Matched

"You figured wrong. I despise him."

I get up from behind my desk and go over to where she's standing, clearly upset that I would consider the idea.

"I'm sorry. I felt insecure because you asked Chris about cashing in. Then Blaine shows up and I was worried that you were planning on leaving Pacifica and going with him instead."

She sighs audibly. "I wanted to know what would happen if we did this thing and it ended badly. That's all."

"It's not going to end badly, India. This is what both of us have wanted for years."

She frowns, so I pull her against me, my arms around her waist. She rests her hands on my chest and looks up into my eyes.

"Is this what you've wanted all these years?" she asks, her voice soft.

"It is. I just didn't know it. I didn’t know if it was possible. I always wanted you. But I wanted Pacifica to succeed and I was afraid that if I pushed you, you and I would end badly and both the relationship and the business would suffer. Now, I'm not worried anymore. We've known each other for five years, India. I feel like I know your mind."

"And yet you worried that I might get back with Blaine?"

"That's just natural male jealousy."

She shakes her head and plays with my collar. "I don’t want Blaine. He couldn't commit to me but he expected me to be his fuckbuddy and business partner and upend my life for him and his business plans." She looks into my eyes. "I'm willing to give you and us a chance. I've already given my all to Pacifica."

"You have. We've both given our all to Pacifica. The thought of losing you to Blaine—"

"Was a fantasy all of your own concocting."

"And Marina's doing," I say. "The thought of losing you to Blaine made me realize that I couldn’t stand it. I want you, India. I've wanted you for years. I'm sorry I've been such a dick and have never told you how much. And I'm not going to make the same mistake that Blaine did and not commit to you."

I bend down and kiss her, and the kiss is passionate from the start and only gets more intense.

My body responds to the feel of hers against me, the soft mounds of her breasts, her belly and her buttocks beneath my hands.

I break the kiss, because I have more to say.

"I know I've been hesitant to say the word ‘exclusive,’ but I'm not any longer. I realize I don’t want you to look at anyone else, be with anyone else, or even think of anyone else. I want you and you alone. I love you. I want us to be exclusive."

She smiles, and there's moisture in her eyes. "I love you."

We kiss again, her arms slipping around my neck. I feel a swell of emotion, realizing that this is what I really wanted all along, but didn’t want her to say no to me. If we did nothing, and just kept imagining being with each other, what we have wouldn’t be put to the test.

Now, we're willing to put it to the test and I know what I want – I want it to work. More than anything.

If she needs me to say the word, I can say it with no hesitation.

We break our kiss and she pulls out of my arms, and I'm surprised, but I wait for whatever it is she's going to do. She goes to the door and closes it then turns the lock.

When she comes back to me, my body is ready for her, and I know what she wants by the expression in her eyes.

She wants me and I want her.

Of course, it's at that moment that India's cell rings. It's in the pocket of her hoodie and she pulls away from me and groans when she pulls it out and checks the caller ID.

"Marina," she says, her voice exasperated.

"Man, she has the absolute worst timing."

"Should I answer it?" she asks, holding the phone to show me.

"Go ahead, answer her. That way we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming."