile appears again, and I almost melt on the spot.

“Let’s not pretend that isn’t what you’ve been this whole time.”

He sets his mug down, then wraps his arms around me, kissing me deeply. It’s not the wild kissing we were doing in the kitchen. It’s slower, gentler, but all-consuming.

He rests his head against mine and cups my cheek as he pulls away.

“Get ready for me to become the ultimate fantasy book boyfriend. Now that I have the official title needed.”

I bite back a laugh, smiling up at him. “Guess we’ll see.”

Then I lean forward and grab my mug, heart beating hard with all the swirly, gooey, emotional things.

Making this official and telling him about my past is giving him a new level of trust and feels like cutting myself open and bleeding out all my pain. But if anyone is worth seeing everything I’ve kept locked inside—every painful, heartbreaking moment—it’s Trevor. Especially since I can see a future with him, and I’ve never felt that way about anyone before.Ever.

I get a twisty sensation in my gut that’s starting to feel familiar. How can I be thinking about a future with him after such a short time?

Because it feels right.

It feels right in a way very few things in my life have.

Every summer spent working at the campground with my family feels right.

The first time I played volleyball felt right.

Choosing counseling as my major in college felt right.

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