Page 74 of Wayward

“So is that how you stayed alive in your former life? Being vigilant?”

“There was no other way to be.”

He was quiet for a bit.

“What’re you thinking about?” I asked him.

“That if Colby Landau had a gun, he might have shot you and Lauren before I made it to his house,” he rasped. “It keeps running through my head.”

“That’s a mistake,” I told him, covering his hand with mine. “I’ve done that a million times, and it does nothing. You have to live in the moment and be grateful.”

He took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll live in the moment.”

It was good to hear.

TEN

It was late by the time we got home, so I went for a quick shower, thinking we’d go to Gale’s right after, but when I came out, I was surprised to find Gale in my living room in a T-shirt and shorts, the rest of his clothes neatly folded next to him on the couch.

“I thought I was coming to your place?” I said, grinning.

“Yeah, but it’s after midnight and––”

“We both need to get up early in the morning,” I finished for him. “So you’ve relegated us to just sleeping again, no sex.”

“Why do you hafta say it like that?” he whined.

I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of me.

“Maks…when we go to bed, I want it to be great so you’ll think, yeah, having sex with Gale a second time would be a good thing.”

The smile would not leave my face. He was so grouchy at the moment, it was adorable.

“But if I fall asleep in the middle,” he went on, “what kind of impression am I making?”

“I love that you’re worried about this.”

“I’m not eighteen anymore, Maks. I don’t just screw and not care if I’m making it good for you. And I really want it to be fuckin’ amazing so you’ll consider sticking around.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. That’s not necessary.”

“No, I know,” he almost whined. “But I’m already getting…invested, so I don’t want anything to go wrong.”

“Nothing will go wrong,” I assured him. “Go take a shower.”

“How do you know? You don’t know,” he grumbled as he rose from the couch, picking up his clothes to take with him. “You’re the first person in years who has all my interest and who gives me heart palpitations simply by looking at me, and what, I’m supposed to assume that everything will go smoothly?”

“Heart palpitations?” I teased him.

He stopped walking to shoot me the most deadpan look ever. Like he was so over my bullshit.

I snorted out a laugh.

“Making fun of me is not charming,” he informed me.

God, I was crazy about him already. “Come here.”

He shook his head but did anyway, walking over to me, into my personal space, and waited. I put my hands on his hips and lifted my face for a kiss.