Page 55 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
We sat quietly for a while, listening to the small noises in the shop. The lights above us were humming, the air vent rattled as the wind blew outside, and the utility sink dripped slowly.
It was nice to sit for a change. I couldn’t remember the last time I wasn’t rushing off to do the next thing on my to-do list. And it was especially nice to just sit with Felicity ten feet away.
I had promised myself I’d wait until she was in a better spot before making my play, until she was over Wes. I didn’t want to break that promise, but I couldn’t keep avoiding her either. I was working myself to the bone, exhausting myself, so that at the end of the day I wouldn’t have the energy to drive to her house and carry her to bed.
There had to be a middle ground. A way for us to be more than friends—I fucking hate that word—but less than lovers. We needed time to just be together, but without sex to complicate things. I wanted to own her heart, not just her body.
Today was probably a horrible day to approach this, with all the drama from Wes’s grave, but I was going to be a selfish dick and do it anyway. I opened my mouth to start talking, but she spoke up first.
“Silas?”
“Hmm?” My eyes found hers.
“Did I mess us up with that kiss in your truck?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Her spine relaxed from stick straight and she sighed. “Good. Do you think we can try this friendship thing one last time?”
“I don’t know if friendship is ever going to work with us.”
“Oh.” Her frame deflated and a flash of pain washed over her face. “Okay.”
Fuck. I needed to hurry up and explain before her wall of defenses slammed down and blocked me out. Hopping off the bench, I crossed the cement floor and stood in front of her.
“That’s not what I meant.” Her head tipped way back to find my face. “I’ll always be your friend, Lis. But I’m fucking tired of saying that’s all we are.”
“What?”
I’d shocked her, that was certain, but it was a hopeful shock. This might just work after all, you lucky bastard. Bending down, I set my hands gently on her neck so I could speak right in her face. I needed her to hear me, loud and clear.
“How about we stop labeling our relationship? Stop trying to fit us into a mold. Let’s just enjoy the time we spend together and see what develops. Okay?”
She blinked at me once, then again. Her mouth opened but she closed it without saying a word. Then another blink.
“Nod if you understand me.”
She nodded and I smiled. When her breath hitched, my cock jerked. Before I started thinking with my dick, I needed to back off. Dropping my hands and standing tall, I helped her off the tires.
“Now that we’ve got that settled,” I said, “I need to get back to work. When you drive away, are you going to twist this all around in your head?”
“Hey!” She poked me in the stomach. “I don’t twist things around in my head.”
There was that fire. I’d been worried for a second that she’d smothered it. “You do twist things around. You have an incredible tendency to overcomplicate shit.”
“I do n—” I pressed a finger against her lips, silencing her protest. Her blue eyes narrowed but I didn’t drop my finger.
“Can you just let this happen? However it happens?”
She frowned, but nodded so I let my finger fall from her soft, pink lips.
“Don’t analyze every word I just said. Just know that I want to spend time with you and in no way did that kiss last month mess us up. It was the highlight of my night. Or it was until you bolted out of my truck before giving me the chance to explain why I stopped.”
She huffed. “What was I supposed to do? You rejected m—”
Back went the finger. This time I got a death glare so I dropped my finger before she bit it off. “I didn’t reject you. I just didn’t want us to fall back into an old routine. We’re taking it slow this time around. Are you with me?”
“Yes.” She pursed her lips to hide a smile, but I still caught it.
