Page 96 of The Last Goodbye

“I’m not. I’m glad you told me how you were feeling. I’d been in my head that you regretted it for different reasons.”

I wasn’t used to this vulnerable side of Bass, but maybe we’d both put our walls down at this point.

“Did you really think that I could have sex with you and then want nothing to do with you?”

“Uh, yeah,” he chuckled. “That’s exactly what I thought.”

“Thanks for letting me sleep here last night.”

“I liked seeing you in my bed this morning,” he said, his smile tugging one side of his mouth up. “Even if you weren’t naked.”

“Good to know.” I fidgeted with the blanket. “Is that bacon I smell?”

He laughed again. “It is. Come on. Let me feed you before I go to work.”

I got out of bed and padded out to the kitchen and set my mug down, then excused myself to use the restroom. He’d let me know that there was a new toothbrush in the top drawer, and I quickly brushed my teeth and splashed water on my face.

I combed my fingers through my hair and tucked it behind my ears. When I walked out to the kitchen, I saw that he’d now set two plates out with bacon and eggs and a piece of toast.

I sat down beside him at the little table. “This looks so good.”

“You didn’t eat much last night, so I figured you’d be hungry.”

I’d brought a picnic basket filled with cheese and crackers and wine and all sorts of goodies, but we’d talked so much that I’d barely touched it.

“So, now that you know every last insecurity of mine, when we’ve only slept together once, are you dying to friend-zone me?” I snorted before taking a bite of toast.

He shook his head. “Listen, I understand your fears. And it doesn’t matter how many times we’ve had sex—there’s no arguing that there’s a connection. I feel it, and I know you feel it, too. And friend-zoning you is not an option, Briar. And that’s the truth. So, if you need to friend-zone me, I’ll be over here trying to convince you otherwise.”

He popped some eggs in his mouth as if what he’d said was no big deal.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that I like you and you like me. You’re here for three months—well, at this point it’s a little less than three months—and we should…explore things. If it works out, we’ll roll with it. But most relationships fizzle anyway in a couple of months—so maybe you’ll be completely sick of me by the time you leave, and it won’t be a sad goodbye, it’ll just be a ‘See you later, you big pain in the ass.’”

My mouth fell open, and I covered my laugh with my hands. “That’s your plan? We date until we can’t stand each other, and then I leave town?”

He finished chewing and wiped his mouth, then leaned close and placed a hand on my cheek. The move was so tender that my breath caught in my throat. “You’re letting grief get in the way of feeling things, Briar. Goodbye and death are very different things. I’m not going to let you stop living because you’re afraid of getting hurt. So yes, that’s my plan. You’re stuck with me until you leave.”

“What kind of plan is that?” I smiled, shaking my head with disbelief.

“It’s a good one. Here’s the deal: I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. We like being together—well, when we aren’t aggravated with one another. So, we’re going to hang out when we want to. Have sex when we want to. Talk, and eat, and laugh, and renovate the new space. I live on a goddamn houseboat, and it’s summer, so we can swim and take the canoe out. Basically…” He paused, taking a sip of his coffee as his eyes locked with mine. “I’m not letting you friend-zone me. I don’t accept your reasoning. So we’re going to enjoy our time together, whether you like it or not.”

His voice was teasing, and I appreciated the way he was approaching a heavy topic with some humor, as well as the understanding he was showing me.

He’d heard me.

He just wasn’t going to let me run away.

“I kind of love this idea. And with our track record, we’ll probably be sick of each other in no time.” I reached for a slice of bacon.

“Exactly. The way it’s been now—this push and pull. This theory that we can only kiss one time. We can only have sex one time. It makes it forbidden, which is more attractive to people. So let’s take that out of the equation. My body is yours to use for as long as you want it.”

He smirked as he leaned back in his chair.

“Wow. That’s quite the offer. So you’re giving me your body and access to your houseboat?” A fit of laughter escaped me.

“Yep. You can have it all, Magpie. The charming personality, the cooking skills, sex in the shower—I’m all in.”