Page 27 of Tangled Hearts

“A relationship.”

“So you do know we're dating,” I tease.

“I know more than you, babe.”

“Okay, well, I told you about that guy back in college. Remember?”

“Yes,” he grumbles. “The study buddy asshole.”

“Asshole?” I laugh, finding his jealousy endearing. I don’t think I would otherwise, but Dylan is different in so many ways from me.

“Call it like I see it?” He aggressively cuts into his chicken. I have to force myself not to laugh.

“That was the only guy I ever really had anything with, and it wasn’t anything,” I admit.

“Good.” He takes a bite of his murdered chicken.

"If you're not understanding, Dylan, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't do anything with him, so I have never done anything with anyone." He swallows the bite of food in his mouth.

“You’re saying?—”

“I'm a virgin, okay?” I blurt it out. “I know that’s insane with my age and all, but it just never happened, and then I started to feel weird about it, so I didn’t want to date because who wants to admit that?”

A slow, sexy smile spreads across Dylan’s lips. “I'm the only man that will ever have you?”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself.” It’s a half-hearted tease because what he is implying is that there will not be anyone after him. The baby blanket and adorable hat are intended for our baby girl.

“With you, Natalie, I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

“You always say the right things.”

“There is another thing I should probably tell you as well.”

“I don’t want to know about your sex life, Dylan,” I tell him before he can say more. I sense that's where he's heading. “That’s in the past, and let's leave it there.”

I am still a touch fickle about Julie. I know they never even kissed, but I don’t care for the idea of another woman thinking she belonged to Dylan. He's mine now.

Along with all the knitting.

Chapter Twenty-One

DYLAN

Itake her to my bedroom, a functional space without much adornment. The cream walls and carpet were the builder’s choice. The navy bedding was a set I ordered years ago off an internet store who still sends me promotional emails.

“You’ll need to knit something for in here,” Nat says, smoothing her hand along the navy coverlet. “Make it look pretty.”

I smooth her hair away from her forehead. “You make it look pretty.”

By the slight pink in her cheeks and the way she ducks her head, I can tell compliments make her shy, but she likes them, too. I slot that in my memory bank.Remember to give Nat a lot of verbal assurances.

“I don’t know why I’m suddenly feeling awkward. It’s not like we haven’t touched each other before.” She places her hands on my chest as if intentional boldness can chase away her reserve.

I lift her hands to my mouth and kiss her fingers. “Because we’re consummating our promises. I love you, and you love me, and yes, we’re going to have a big wedding with lots of peopleand a red velvet cake because I love red velvet cake, but all of that is for show. Tonight we are going to pledge ourselves to each other with our bodies.”

I take off my shirt and revel in the way her eyes widen when they land on my chest, counting the ridges of my abdomen. I place her hands on my stomach.

“I could wash my clothes against your abs.” She grins, very little sign of her shyness evident as her fingers skip across my skin, rubbing and scraping and making it very hard for me to think.

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