Page 60 of Red Flag, Green Light

“Don’t be stupid. I know real relationships aren’t built on smut alone.”

“Articulate your expectations, then.”

I regard him, dryly. “Articulate my expectations?Are we going to sit down and pull together a relationship agreement?”

This man’s gaze shifts, getting dangerously close toseriously considering that.

“Mars.”

“What? It’s not a bad idea. I’m afraid of being too much of myself too fast and pushing you away. You’re encouraging husband-and-wife tier activities as though they wouldn’t reinvent your brain. Getting limitations and expectations down in a written format is a good way to keep me from conning you into date nights—at a therapist’s office.”

I narrow my eyes.

“Don’t give me that.”

“Fine. You’re right. First off, what are we?”

“What do you mean?”

“A couple? Enemies with benefits? Dating? A fling?”

His eyes close, and his grip on my chin reprimands. “Still enemies, really?”

“Friends are boring. I hate it. Enemies is a compliment. Could you maybe whisperI hate youin my ear sometime? I think I’d like that.”

His shoulders sag. “I’m not sure I can lie that blatantly given that my feelings for you are quite entirely the opposite.”

“Hm. How disappointing.”

“Are you trying to break my heart?”

“No, I’m trying to identify my emotions amidst the haze of whatever it is you’re doing to me. What do you want us to be?”

He wets his lips and pulls his attention off my face. “Do you want the safe answer or the honest one?”

“I think you know.”

“Husband and wife.”

My eyes widen. “You’re really speedrunning the plot here.”

“I can’t help it. I…love you.”

I curse as my heart thuds. “Skip to the end, why don’t you? What happened tohi, hello, how are you?We barely know each other. Real relationships also aren’t built on attraction alone. You haven’t told me a single flash-back-worthy story. I don’tknow an ounce of your trauma. It’s been a matter of weeks, Mars. When didlovejoin the group chat?”

He shrinks. “I don’t know. I’ve been enamored for years. Something about you is just celestial.”

“My name, probably. It’s a constellation.”

“Ceres…”

“Do you want me or not?” I ask.

Breath leaves him. “I want you. Desperately.”

“Then act like it, and give me something no one else has been able to.”

“What’s that?”

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