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“Yeah,” I said, then added wryly, “To be honest, if there’s anything to worry about, it’s whether she’ll think that I’m not good enough for you.”
She smirked a little at that and tossed her head back. “Well, that remains to be seen.”
Something clenched in my chest at her cheeky smile, which exemplified the shift in our relationship. Things had been strange since the shopping trip. We had pretty much reached a stable place, and Lisa wasn’t mad at me anymore. I should have been happy with that. We could talk and tease like old friends, and she wasn’t threatening to bring this whole thing down. The media was eating up everything we served them about our whole love story, loving the dynamic. And it was in large part due to Lisa and her genuine aura. She was the perfect candidate for this, and she was playing her part perfectly, which is why I should have been happy.
But I wasn’t.
Because that tight hunger hadn’t abated when we had sex. It had only increased. And it was frustrating because every single time she smiled and treated me like a friend, I wanted to grab her against me and prove that I was anything but. I still wanted another taste, wanted a second round of that mind-blowing sex. And I knew she wanted more…could see the hint of it in her eyes sometimes. But she wasn’t ready to take that step yet, and I respected that.
So far, we’d been dancing around the tension that was growing between us day by day. I could see it mirrored in her eyes when she stared at me, and it occasionally throbbed in the atmosphere when we had dinner.
I didn’t want to be her fucking friend.
But at the same time, I didn’t know what I wanted to be with her, so I was currently stuck in limbo until further notice.
I knew I could probably get her in bed again if I just teased her slightly.
Ultimately, I decided not to make that move, though. For once, I wasn’t taking the selfish way out. She deserved better than that, and if I were being honest, she deserved better than me.
I glanced at her again out of the corner of my eye as we drove.
God, she was so damn beautiful.
It was an understated type of beauty, the type that caught you at first but then seemed to intensify the more you looked at her. The kind of beauty that would only get better with age and time and the kind you could analyze for years and still wouldn’t fully appreciate. She had something even rarer than beauty…she had a kind, selfless soul that just kept giving no matter what. She also had a will that wouldn’t quit and the strength to fight for those she cared about.
She would make a perfect wife for some man someday.
At the thought, jealousy burned in my gut savagely because, ultimately, I knew that man wouldn’t be me. I was far too selfish for her, far too everything.
So I held back.
Don’t fuck with her. Don’t fuck up a good thing,I told myself as we turned down the road to my aunt’s house.You’re happy. She’s happy. Leave it at that.
For the first time in my life, I was going to do the gentlemanly thing and not go after a woman. Ironically, it was a woman I wanted more than any other before.
I buried my thoughts and focused on the road until we finally turned into the street leading to my aunt’s cottage driveway. We’d barely taken one step out of the car before the door flew open, and Ingrid announced, “Welcome home!”
Her silver hair was tied in space buns on her head, and she was wearing a sweater with a cat on it and a skirt she probably knitted herself. A smile spread across her face as she hurried out and immediately gathered the stunned Lisa into her arms, wrapping her into a big hug. I met Lisa’s startled look with an amused one of my own.
“Lisa, meet my aunt, Ingrid,” I said. “She’s a lot to handle on a good day. A nightmare on the bad.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here,” Ingrid said, completely ignoring me. “Hope the trip wasn’t too long. You must be tired.”
“Oh no…it was fine,” Lisa reassured her, smiling weakly in return.
Ingrid waved her hands around the way she did when she was comfortable around someone. “Oh, please. I know my nephew, and I doubt he even let you stop to use the bathroom.”
“I stopped, actually,” I said defensively. “Twice.”
My aunt looked impressed, but then she instantly turned back to Lisa. “Well, I’m glad you’re here now, and I hope you feel at home.”
“Thank you,” Lisa said, smiling genuinely.
“And…where’s the little one?”
Lisa’s eyes snapped to me, suspicion blazing in her gaze. Ah, shit. I hadn’t yet informed her that I had told Ingrid about Violet being my daughter. I told my aunt to keep it a secret, but I knew it would be difficult for her to hide her excitement. Her excitement would give it away, and Lisa was already catching on.
Hopefully, Lisa would simply think Ingrid was just a lady who loved children. I glanced into the back seat to see that Violet was awake and rubbing her eyes sleepily. I opened the door and reached in, saying, “Are you awake, honey?”
