Page 97 of Perfect Distraction
Lauren froze. “You’re not asking me, are you?”
“Not right now.”
“Oh. In that case…I’d say maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“What do you want me to say? That’s not a good question to pose theoretically.”
“What if it wasn’t theoretical? What if I was asking you to marry me?”
“Are you?”
“No.”
“Andrew!”
“What? I’m just curious what your answer would be.”
“Why are you even thinking about that?”
“Because I love you. Isn’t that what people in love should think about? The next steps?”
“Probably.”
“So?”
“I already told you. Maybe.”
“You’re infuriating. You know that?”
“You should have thought about that before theoretically asking me to marry you.”
“Probably so.”
“What else have you thought about? About us?” she asked, admiring his masculine hands as they massaged her fingers.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
“Sex.”
“Is that so?” Lauren’s face warmed, and he tightened his arm around her.
“Do you think about that?” he asked.
“Of course I do.”
“Is it okay that we haven’t? Yet? I just want our first time to be perfect, and I’m terrified I’ll have a repeat of the night before we kissed. And I’m so tired all the time, which pisses me off. But also, I’m a little worried that it would, um…expose you. To the chemo, somehow. Is that possible?”
Lauren propped her chin on his chest. His left arm was folded behind his head, and he looked down at her with questioning eyes.
“It’s possible, yes. I never got to this part in your chemo education,” she pinched him in the ribs, and he flinched and laughed, “but I usually make sure men know to wear condoms. To protect their partner.”
Andrew nodded, his smile fading. “Even that wouldn’t protect you one hundred percent, though. I’d rather wait until I’m done and it’s completely safe, if that’s okay with you. I mean, to be clear, I don’t want to wait, but I think we should wait. You know?”
Lauren shifted higher on his chest and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. “I do know.” She pushed herself to a sitting position beside him, folding her legs together. “Actually, I’d kind of thought the next guy I slept with would be my husband.”
