Page 53 of Green
“Say it.”
“Yes. Yes—but—”
“I want you.” He hooked an arm below my knees, cradling me in his arms and effortlessly whisking me over to the bed, he lowered himself down on top of me. The weight of his body on mine felt amazing, and my body wanted everything that his was ready to offer, but my stupid brain wasn’t going to shut up yet.
“Why now? Before Ben, you had never given me any hint that you were attracted to me.”
“I pushed away those feelings. I ignored them. That doesn’t mean they weren’t there. I never wanted to risk fucking everything up.” He raised himself up onto his elbows so that his torso hovered over mine, but his lower body was not so gentlemanly.
“You mean fucking up your green card marriage?”
“No, I meant fucking up our friendship. Because you’re so important to me. Idiot. Gem, I like you more than I like anyone else I know. I miss you when you’re not around. I want you. What else do you need to hear?”
I pushed him away and pulled myself up to stand on the bed, because I would not be able to argue my case with his lips so close to mine.
I leaned back against the wall, crossed my arms and looked down at him.
He rolled his eyes and sat up.
“Theo. I don’t want to lose you as a friend either.”
“What makes you think you won’t lose me if we don’t try this?”
“Is that a threat? What happened to ‘because it’s us?’”
“It’s not a threat, it’s just that when we had that conversation that was before I’d made this decision.”
“What decision, exactly?”
“To have you.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“To date you.”
“But you don’t date!”
“I date. I date way more than you do.”
“You take girls out as a prelude to fucking them.”
“Not exclusively. I also take them out as a denouement to fucking them.”
I grabbed a pillow and whacked him with it.
“Oh my God you’re so spoiled. Girls have always just thrown themselves at you.”
“That doesn’t make me spoiled if I’m grateful. And it’s not like I’ve ever had any complaints.”
I smirked. “You mean from the girls who stormed out when you told them you had to study or work, or the ones whose calls and texts you don’t respond to?”
He knew better than to continue a losing argument. “Okay. You’re right.”
The magic words!He watched triumphantly as my shoulders relaxed, just a bit. He pulled on the pillow and brought me down to my knees, on the mattress, brought his face to mine.
“But, once I make my mind up about something it’s pretty hard for me to not pursue it. That’s a fact.”
“So I have no say in this?”
