Page 90 of Big Dill

I suck in a breath and remind myself that this is sex. Nothing more. Nothing complicated.

But God help me, when he gets possessive like that, it’s hard to remember.

He kisses me quickly, like he knows he shouldn’t linger, and we step into the kitchen. He opens the pizza box and peers inside.

“It’s cold,” he says. “Want me to heat it in the oven?”

“I like cold pizza,” I tell him, reaching into the cupboard for plates. I stifle a yawn as I set them on the counter, still feeling the pull of drowsiness from a busy day, week really.

“I’m sorry,” Brody says suddenly, tugging me close.

“Sorry for what?”

“For keeping you up. I took you home so you could get a good night’s sleep.”

“Are you saying you weren’t ready to come home?” I tease lightly, though my pulse skips.

He tilts his head, eyes softening. “If coming home early meant being here with you… alone, I’d choose that every time.”

My chest tightens. God. This man has a way of making me feel like I matter. Like I belong.

Then a small, nagging thought creeps in, sour and sharp.

“Elise looked like she was trying to talk to you all night.”

Elise.

His ex-girlfriend.

The one who designs clothes.

And surprisingly looks a lot like me.

Brody shrugs, casual, but the tension in his jaw tells me more than his words. “We decided to be friends. She texted me earlier.”

She texted him.

“I haven’t responded yet. I don’t really know what to say to her.”

“You still hurt,” I murmur, testing the waters.

Another shrug. “I’m over it.”

“What…what was she texting about?”

“My birthday, asking if I have plans.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“June fifteenth.”

“Oh wow, not too far off.”

He picks up the pizza box and starts toward the living room, closing the conversation as if shutting a door. I shut it too. None of it is really my business, and sure, maybe I thought we had a deeper moment during sex, when he asked if I was a mess too, but he meant physically, obviously.

I grab the plates and follow him. He flicks on a late-night talk show, slides a slice onto each plate, and smiles a little at my eagerness.

My stomach grumbles audibly. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”