“I did.” She tried not to smile…and failed. “And I rocked it.”
“That’s a subjective statement. You rock those shorts. You rock being naked.” He gave her a once-over. “Hell, you rock pretty much anything you do—but that sentence? Yeah, I’m not so sure that applies.”
“Hey.” She smacked his arm. “You better watch yourself, or you’ll be sleeping on the couch.”
That smirk slid off his face real fast. “Shit. You can hold that over my head now. No one’s ever been able to do that to me.”
“Not even Rachel?”
“I didn’t like sleeping in the same bed as her.” He shot her a quick glance and lowered his head. “I had nightmares when I first came back, and she didn’t…handle them well. Let’s just put it that way.”
Nightmares. Of course he did.
And of course little miss prissy Rachel couldn’t handle them. She’d never been the right girl for Steven. She was too soft. Too sensitive. Too childlike in her selfishness.
Steven needed a real woman. One who could love him for his faults, not in spite of them. Who could love him equally in his good nights, and his bad. Who would never give up on him, or ever stop fighting for him. Someone who would love him unconditionally for the rest of his life, no matter what he said or did.
Someone like…her.
Lauren swallowed hard, but forced a smile. “If you ever need me to be there, anytime, anyplace, I’ll chase the nightmares away.”
He stared at her, as if he wasn’t sure what to say or do.
Then, without warning, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, keeping it soft and short. His hard lips on hers still made her knees weak, though.
“Thank you,” he whispered, staring down at her.
He still held the flowers in his hand.
“For what?” she asked, her breath coming light and fast.
“For always being honest with me, and for being someone I can trust enough to let in.” He skimmed his fingers over her jawline. “You have no idea what that means to a guy like me. If I didn’t trust you, there’s no way I could let you…that I could open myself up like this. So, thank you.”
She sucked in a breath and held it in. Those words were everything she’d wanted to hear, and more. And she needed a second to really, truly let that sink in.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“Y-Yes, sorry.” She smiled up at him, resting her hands on his chest. “I was…thinking how happy I am right now. With you.”
“The feeling is mutual.” He pulled back and handed her the flowers. She took them and lifted them to her nose, inhaling deeply. “Will you go out with me?”
“I thought we already were.” She blinked at him over the bouquet. “If not, these past few days I’ve spent rolling around naked with you are really confusing.”
A laugh burst out of him and punched her right in the chest. Looking at him, she realized he was more than her friend and lover. He was the love of her life.
She loved him.
“I mean, like out,” he said, ripping her out of her frightening thoughts. But the thing was, they weren’t all that scary. They should have been, but for some reason, it just felt…right. “Sitting at a table together. With each other.”
“You mean, on a date?”
“Yeah.” He tucked her hair behind her ear for her. “Our first real date.”
Setting her flowers down, she walked around the counter and pulled out a cupcake. “I’d love to…but first…you need to eat a cupcake.”
He smirked. “I love eating…cupcakes.”
“Oh my God, you’re incorrigible,” she said with red cheeks. “Eat your dessert.”
He cocked a haughty brow. “Before dinner?”
“You’d best get used to that,” she teased, handing him a cupcake. He took it, his fingers purposely catching hers as he tugged her back into his arms. It was as if he couldn’t bear to have her out of them—and, again, the feeling was mutual. “I plan on giving my kids sweets whenever they want, too. Life’s too short to wait for the good stuff.”
He stilled. “…Kids?”
Well, crap. She was dating him—actually dating him—and she’d mentioned the “k” word on their first real date. But she already had deep feelings for this man. It wasn’t a huge shock that she might go there. If she could get that happy ending with anyone, with the kids and the dog and the fenced-in yard, it would be him.
But that didn’t mean he felt the same way.
She stuttered. “I-I-I mean, you know. If I have them someday. Which I might not. I’d probably be a horrible mom.”