Page 86 of Arranged To Be Mine

“It’s adorable. That’s what it means.” I held up a hand before she could argue. “But my point is, whatever is happening between you and me, we don’t have to rush anything. We don’t have to define it or put a label on it or figure out exactly what box it belongs in.”

Her expression softened and something vulnerable flickered behind her eyes. I saw the confusion. It wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t want to stress her out.

“We can just be this,” I continued. “No labels. No complications. Just two people who enjoy each other’s company and see where it goes. I’ll be your apprentice gardener and I’ll show you how to chill the fuck out.”

She didn’t say anything and I worried I’d gone too far. Said too much. Dammit. I should have kept my mouth shut.

“I have to admit something,” she finally said. “I haven’t dated much. Real or fake. I don’t really know how to do it. The kind where you actually get to know someone and spend time together without an agenda.”

“No?”

“No.” She shook her head, a self-deprecating smile on her lips. “I’ve always been too focused on work. I’ve always been worried about how a relationship might complicate things or distract me from my goals. The few times I tried, it never felt worth the effort.”

“And now?”

She turned to look at me, those blue eyes catching the golden light of the sunset. “Now I’m not sure how to navigate this. I don’t have a playbook for it. There’s no strategic plan to guide me.”

“That sounds terrifying for you.”

“It is.” She laughed softly. “But today with you has been great. Better than I expected.”

“High praise from someone who acted like she was being subjected to a day of torture.”

“I know, I know. I did expect torture. That’s what I’m saying. I was pleasantly surprised. I liked it. I want more.” She reached over and put her hand on my arm. “If you can be flexible with me, maybe this can work. Give me time to figure out how to do this without my brain exploding from the lack of structure.”

I grinned, unable to resist. “I showed you earlier how flexible I can be. But I’m happy to demonstrate again if you need a refresher.”

She laughed and leaned into me. Her head came to rest against my shoulder, her hair tickling my neck. I reached for her chair legs and pulled her closer to me.

This was it. This quiet moment, watching the sun set over the ocean with her tucked against my side. This was what I’d been missing without even knowing it.

I was falling for her. Hard and fast and completely. The realization should have scared me. I should be running for the safety of my carefully maintained emotional distance. But sitting here with her, all I felt was certainty.

She was worth the risk.

“So, my family is having a big dinner in a few days. Jeremy’s leaving again for a while, so everyone’s getting together to send him off properly.”

She lifted her head to look at me. “Yeah?”

“You can totally say no. I know my family can be a lot. There are a lot of us, and we’re loud, and my mom will definitely interrogate you about your intentions with her innocent little boy.”

She snorted.

“But if you’d like to come with me, I would love to have you there. You’ve already met everyone. Minus a few children.”

She stared at me. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Was she going to say no? Make up some excuse about work? Maybe she’d tell me meeting the family was too much, too fast. She said sleeping with me complicated things. Meeting the parents was next level complication.

Hell, I was talking myself out of it.

“Yes,” she said.

I blinked. “Yes?”

“Yes, I’ll come to dinner.” She smiled at me. “I’d like that.”

Relief flooded through me. I had gotten myself worked up over nothing.

“Good,” I said. “Great. That’s, yeah. Great.”