"Don't worry. We're going in a different direction. At least, I am. I'm focusing on a Compassion AI for foster kids. One that will be assigned to them as soon as they enter the system and stays with them through to adulthood."
I straightened, blinking at him, my heart emitting a burst of heat that traveled down my arms and up my neck. "Oh."
He met my gaze evenly, a small smile on his mouth. "I think that's where I can do the most good." He'd drawn his legs up, his elbows resting on his knees.
"I'm sure you will." Cupping his jaw, I kissed him on the mouth, then on his cheek. "I'm so proud of you. You are amazing."
"Oh? Tell me more." He caught my hand before I pulled it away, holding it against his face. "Leave nothing out."
"Well, not many men would be cool with their girlfriends hiring an escort for research. But, it doesn't matter, because I won't be-"
"I think it'll be interesting. Besides, I have questions, too."
I stiffened. "Um, what?"
"Yeah. Once Quinn and Alex thoroughly vet him, the three of us can go. We'll just update our RSVP numbers with your ex."
A burst of laughter escaped my throat. "You want the three of us to go? To David's engagement party?"
"Yep." He nodded once, his tone still even but a glint of devilry lit behind his eyes.
"Matt."
"Oh wait." His mouth fell open in a cartoonish movement. "You thought I'd be okay with you hiring a male escort and going out on your own?"
I pushed his shoulder, wrinkling my nose at him.
He caught my wrist. "Oh, no. No. That's not going to happen. No way. Not unless you take one of my terminator robots."
Laughing again, I tackled him to the ground. He could have resisted, but he totally let me. "Listen to me! I will not be hiring a male escort. Not now, not ever." I kissed him, nibbling on his delectable bottom lip, then lifting my head. "If I can't handle the thought of you hiring a female escort for research, then I can't ask you to be okay with it for me. That's not fair, and that's not right."
"Thank you. I appreciate that." I was lying atop him now. He pushed a hand into my hair and used his other arm as a pillow. "So what are you going to do?"
I rested my elbow on his chest and my chin on the palm of my hand, considering him. "I'll have one of the other staff writers do it. It wouldn't kill me to have another contributing writer. And I can re-interview the guy I was going to use-over the phone-and maybe a few of his colleagues."
He nodded, his eyes on where his fingers combed through my hair. "If this compromise bothered you, you would tell me. Right?"
"Right. But this doesn't bother me. This feels right."
"Good." He took a deep breath, and when he exhaled, it sounded relieved. "I'm glad you changed your mind about that other thing."
"What other thing?" I kissed him again. I couldn't help it. His lips were addictive, so close to that chin I loved.
"The orgasm thing."
I stared at him, my body tensing. "What?"
His eyes cut back to mine. "The orgasm meditation place."
"Um . . . " I tilted my head to the side. "No. I'm definitely doing that."
"Excuse me?" His hand stilled in my hair and the wrinkle I found so adorable appeared between his eyebrows. "You're not."
"Yes. I am."
After a protracted pause, he rolled me to the side, his fingers digging into my hip. "Marie. I'm definitely not okay with you going to an orgasm meditation place and getting fingered by some stranger."
"Matt-"
"No. If you do this I will be really fucking pissed off." His voice lifted with each word, and the way he was moving his jaw told me he was serious.
Really fucking serious.
I tried not to smile, but it was impossible. I loved how angry this made him. And what did that say about me? Clearly, I was still crazy Marie. Sick-in-the-head Marie. Loony Marie. The wearing-a-sweater-dress-in-mid-May, and running-after-my-hopes Marie.
His eyes moved over my face and he clenched his teeth. "Is this funny?"
"Listen, just listen to me-"
Abruptly, he sat up, shaking his head. A flush had appeared high on his cheeks.
Jeez, he's really pissed.
. . . Yay!
"Matt."
He shoved his fingers into his hair, causing an accidental and haphazard Mohawk. "I can't look at you right now."
I reached for his arm. "There's no touching, Matt. No one is going to touch me. It's all instructional. No one was ever going to touch me."