Page 12 of Outside the Lines
“I’ll hold down the fort, then.”
“If you need anything, I’ll be in back.” Lydia met my gaze. “Got a minute, Si?”
“Always, for you.” Yup. Conversation time. Probably about Ian. Everything about their interaction had told me she liked him, which was good. Still, I always got nervous about these talks. We headed into the employees/storage area and then a little deeper into the tiny room she’d claimed as her studio. It had a high window along one wall and her work covered pretty much every free surface.
I closed the door and leaned against it. “You like him.”
“Of course I do. You have fantastic taste in men.” She flopped into her chair. “He’s charming and pretty and he’s a certified geek.”
Yup to all of those. “I didn’t tell him I was married.” Which I should have, but that would have shut down the flirting . . . and I liked that part.
“Figured that out pretty quickly when you introduced me.”
I winced. Ian had held it together, but I’d been around the block long enough that I knew what shocked and confused looked like. “There hasn’t been any time. We just met.” I’d been trying to figure out how to say something—anything—about it to him.
“Sweetheart, I’m not chastising you.” She twisted her hands in her lap. “I’m trying to apologize. I should’ve thought before bounding over and pulling you away for dinner.”
Nope. Not Lydia’s fault either. “Well, youaremy wife.” I pushed off the door, walked over, and took both her hands. “I can’t ask you to avoid me because I’m shit with men and don’t know how to flirt or talk or—”
She snorted. “Yeah, except he’s into you, so you must have done something right.” She gave my hands a squeeze. “And you’re not shit with men. You’re gorgeous, sexy, and funny.”
“I’m really not.” More nervous and geeky. “And you’re biased.”
“Maybe I am. But you didn’t see Ian’s face when you hugged him.” She raised her gaze. “I did.”
I hadn’t, but Ihadfelt the bulge in his pants. Even now, the memory got to me, and I gave a little sigh.
Lydia’s smile widened. “I’ll give you hopeless. Especially when a guy knocks you off your feet.”
Couldn’t help the laugh or the color to my cheeks. I slipped my hands free of hers. “He’s . . . Oh God. I haven’t felt like this in years.”Hopelesswas a good word for it. “I’ve only known him for a few hours!” Wanted to knowso muchabout him.
I didn’t know if I stood a chance, though. These kinds of situations were weird and . . . well, Bluewater Bay was an awfully small town to be poly in. Word got around. Breakups got awkward. We’d seen it happen with some other people, which was why we’d mostly gone swinging out of town. Besides, our one try in Bluewater Bay had fizzled out before it even began. Dude had been too into his ex and not into us enough.
Lydia wrinkled her brow. “What did you do the last time you felt like this?”
Her question stopped my breath, but I knew the answer. I’d flirted hard and stupidly. Made a fool of myself. Gone out on three dates, and then asked Lydia to be my wife.
That had been a rocky time, since we weren’t each other’s primary relationship. Given that I felt the same giddy, life-changing rush for Ian?
Oh shit, it worried me right down to the bones.
“Honey?” Her voice was soft.
“I married you.”
So many emotions flickered over her features. This time, when I took her hands, I went to my knees on the hard floor. “I won’t do anything.” I wouldn’t lose her. I loved her. Deeply. Astoundingly. Enough that I knew—without a doubt—that no matter who else she was with, she’d come home to the house we’d made.
I needed her to know that about me too.
“Si, don’t.” She freed one hand and cupped my face. “I’m not worried. I know who I married.” She kissed the tip of my nose. “Go home. Get some rest.” She chuckled. “If you start acting around Ian the way you acted around me, he’ll have no choice but to fall hopelessly in love with you.”
I wanted that. I feared that. Society told me I couldn’t have that. I pulled Lydia into my arms. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” The words fell into her hair.
She pulled back enough to kiss me—sweet and lingering, with enough tongue to curl my toes—before she backed off and sighed. “I need to work on this job. It’s due in two days.”
I stole a quick taste of her mouth. “I’ll let you get to it.” Rising made my knees creek like a set of stairs. Shit. I was only in my thirties. Unfair. “See you when you get home.”
“Mm-hmm.” She pulled me down for another kiss, one that left me a tad breathless. “Don’t wait up.”
