Page 63 of Imperfect Match (Imperfect Match 1)
“That’s one way to put it.” Smiling, she balances with one hand on the dresser as she slips off her heels. “I wouldn’t trade my mom or sister for anything, but sometimes they drive me nuts. I don’t know how my dad puts up with them.”
“He loves them.” I untuck my shirt and start to unbutton it. “It’s obvious.”
“Yeah.” She pulls her dress over her head and opens the closet.
“I mean, thirty-five years.” I shake my head. “That’s amazing. I don’t think my parents’ marriage was even good for thirty-five days. They hate each other.”
“Why are they still married?”
I shrug. “My dad always said it was cheaper to keep her.”
She gives me a look over her shoulder as she hangs up her dress. “Come on. They had two kids. There must have been love there at some point.”
“Well, there was sex at least twice.” I sit down on the double bed and take off my shoes. “But that’s all I know for sure. I’ve never even seen a wedding picture.”
“Really?” Willow’s eyes widen as she digs through her bag for her pajamas. “What do you think happened to them?”
“Who knows? My mother probably burned them, then stirred the ashes into her martini. God knows the woman doesn’t have a sentimental bone in her body. And my dad’s even worse.” I stand up and finish getting undressed. “I bet there are no surviving pictures from when Leo and I were young.”
She takes off her bra and slips on a big T-shirt. “Really? That’s so sad.”
“I remember lying in bed at night, listening to them scream at each other and wondering if they even loved us. The next morning, my mother would be too hung over to get out of bed, and I’d have to make lunches for Leo and me, make sure he had his homework in his backpack, make sure he got to the bus stop on time.” The thought of it makes my stomach muscles clench. “It was fucked up.”
She looks over at me, silent for a moment. “No wonder you’ve never really wanted kids. I guess I didn’t realize just how unhappy your childhood was. I’m sorry, Reid.”
“It’s okay.” Because I can’t stand to see her looking sad, I go to her and wrap her up in my arms. “We made it through, and even though there are a lot of mornings with my brother where I feel like nothing has changed in twenty years, I’m not damaged.”
“Okay,” she says, pressing her cheek to my chest. I’m not sure if she believes me or not.
Actually, I’m not even sure I believe me.
We finish getting ready for bed and crawl beneath the covers together in the dark. Willow snuggles up to me and puts an arm over my stomach. “I can’t stop thinking about what you said. About your parents.”
I let my hands wander beneath her pajamas. “Want me to distract you?”
“Reid!” she whispers. “Stop that!”
“Why? Your mom said it was okay.”
“My mom is not the boss of me.”
“Actually, Wills …”
“Oh, hush. You know what I meant.” She tugs her shirt back into place. “She’s not the boss of my sex life.”
“Can I be the boss of your sex life?” I easily flip her onto her back, pinning her wrists to the mattress. “If the position is open, I would like to submit an application.”
She sighs. “You’re relentless.”
“You adore me.”
Her smile is slow and sweet. “I suppose I could consider your application, as long as it’s very, very quiet.”
“I can be as quiet as you can,” I tell her, pressing my lips to hers as my cock grows harder between us.
She giggles and wraps her legs around me. “Then we’re in big trouble.”
Eighteen
