Page 71 of The Marriage Policy

“Talk to him,” Anthony prods. “This is Eric. You trust him more than anyone in the world. Whether he feels the same or not, the two of you are too strong to let this come between you.”

No. He wouldn’t, but… “You don’t know him like I do. He’d rather suffer than hurt me. What if he’s so afraid of hurting me that he goes along with what I say to make sure that doesn’t happen?” It’s why I’ve made sure each step we took was his idea. Yes, I’m the one who brought up getting married, butthat was in title only. The jerking off, the touching, kissing, blowjobs, handholding, and even the fucking, that’s all been Eric’s suggestions. I wanted it, still want it, but I needed him to lead the way.

“That sounds like a bit of a reach,” Hayes says gently. “He cares about you, but are you sure he would get into a relationship with you just so he doesn’t upset you?”

“Or,” Anthony joins in, “do you think it’s more that you just don’t see how incredible you are, so you’ll tell yourself anything other than believing that Eric might love you the way you love him?”

I feel super called out right now. “I don’t know, honestly.” And what matters most is if I can risk it or not. They’re right, though. Eric and I talk about everything. It feels wrong to keep this from him, but fear of losing him is a pretty strong motivator too. “I’ll think about it.”

It’s the best answer I can give right now.

“So…wanna tell us what prompted this sudden change?” Anthony’s brows bounce up and down.

“He finally fucked me. You have no idea how good it was,” I admit. But really, that’s not the only reason I realized I’m in love with Eric. It’s just everything about him.

“Sex is so much fun,” Hayes says dreamily. “I never knew it could be so good until Rylan.”

“Okay, the two of you aren’t making me jealous at all. I met this guy at Lush the other night and went home with him. It wasn’t what I was hoping for.”

We lose ourselves in sex talk. From there I tell them about our new cat, whom we named Butterscotch, and holding hands at the farmers’ market, which makes them tell me I’m an idiot and Eric is in love with me.

I probably smile too big.

I do have to talk to him, though. If I don’t, this will eat me alive, and that will be what comes between Eric and me.

I don’t know when or how or what to say, but I’m going to admit to Eric that I’m in love with him, and hope like hell this whole thing doesn’t blow up in our faces.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Eric

“Do you thinkour parents will be able to tell we’re sleeping together?”

Donovan’s head whips my direction from the driver’s seat. “What the fuck. I hope not.”

I cock a brow at him, enjoying giving him shit. “Are you embarrassed of me, husband?”

“No. I just don’t want to consider—at all—that our sex life might pop into our parents’ heads.”

I chuckle, then reach over and place my hand on his thigh. I’ve been enjoying this new layer of our relationship. While we haven’t been doing it long, sex with Donovan is the best sex I’ve ever had, but my favorite part is how we lie around talking afterward. The way we laugh and tease each other, or when he talks to me about work and is still trying to get me to consider starting my own business.

I love the way we take care of each other, when we’re fucking and when we’re not. Donovan is always on my mind, and I can tell I’m always on his too. He thinks of little things to do to make me happy or to help me out, and it’s probably the most important thing in my whole universe to do the same for him.

“Yeah, I guess you have a point. I just wonder how I’m going to keep my hands off you when we’re there.” Now that I can touch him, I want to do it all the time. But we also had a talk before heading out. We don’t want to do anything to confuse our parents, and us being married will definitely do that. It still confuses me.

“Eric…?” he says, making me realize he’d been speaking while I was lost in what’s becoming a familiar Donovan trance. It’s what I call it when I smile like an idiot and can’t stop thinking about him. Or I’m confused by him. Basically the only options when it comes to him.

“Hmm?”

“No cuddling in front of our parents.”

“You’re so boring,” I tease. “I wish we could have brought Butterscotch. She’s going to be so lonely. She’s used to at least one of her daddies being home.”

“We’ll give her extra loves when we get home.” He tosses a smile in my direction, and it makes my heart speed up.

We continue talking all the drive up to Victorville. Our parents still live in the same houses they had when we were growing up. Most of the neighborhood is that way. It makes me sad sometimes, when I think about my mom being alone. As far as I know, she never even dated after losing my dad. I know she didn’t when I lived at home, and when I bring it up now, she always has some excuse.

It’s her birthday today, which is why we’re heading up. Donovan’s parents invited her over. I’m glad she still has them. They’re the only family we have—Mom having grown closer to them over the years because of my relationship with Donovan.

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