A few moments later, he kissed her one last time before withdrawing and settling onto his side beside her. Cupping her chin, he gently guided her gaze until it locked with his. His blue eyes were gorgeous, still half-lidded with pleasure. “Was it worth it, Mina?”
She rolled onto her side too, stretching as a delicious sense of warmth settled over her. “Worth what?”
“The wait. Letting me see your scar.”
“Oh, God Eric, yes.” She pressed herself against him, curling against his body and laying her head on his bicep, the spiraling design of his tattoo just visible in the corner of her eye. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.” She’d thought it would feel like going out on a limb to admit it out loud, but it didn’t. She felt comfortable, like she belonged there; lying against him, glowing with satisfaction. “No – I know I’ve never been happier.”
He dropped his hand from beneath her chin and smoothed it over her back. “Me neither.”
****
4 Months Later
“Bye Garret.” Mina waved as Eric’s roommate stepped out of the apartment and into the hall, holding the last of his boxes against his chest.
“See ya, Eric, Mina.” The door swung shut and he was gone.
“So are you going to advertise for another roommate?” Mina asked, glancing around the living room and the adjoining kitchen. The apartment seemed strangely empty without Garret’s belongings. She’d grown used to the sight of them over the past few months. Not that his move was entirely a bad thing…it might leave Eric without anyone to split the cost of rent and utilities with, but she couldn’t help but get excited when she thought that until he found a new roommate, they’d be able to have the apartment to themselves anytime they wanted. God, it would be nice to have a private place to retreat to without having to work out a schedule first. Up until now, they’d always had to worry over whether Jess would be home at Mina’s place or Garret at Eric’s, possibly with company of his own.
“I don’t know,” Eric said, turning his back to the door to face her. “I was hoping that I’d be able to come up with a better solution.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mina,” he took one of her hands and clasped it in his, “I know it’s sometimes hard for us to find time to spend alone with each other. Being together at work and hanging out with friends is great, but I want more. What do you think about living together?”
She swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat as he’d spoken while her heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t like she’d been caught totally off guard by his question. It had occurred to her more than once before that he might eventually broach the subject, and now, with his roommate gone, was the perfect time. A part of her was thrilled that he’d asked, but… “I don’t know, Eric. I love you, and I’d like nothing more than to have more time with you…” Just the thought of spending the night in his arms warmed her. Despite their months of intimacy, it was something she’d never done. “But I don’t know if it would be right.” She dared to meet his eyes, expecting to find disappointment and maybe even hurt. What she saw seemed more like compassion, but she still knew she owed him an explanation.
“I’ve told you quite a bit about how Jess and I grew up. You know how our mother was always going from boyfriend to boyfriend, attaching herself to a new man each time one of her relationships blew up. I swear, each one was worse than the last. I hated having to live with those men. Our household was always changing, and we were always expected to mold our lives around my mom’s latest guy. I know you’re nothing like them, and this isn’t the same sort of thing, but I promised myself that I’d never put Jess through anything like that again. I want her life to be stable and simple, and a part of me doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea of living with a boyfriend. I don’t want Jess to think that I’m like our mother.” As she finished, she braced herself for his rebuttal. Surely he’d tell her that this was different. She knew it was, but she couldn’t shake her inhibitions. Jess had been doing so well ever since the homecoming dance, and she didn’t want to do anything to compromise her happiness or sense of security.
“You’re nothing like her, Mina.” Eric traced the line of her jaw with his fingertips and cupped her chin. “But I understand.”
Relief flooded every nook and cranny of Mina’s being. “Eric, you’re perfect. Thank you. I wish I could say yes.”