“Good.” He dropped his mouth to hers, somehow both possessive and sweet at the same time.

“Can’t we go upstairs and forgo the making out on the couch part?” she asked against his mouth.

He chuckled. “Oh, I do like you, Bec. But I have to piss off Jack first.”

“Why do you have to piss anyone off?”

“Because that’s what we do.”

Which seemed silly enough to her, but what did it matter when his mouth was so close? When his arms were around her? When she had a blissful night of him ahead of her?

It didn’t take long to forget. To lose herself in the kiss. She sighed and melted into it, beyond happy. She’d never expected love to be so easy.

And, oh crud. She was in love with him. Which she’d kind of suspected, maybe for this whole time, but she’d been able to keep those thoughts pushed away. The more she let them run free in her head, the more she was afraid she would blurt it out one day and scare Alex off irrevocably.

She knew Alex liked her, and maybe he even could love her. She wouldn’t be surprised. He was not a man meant for a lot of superficial entanglements, and he certainly wouldn’t get tangled up with her if it were only superficial. But she also knew he had a lot of…issues and reservations. If he admitted to love, he’d have to start facing some of those things he was so desperate to pretend didn’t exist.

“What’s wrong?” he murmured against her mouth.

“Nothing.”

“You stopped kissing me back.”

“Oh. Sorry. I got lost in thought.”

He pulled back a little, frowning. “Ouch, my ego.”

“That’s not what I mea—”

“That’s okay. I’ll just up my game.” His mouth devoured hers this time, kissing until she was boneless and nearly completely dead.

“Oh, come on,” Jack’s voice interrupted. “You guys suck.” Jack stormed off upstairs and Alex laughed. And laughed.

“You’re mean,” Becca said, though she had to admit his laughter did perilous things to her already shaky heart.

“Only when they deserve it.”

“Let’s go to my room.”

“Gladly.”

It amazed her continuously how easy this all was. They went to her room, and they undressed each other, laughing and happy. She hadn’t exactly lived a terrible life. After moving here, getting settled, getting healthy, she’d had a good few years before they’d lost Burt.

But it wasn’t like this. The giddy delight in finding someone who seemed to delight in her, who made her feel like a million bucks all the time.

They fell onto her bed and came together on a matching groan of satisfaction. It was good. Always so good. The coming together like this, having his rough hands on her, feeling the calluses scrape against her skin. His mouth all over her. Tasting her. Making her feel worshipped and perfect.

It never got old, the feel of him moving with her, of being joined together. Finding new ways to drive each other crazy and over that tumbling edge.

She was head over heels in love with him. Because every night was wonderful. Every night he found new ways to make her groan and laugh.

Every night she felt more like she’d found her life. She’d found the person she’d always wanted to be and the life she’d always wanted to live. It was so big and so great she couldn’t even be scared.

He brought her to orgasm in a quick rush and then found his own in a leisurely exploration that had her losing herself all over again.

How could she not think this was perfect? How could she not want more of it? How could she not want to give all her love to him and not be afraid he wasn’t ready for it?

If she could convince him to stay, then she could tell him. Say those words, and even if he wasn’t ready, it might be a step. Because she dreaded this moment every night.