Well Suited (Red Lipstick Coalition #4)(16)

After a moment of indecision, he said, “All right. Plus, it will give us some time to get to know each other better.”

I frowned. Not because he was wrong, but because it sounded suspiciously like dating. “I had the same thought. But I’d like to reiterate that I am not interested in being involved romantically. Things are complicated enough. I’d like to keep them as simple as possible. Introducing too many variables at once will make it impossible to track when issues arise.”

“So we’re entering into a grand experiment?” he asked without even a hint of heat.

“Not an experiment, but a controlled environment. There’s plenty we won’t be able to control, so why not keep the boundaries in place where we can?”

“Kate, I’ll take you any way I can get you. You tell me the rules, and I will abide by them.” His hand slipped around my waist, his body inching closer. “But if you change your mind—”

“I won’t,” I breathed, not believing the words any more than he seemed to.

“You are an anomaly in my universe, and ignoring that fact is a testament to my devotion. I won’t break the rules. But I hope you do. If anything changes, just say the word. Deal?”

My brain fired a thousand nerves at once, the scent of him drawing me closer without my will. My body, it seemed, was beyond my control. He was so close, I had to tip my chin to keep my eyes on his.

I could lose myself in his eyes, like a black hole. He’d stretch me to infinity, and I’d die happy.

Somehow, I found myself. I stepped back. Extended my hand. Squared my shoulders.

“Deal,” I said.

And he took my hand, which disappeared in the expanse of his. He shook it once, then tugged, pulling me into his arms. They wrapped around me like a velvet cage, and for a moment, I closed my eyes and breathed him in. Ignored the musings of his effect on me in exchange for the comfort.

He pressed a kiss into my hair. “It’s gonna be good, Kate. You’ll see.”

And I smiled. Because he didn’t need to show me.

I already knew.





7





Brilliantly Beige





Theo

I didn’t want to let her go. But I did.

My relief was palpable, settling over me like a balm after days of scratchy nerves.

She’d said yes. When I looked down into her determined little face, I couldn’t stop myself from capturing her chin in my thumb and forefinger.

“We have eight weeks to get to know each other before you move in. I have a proposition.”

The slightest frown touched her lips, her chin flexing against my thumb. “I haven’t finished relaying my rules.”

I chuckled and let her go, stepping back to give her space. I hitched a leg on the surface of my desk as I sat. “All right. You first.”

She cleared her throat, stretching to her full height. Her back was as straight as a ruler. “I require certain levels of solitude and privacy. If my door is closed, that indicates I am not open to conversation. I’ll leave it cracked, if not open, if I’m available.”

I nodded, tamping down my smile.

“I would like to share financial burdens as well. My portion of the rent. Groceries. Baby supplies.”

“That might prove complicated. First, there is no rent. We can thank Tommy for that. Groceries we buy and have delivered, and I cook our meals. Splitting that up seems unnecessary.”

“I’d like to try all the same. Just provide receipts, and I’ll do the math. For your approval, of course.”

I sighed. “If you insist.”

A curt nod. “I insist.”

“And baby…supplies—that’s also up to you. If it makes you happy, then we’ll do that too.”

“It would. There are two more things, both of which are difficult to quantify.” Her face pinched, as if she were having trouble trying to figure out just what to say. “Regarding our relationship beyond the embryo, I would like to keep certain boundaries in place, as discussed. It’s very…difficult to retain balance when you invade my personal space. I believe it’s due to your pheromones. They’re particularly potent.”

I pursed my lips and bit down hard to stifle laughter. Clearing my throat helped. “You smell good, too. I’ll admit, it’s hard not to invade your personal space. But I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you. And the other point is the level of our relationship in general. I would like to become friends, Theodore. It would benefit our child and make rearing it easier if we respected one another.”

Friends. It sounded blatantly, painfully offensive from her mouth.

“Fair enough,” I said rather than agree. Even that tasted sour.

She sighed, smiling her relief.

“Now, it’s my turn.”

Instantly, she tensed again.

“I would like to agree to seeing each other once per week prior to you moving in. That’s eight opportunities to cultivate our…friendship.”

“Seven opportunities. The eighth, I’ll be moving in.”

“I stand corrected. We can decide at a later date, if you’d prefer.”

After a split second of consideration, she said, “Yes, let’s decide later. I’ve scheduled my first appointment with the obstetrician in two weeks. Let’s begin our weekly meetings then. There, I’ll receive a full pelvic exam, and the doctor will locate the embryo’s heartbeat. We should have sonogram pictures afterward, too. It’ll only look like a staticky blob, but better that than being able to distinguish its tail.”