Liability (Suncoast Society #33)(13)

More quiet from her.

He finally broke the silence. “Kim, look, I love you. As I’ve told you before, I’m willing to…explore things with you. I don’t want to hold you back.”

“But I don’t want to lose you by being stupid, either.”

“You won’t lose me. I’m not going to be okay with you screwing around on me with every guy who looks at you. But if we work on this and I find I can’t do certain things for you, I’m okay with the other option Mason talked about. Letting someone else do that for you. If that’s what you want. I need you to be honest with me, though. Don’t not tell me stuff just because you think you’re sparing my feelings. We can figure this out together. I’ve told you about me and the things in my past. I’m not threatened by helping you try to figure this out.”

Although he hadn’t mentioned that part of his sexual history to Mason over dinner. A drunken, bisexual experimentation in bed wasn’t exactly something you talked about upon a first meeting, although he’d found it amazingly easy to talk to the guy.

More silence. When Kim finally spoke, her voice sounded soft and near tears, a tone he usually didn’t hear unless she was talking about her time spent with Craige—and beating herself up for it. “Thank you.”

He reached across the seat, found her hand, and gently squeezed. “I was able to admit my past to you. I trust you. You’re the only other person I’ve ever told that story to. If I can trust you with that, I think I can trust you with this. Besides, like he said. For all we know, I might grow into this. If you can be patient with me, we can work this out together. We need to not rush into anything, and we need to take our time, like he said. Everything I heard tonight, I was fine with. The only way we’ll f*ck us up is if we rush things and don’t take our time.”

She sighed. She didn’t speak again until he slowed to make the turn into her apartment complex. “Can you come in for a while?”

That was her code for “spend the night.” And that meant he likely wouldn’t be signing up on FetLife that night, either.

Normally, with Mondays as crazy as they were for him, he’d say no to staying over on a Sunday night, unless he’d brought everything he needed with him to stay over so he wouldn’t have to go home first thing Monday morning.

Tonight he suspected she wanted to talk some more, or at the very least be reassured that he didn’t think less of her for all of this.

Fucking * Craige.

The f*cker had damn sure done a number on her self-esteem over the years. As much as Cole hated the thought, he almost wished Craige had taken a swing at her. Even Kim had admitted that if Craige had ever been physically abusive, or more overtly verbally abusive, she would have left a lot sooner.

Instead, Craige had insidiously pecked away at her, bit by bit, until there wasn’t much left of her confidence.

“Of course,” he said.

It was a little before ten, and she led him straight to the bedroom.

Time to put some of this new knowledge into action.

Before she could start getting undressed, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, waiting.

He felt it. The familiar tipping point where she went from being there with him to being his. As if she melted a little bit, her bones turning to jelly as she molded herself against him.

Lifting his lips from hers, he softly said, “Get undressed, do whatever you need to do in the bathroom, and meet me in bed.”

The smile lighting her face in the dim room filled his heart and soul.

He could almost hear Mason’s voice in his head. Start slow.

Okay, so far, so good. No, he hadn’t always automatically taken charge in the bedroom. Frankly, sometimes he was so tired he could barely think by the time they’d made it to bed together. If one of the things that made her happy was him consciously stepping up a little and being like this more often, he could do that.

Easy.

As she started to get ready, he noted the slight pep in her step now, which made him smile.

Thank you, Mason.

Yes, absolutely he was glad they’d gone tonight. Even better, Cole was glad Shayla had met them at the door, introduced them around, and then seated them with Mason. What if the roll of the dice had them blindly stumbling in and finding a corner somewhere and not talking to anyone all evening?

It felt like puzzle pieces fitting together the right way. While he still didn’t know what the future would hold, he had a positive outlook and a lot less worry now.

At least he could grab a shower there at her apartment in the morning. They both kept that kind of stuff at the other’s place. While she was getting undressed, he stripped and got ready for bed, sitting on the edge and waiting for her to join him in the bedroom. When she did, he held out a hand to her.

She walked over to him, almost looking bashful now.

He loved it.

As she placed her hand in his, he pointed at the floor in front of him. If she balked at anything he asked of her, of course he’d stop and back up, talk to her.

But she didn’t. She sank to her knees in one fluid motion, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her, and rested her head against his leg. Then she let out a soft, contented sigh.

Okay, then.

So far, he hadn’t hit anything that would make him uncomfortable.

Yeah, it was pretty sexy having her right…there.