Dating-ish (Knitting in the City #6)(55)

"Yes." He tossed back the clear liquid, then puckered his lips, shaking his head quickly. "Whoa. Do you have any lemons?"

"Tell me," I requested, enormously curious as to why Matt thought lying in relationships was permissible, and combating a sensation of unease at this revelation. "Tell me why you think lying is okay."

"I didn't say it was okay. But I understand why people do it."

"Why do they do it?"

"Because they don't want to hurt their partner's feelings," he said, matter-of-factly, recorking the Patron.

His statement struck a nerve. Maybe because David used to lie to me to protect my feelings, or maybe because I used to lie to David to protect his.

I studied him, his open expression, his steady gaze. "Who lied, Matt?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you lie or did your ex-wife?"

"Kerry?" Matt asked, eyes rimmed with surprise. "No. Kerry never lied. I'm not talking about Kerry."



       
         
       
        

"Then who are you talking about?"

"Na-ah. You first. Why'd your boyfriend break up with you?"

Gathering a deep breath, I stood, grabbing The Cuddle Sutra from the counter. "If we're going to talk instead of work, we might as well go through the positions in this book."

"Okay," he said, following me. "My body is yours to command."

I chuckled, but a lusty little fire lit in my lower belly, making my chest tight and achy with anticipation.

"Let me see," I switched on the overhead light in my room and motioned to the bed, "lie down and let me look at this thing."

"Is that really called The Cuddle Sutra?" He lay on his back in the center of the bed, his hands behind his head, and dropped his eyes to the book in my hands.

"Yes. According to my research, most cuddle salons hand it out to cuddle professionals as a guide of sorts."

"Huh." He cleared his throat, then nudged me with his socked foot. "David. Breakup. Continue."

I glanced at the ceiling, not wanting to discuss David. Not now. Not when we could be talking about other things.

Maybe, oh I don't know, DO YOU LIKE ME? YES OR NO??

Apparently, when I had a crush on someone, I mentally reverted back to a middle schooler passing notes with checkboxes.

"Uh, I guess, he never pushed me?" I endeavored to focus on his question. "He was an enabler for everything, and never spoke up when he was unhappy. So, one day, it all boiled over and he broke things off."

Matt gave me a sideways glance. "How long were you two together?"

"Just over six years."

"Why didn't you get married?"

Ugh. I hated that question.

Stalling, I opened the book to the first position, one called the Come to Papa. Wrinkling my nose at the name, I analyzed the diagram.

"Stay just like that," I said, turning the book to show Matt the picture.

"Oh. I approve of the name." Matt wagged his eyebrows as he opened his arms. "Daddy wants a hug."

I laugh-snorted and kneeled on the bed, a thrill caused by his silly-sexy words giving me giddy goosebumps. This was a promising start.

Walking on my knees until I was at his waist, I lay flat on my stomach, bending and positioning one of my legs between his, my chest against his torso, my cheek over his heart.

His arms came around me and squeezed. "I have you trapped. So tell me, why didn't you get married? Six years is considered a long time to date."

"You sound like my dad. That's what he said."

"Well, this is the come-to-papa position."

I chuckled and then sighed. "Let's see. Well, David asked me to marry him, but it never felt-" 

"Right," he supplied.

"Exactly."

"Hmm." Matt began smoothing his large palm down my arm, then threaded his fingers in my hair. "Looking back, do you feel like he was a mistake? That dating him for so long was a waste of time?"

"No." I lifted my head, placing my chin on my forearms where they rested on his chest. "He was what I needed at the time, I think."

"Meaning?"

"Someone kind." I smiled softly, thinking back to all the times David went out of his way to be thoughtful.

"But you didn't marry him," Matt pointed out, a hint of accusation in his tone.

I pushed myself up, avoiding his gaze, and showed Matt the next position. Basically, it was a yin-yang shape, where Matt would lay on his side, his head by the headboard and I would lay on my side, my head at the foot of the bed. Then we'd both bend our legs, allowing each person to rest their head on the other's knees or thighs.