Page 41 of Forbidden Vows

“You know…” He runs a hand over the back of his neck, his gaze going to the ground. Finally, he says, “That… girl stuff.”

Girl stuff?Oh. Pads and Tampons.

I stifle a giggle. “Yes. That’s covered. Thank you.”

I’d forgotten how funny he is about ‘women troubles.’ He’d be blushing right now if his superior DNA allowed for it.

“I’m on the pill. I told you at the church that day…” Uncomfortable but socially responsible, I continue, “The topic did come up at the time between kisses and our underwear coming off. I assumed you remembered since you didn’t bring it up last night.”

“Oh, yeah,” he says. “Sure. I remember, now.”

“Now?” I ask.

“Yeah. Now that you said, I remember.” He looks more uncomfortable now than he did talking about period stuff.

He didn’t remember I was on the pill. Which means…

I grill him. “You didn’t know I was on the pill. And you didn’t offer a condom…” I stare at him openly. “Were you trying to get me pregnant?”

He looks at me a beat too long before answering. “No. Not like trying or anything.” He shrugs.

Shocked, I gasp. “Not like trying or anything? What on Earth do you mean by that?”

Another sexy shrug, like looking sexily confused, makes him innocent. He can’t meet my eye. “I figured…”

His words trail off, so I fill in the blanks for him. “You figured it would be okay to get me pregnant!”

“No,” he shakes his head. “It wasn’t like that. You didn’t say anything either!” He stands there, shirtless, staring at me, now arms crossed over his bare chest. “It’s not 1950 anymore. I figured you’d say if you wanted a condom.”

“It’s not 1950, but you can spank women and knock them up without so much as a conversation, first?”I counter back.

“Well,” he finally says, “It’s a good thing you’re on the pill, right?”

“Yeah. Areallygood thing. And lucky for us, I’m a modern-day woman who looks out for my own fertility, huh, Mr. Old-Fashioned Mafia man?”

Please remind me to run to the bathroom and count my birth control pills the second he walks out of this room!

He eyes me curiously. “And you know I’m really careful, right? I’ve used a condom with every girl I’ve ever been with.” He goes all uncomfortable with the topic, shifting weight to his other foot. “I mean, I got tested before you came even though I knew it would all be good–which it was–just wouldn’t ever want to put you at risk.”

Wow. So much information. So many feelings dragged up all at once from his confession.

I totally appreciate him looking out for me, giving me those big brother warm fuzzies I love.

Which is super confusing when we’re talking about STD testing.

‘Cause we had sex. Bareback. Raw dogging it (as Seraphina would say) with a man I should be playing Pictionary with instead.

But the real kicker…

“You got tested before I came.”

“Yes.”

“Which means you were expecting us to sleep together.”

“Was I?” He runs his hand over the back of his neck, looking at the ground. “I’m kinda damned if I say yes, right?”

My arms cross over my chest as I stare at him. “Kinda. Yeah.”

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