More Than Anything (Broken Pieces #1)(110)

“I told you last night . . . and I tried to tell you that night you left me. I can’t imagine a fresh start—a life, really—without you in it. A book needs all its chapters to tell a complete story, Harris. You’re an integral part of my story, and I want you in every chapter.”

“In what capacity?” he asked warily, and she swallowed, taking one of his large, beautifully veined hands in both of hers and stroking a thumb over the back of it.

“Well, we’re pretty good in the sack,” she started thoughtfully, and his brow lowered.

“I’ve noticed,” he muttered, clearly not happy with the direction the conversation was taking. “But I don’t want just that.”

“Let me finish,” she said with a mildly impatient glower. “I’m kind of making this up as I go along. Like I was saying . . . we’re good in bed, so sex—”

“Lovemaking,” he interrupted pointedly, and she smiled before rolling her eyes.

“So lovemaking has to be on the list.”

“What list?”

“The list I’m never going to finish if you keep interrupting me,” she retorted smartly.

He didn’t look too impressed with her.

“Tina. Please don’t toy with me,” he implored, and she lifted his hand to kiss his knuckles.

“I’m not. I’m working on the parameters of our new and improved relationship.” A big goofy smile lit up his face at the R-word, and she returned it with one of her own before continuing. “Lovemaking is definitely high up on the must-have list. Oh, and we absolutely need to share every sunrise. Or at least as many of them as possible.”

“I vote for every single one of them,” he said, and she smiled.

“Done. And we have to do more rainy-weekend binge-watching. And sightseeing. And you get to cook. It’s essential to our survival.”

He laughed at that.

“We need to decide if this is going to be long distance or—”

“No,” he interrupted vehemently. “Definitely not long distance. I can’t do long distance, Tina. It would fucking kill me. We’ll work something out, but since this has become home to you, I’ll look into moving as soon as possible.”

“Harris,” she whispered, moved by his willingness to uproot his entire life, but she feared he might come to regret spur-of-the-moment, life-altering decisions. “That seems like a huge step, and it’s a really big ask. I can’t expect you to up and move at a moment’s notice. I was thinking baby steps. Maybe weekend visits to start off with.”

“I’m a grown-ass man, I don’t need baby steps. I know what I want and need,” he said dismissively. “And everything I need, want, and desire is in this town, Tina. That’s damned well worth the move.”

“Well,” she said, at a complete loss for words. “Um, since this is your relationship, too, you have every right to add to the list.”

“I’m not looking for anything short term,” he asserted. “If that’s what this is about, then it’s best to tell me now.”

She shook her head dazedly.

“No. Not short term,” she murmured, even though she had no real idea what she wanted. All she knew was that she wanted him. Like she had always wanted him. That didn’t seem like a short-term thing.

“I want you to tell me when you’re frightened or anxious or concerned or just plain aggravated with me or anyone else. You’re too adept at hiding what you’re feeling, and it drives me crazy.”

“Only if you do the same.”

“No more secrets?”

“None,” she promised, before hesitating as she remembered one enormous secret she still had to tell him. “Well . . .”

She looked guilty, and Harris’s stomach dropped to the soles of his feet. She was hiding something from him. Again. Things were going much better than he’d ever expected, but now, with that furtive little glance, he felt an all-too-familiar surge of dread as he wondered what she was keeping from him.

“I do have another secret.” Her eyes dropped to his chest and then back up to his face. “Maybe two.”

“Jesus, Tina,” he began, but she gave him a reassuring smile.

“They won’t be secrets for much longer, I promise. I first wanted to make sure we’re on the same page, as far as this relationship business goes.”

“No short term?” he reiterated.

“No.”

“No secrets?”

“Not for long.”

“Lovemaking and not sex?”

“Definitely.”

“Every sunrise?”

“And possibly every sunset and as many hours in between as humanly possible,” she elaborated, and he swallowed past the huge lump that had formed in his throat before nodding.

“Then we’re on the same page.”

“Good.” She unexpectedly put a hand down the neck of his shirt and tugged his pendant out. And then over his head. She held the heavy silver hoop in her hand and peered down at it.

“You kept it.”

“Yes. I almost didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because of what you said when you first discovered I was wearing it.”