“What?” she said.
“Sex isn’t going to work.”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t planning on it. I want us to have sex because that’s what we want, not for some…ulterior reason.” She put a finger over his mouth as he moved to kiss her. “I’m not finished. Our bedroom shouldn’t be a battleground. You’re going to know when I’m upset with you or disagree with you, but I’m not going to turn that into some kind of fight here too. This should be our safe place.”
Something eased in his gaze, and he pressed his lips against her finger. “Thank you.”
“Now.” She pulled the finger away, giving him a soft smile. “You may kiss me properly.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Sophia kept herself busy for the next few weeks. She’d thought it’d be difficult without a full-time job, but doing all the paperwork she needed to start at UCLA kept her occupied. She didn’t know what strings Dane had pulled, but somehow she was allowed to start from the next semester. Then there was the job search. She was determined to begin working as soon as possible.
Still… It was frustrating to look for a position when almost every listing she was interested in required a bachelor’s degree. What mysteries of the universe was she going to learn in the final two semesters of college that would make her so much more qualified than she was now?
Since she didn’t have to dress to be seen, she wore comfy clothes every day—loose t-shirts and cropped jeans. If Dane was in the mood to go out, he called her at least an hour in advance to let her know. The purported opera outing was beginning to take on a mythical quality, and she was starting to suspect that it had been a sham all along. Regardless, it was impossible to hold that against the man who made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world every day. She buried her nose in the bouquet of pale pink roses that had arrived earlier that morning and smiled.
Her phone rang. “Hey!” came Libby’s exuberant greeting. “Got a minute?”
“Sure. Nothing but time these days.”
“That sounds so weird coming from you. You were always so busy!”
“Well, you know… I’m not competing anymore.”
“Do you…uh…miss it?”
Sophia considered. “No. I mean, I did, but now there’s other stuff.” Like finishing college. A future with Dane. Although they’d never talked about it, she couldn’t help but think…
“That’s great. I’m so happy for you. So how’s Geraldine’s nephew treating you?”
“Oh my god, fabulous. He makes me feel so special. I can’t describe it. It’s like he really appreciates everything I am, not just the parts that are sort of convenient, or make him look good, you know?” She sighed.
“Was that a sigh? After describing The Perfect Man?”
“No. Well, it was, but—
“Yeah, I think it was. And it wasn’t a good sigh. Which is a little weird.”
“Well… I don’t know. You’ve had more experience with relationships, so maybe you can help.”
“Of course. Just tell me.”
“There are times I feel like he’s being a little strange.”
“You mean, like…in bed?”
Sophia laughed despite herself. “Uh, no. All that’s fine. Better than fine.”
“Oooh, lucky girl. Okay, so strange how?”
Sophia searched for the right words. “Like, I feel this odd vibe of, I don’t know…desperation or despair or something like that from him. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like he’s expecting something horrible to happen.”
“To him?”
“I guess. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s afraid I’m going to leave him…except that’s crazy.”
“Maybe he thinks you’re going to pull the same stunt he pulled on you in Mexico. Revenge. Tit for tat, right? But if that’s the case I’d say he’s not the right one for you. He should know you better by now.”
“No, that’s not it. If he thought that, we wouldn’t be together.” That much, Sophia was certain of.
“Then I don’t know what to say. Why don’t you, you know, ask him? Get a couple drinks in him first and make him talk.”
She snorted. “He can drink like a fish. He could drink an ice rink full of liquor and still be sober.”
“Then why don’t you wait until we see each other in person? Bring him along so I can do the Best Friend Inspection. I’m in L.A. right now actually.”
Sophia sat up straight. “Really? Awesome. When do you want to meet?”