Page 170 of Smooth Sailing

“Can I ask you something?” I requested.

He focused on me. “You can ask me anything.”

Okay.

Um.

Yeah.

Totally falling in love with this guy.

And he was totally now all with me.

“You told me earlier you don’t like touch and aren’t affectionate.”

“I don’t and I’m not.”

I blinked.

“Can’t keep my hands off you, though,” he muttered.

I pressed my lips together so my smile wouldn’t blind him.

“And love your hands on me, even when we aren’t fuckin’,” he went on.

I pressed my lips tighter.

Once I had a lock on it, I noted, “You seemed pretty affectionate with Raven.”

“She’s a little kid, and Pete was right. She’s bashful. Gets lost in the mix of a lot of rowdy and big personalities.”

I stroked his beard and asked gently, “Do you feel a kinship with her with that?”

His head ticked then he said, “Guess so, yeah. Never thought about it, but makes sense.”

“Do you, uh…want kids?” I asked cautiously.

He got that expression on his face that he always got when he was about to say “I never thought about it.”

Then the look cleared and he said softly, “Yeah.”

I thought I was pretty loose under him, but when he said that, I got looser.

“You?” he inquired.

“Yeah.”

“How many?”

“Two.”

“Two’s good. Wouldn’t know, but I heard that middle child shit ain’t real fun.”

“I wouldn’t know either, but I heard the same.”

His eyes got soft and he went in to rub his nose against mine.

Dang, I loved it when he did that too.

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