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My honesty coaxed that gentle smile I was quickly getting addicted to. I was starting to think there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to bring one of those out.
“No. It wasn’t your touch that made me tense. Honestly.” I was treated to a fantastic eye roll, and I was reminded how young she was.
It still didn’t make me want to abort this task.
“The more I’m thinking about having to do this,” she continued, “the more I’m thinking I should just sleep in my clothes. It’s really going to hurt maneuvering out of the sleeve.”
“You don’t have other clothes here. I didn’t think you’d want to spend a whole day tomorrow in clothes you slept in. I can start some laundry once we get these things off.”
“I can just get up earlier and go home before coming into the office tomorrow. Well, heck, I don’t even know what time it is. Maybe it’s today already.” She rubbed the tension expressed across her forehead.
It wasn’t a terrible option, so I figured I’d leave the decision to her without any more coercing from me. Yes, I really wanted to see her without clothes on. Not denying that. But again, I was really trying to avoid spooking her.
“You tell me what you want to do, baby, and I’ll do it.”
Her shy smile made another appearance, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning closer and kissing her. She had the most seductive, pouty lips, and I was completely obsessed with them. Maye Farsey was a true knockout, but that mouth was my favorite feature of them all.
“What is this smile about?” I asked with my lips still pressed to hers.
“What?” She pulled back a little. “Oh, nothing. It’s silly.”
I shifted back a bit. “Nothing that comes from this incredible, creative mind could be considered silly, young lady.” I didn’t miss her barely there wince at that term, and I wanted to kick myself for using it. I muttered a quick “Sorry” but was still curious about that smile. If I knew what brought it out, I’d keep doing whatever I was doing to cause it.
“I like that.” She shrugged, and now I was truly confused.
“The kiss?” I asked hopefully and closed the gap between us to give her another one.
“No.” She laughed, low and throaty. “That’s not what I meant. Though I do enjoy those too.”
“What, then? And I will kiss you every chance I can get.”
She kept her eyes down while tracing the pattern on the bedspread with her index finger. Whatever she was about to admit made her shy.
As though she decided to just go for it, with a shrug she said, “I like when you call me baby. I don’t know why.” She shrugged again. “It’s so sweet. There’s a side to you I didn’t know existed before. I guess with the evening’s events, I’m glad I get a chance to see it.” She studied my reaction and added, “I don’t know if any of that makes sense. I’m so tired, I feel like I’m babbling.”
“I’m glad you like it when I call you that. It’s not a conscious decision. It just comes out. As far as the different side of my personality you’re seeing”—I paused and gave her a playfully stern look—“I’m not so sure about all that.”
She pushed my leg with her uninjured hand. “You know what I mean. I’m glad that tonight, while maybe I need a little more tenderness than you normally show, you’re being so sweet. So compassionate.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for you getting hurt. If I hadn’t frightened you, you wouldn’t have run off. But when I saw that boy with his hands on you?—”
“You didn’t frighten me. Honestly. You didn’t. I’ve always had the flight instinct way stronger than fight.” Quietly, she added, “It can really be a character flaw in certain circumstances, though.”
After tilting my head a bit, I asked, “How do you mean?”
“Well, when I should be sticking up for myself or demanding justice for someone I care about, what good is running away?”
“Okay, true enough. But it’s not always helpful to be confrontational. Things don’t get solved with aggression. Not truly fixed, anyway. In fact, a lot of times, arguing about a topic either creates more dissension or takes you off the point you want to make.”
Maye slipped off the bed and stood.
I watched her quizzically. Did everything I just say make her so uncomfortable that she wanted to leave? How could that be? I must have had a panicked look on my face, because she touched my arm to reassure me.
“I just need to use the bathroom before I fall asleep. But then we definitely need to get some shut-eye, or neither one of us will be of any use in the office tomorrow.”
“Here, let me show you where the bathroom is. Can you manage yourself?”
She gave me a look like Don’t even think about it, man, and I chuckled. “Well, I’ll be here if you get into a bind in there. Okay?”
