Page 41 of With Love

“I’d be more than happy to tell you all about this picture, you just let me know.”

“Okay, I’ll bite,” I answer with a coy smile.

“This was from the morning after our first date. Remember I mentioned that I showed up to your apartment with food?”

“Yeah.”

“Well the reason I did that was because you turned me down for dinner. It was all my fault, I was trying to impress you, but all I did was scare you off. You hung up on me and everything.”

“What? I did not!” I say in disbelief.

“You most certainly did. You were a firecracker. I tried to stay away, but it was torture. I made it a week and to this day I still can’t believe I made it that long. Not a day of that week went by that I didn’t think about driving over to your apartment and making you talk to me.

“Finally, I decided that enough was enough and I had to make it up to you. I ordered take out from one of the restaurants that you suggested we go to, this was before you hung up on me, and I showed up with it. After begging you to come downstairs and meet me, and then apologizing profusely, and then telling you that I had a burger and fries in the car with your name on it, did you decide to let me in.”

“I mean, I am pretty serious when it comes to French fries. Norah used to make them for me all the time…” I stop myself. A sad smile appearing on my face.

“Who’s Norah?”

“She’s the housekeeper at,” I pause. Adrienne, it's always going to be scary thinking about it. But you will never be able to get over it if you don’t talk about it. Don’t let your past paralyze you. Don’t let him win.

“…She’s Lock’s housekeeper.” I finish. Pride beams from Marshall’s face and it is incredibly humbling. I know that he wants to reach out and reassure me. But he doesn’t and that is all of the reassurance that I need in order to know that what Marshall and I had was real. Whether he had these pictures to show me or not, he knows me all the way down, deep into my core. I know that I know him too. I want, no I need to remember him the way that he remembers me.

I lean in closer to him and he pulls me into his side. I want to kiss him again, but I don’t know if he’s going to be the one to make the first move. The last time we kissed he was so worried about me.

I turn my face toward his and place my hand on his cheek. I raise my chin slightly, just enough so my lips connect with his. Goosebumps spread over my body as butterflies race through my stomach. Just as suddenly, I’m warmed up from within by the electricity that passes between us.

As my body heats up more, I start running my hands up and down his hard chest. He moves his hand over my cheek before tucking a piece of hair behind my ear and kissing me harder.

He runs his fingers gently down my neck causing the goosebumps to come back and shooting sparks down into my core. I break the connection, panting, as my head lolls back against my shoulders.

His hand continues further until he is caressing my breast lightly. He doesn’t linger, he continues down until his hand lands on my hip and he gives me a gentle squeeze. As nice as this feels, I am not sure that I am ready to let myself go yet. I want to so badly, but I just can’t.

I lift my head and place both of my hands on his cheeks. Leaning in, I give him one last kiss on his lips before breaking the connection and looking down.

“That was nice. I liked it,” I begin. I am trying to figure out exactly what I want to say. “I want to do it again, soon. But I just don’t know if I am ready to let go yet.”

“I understand. Thank you for being honest with me and for stopping when you were ready. I’ve been trying to look to you to lead recently. The last thing that I want is for you to feel pressured.”

“I know, and I am so grateful to you for that. Thank you.”

We lay there, not moving, not speaking for a little while longer.

“I can let you get to sleep,” he says. I yawned and I think he takes that as a sign that I want him to leave.

“No!” I shout. “Um, sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just that I really like having you here, and…” I take a deep breath.

“And, um, you don’t have to, but if you wanted to stay, then I would be okay with that.”

My face is on fire and I can’t even look at him.

I can’t believe I just said that. Oh my god. I’m so embarrassed.

I feel a finger at my chin, tugging my gaze upward.

“I would love to stay here with you. Thank you, Adrienne.”

I smile as I collect all of the pictures in front of me and place them on the nightstand next to my bed. I pull the covers up and begin to burrow my way under when I realize that he is still in his jeans and sweater from earlier today.

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