Page 56 of Bewitched

“I didn’t say anything about a quickie. I’ll take as long as you like moving my hands and mouth over your body. I’m in no rush.” He took a last bite and smiled. “I’m ready for my dessert.”

“Good for you.” Moving his hand away, she laughed. “A quickie is all you’re going to get because I have to curl my hair for the party.”

“As long as I get something.”

She watched him lean back and cross his enormous arms over his chest. He was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen, and she still couldn’t believe he was her baby daddy. Clearly, she had done something right to deserve such an amazing man.

***

The ribbon of highway stretched out before them, and Paige thought about her friend and how much her life had changed. She had moved back home, she and her brother had inherited a fortune, and now she was going to work with her husband every day. “I can’t believe Ivy and Ryan are getting married and starting a business. I can’t imagine going to work every day with my husband. That would make me crazy.”

“Have you ever worked with a boyfriend or someone you were dating before?”

Lifting her hair up, she rested her head against the seat. “I worked at a smoothie place senior year in high school, and I ended up dating a boy that worked there. We didn’t go to school together, so it never ended up being a problem. At the time, I thought it was very romantic to make googly eyes over the mixers.”

“Who was this kid, anyway? Is he still around?”

Glancing over, she noticed a tick in his jaw. “Are you jealous over a boy I dated when I was seventeen?”

Letting out a big guffaw, he shook his head. “No…”

Raising an eyebrow, she waited. “Really?”

“We haven’t exchanged our dating history. Is that something you want to do?”

Looking out the window at the flat landscape, she noticed the wind pushing the grass back and forth. “No. Unless you think there’s someone who’s going to be a part of your future.”

“You’re my future. And for your information, I haven’t dated seriously since college. I never had the time or inclination.”

Pushing her feet against the dashboard, she shook her head. “That’s what I’m talking about. I have no desire to hear about the hundreds of women you’ve slept with. Once I get that picture in my head, it’s never going to leave. I want to believe that you showed up in Jordan and that’s when life began.”

Pulling her hand out of her lap, he placed it on his leg. “Honey, that is when life began. When I looked at your State Department photo on my tablet, I felt like someone shot an arrow into my heart. So, as far as I’m concerned, life began the moment I pulled you out of that building.”

“Sweet talker.” Scooting closer, she turned toward him and studied his profile. “So what do you want to do when you grow up?”

“I have several choices. The first thing I should do is decide if I want to stay in the Navy. I can become an instructor, or I can work for SAI. Max offered me a job in San Diego or here if I want it. Most of my buddies have gone to work for SAI, and they have nothing but good things to say.”

“What appeals to you most?”

“I’d like to stay on and become an instructor for six months to a year. It would give me time to transition from warrior to civilian. But that would mean we’d be in San Diego, and I’m not sure if that’s something you would consider.”

“Are you asking us to move in with you?” She saw his head jerk around, and she wondered why he looked so confused. “You haven’t asked me to do anything.”

“Yes. I. Have.”

Taking her hand out of his, she scooted away. “No. You. Haven’t!”

“If I could bang my head on this steering wheel and not get us in a crash, I would.” He put his hand on her leg and dragged her back. “I have talked about the future, and every time I do, you freeze up or change the subject.”

“You have mentioned things in a vague, off-handed way. But nothing specific.”

“That is a load of crap and you know it.”

Her mouth dropped open and she took in a deep breath. “That is so rude!”

Dropping his arms, he let his shoulders slump. “This clearly is a discussion that is going to take some time, so let’s table it until tomorrow. I’m not going to get into a fight with you before we go to a party. Can we agree that we’d like to spend our future together and we need to agree on what that looks like? Please?”

“Fine.”

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