The Love Coupon (Stubborn Hearts 2)

“There was a girl in college. She’d taken one of those purity pledges. Wore the ring and everything. She wouldn’t have sex with me, but she’d blow me. She wouldn’t let me do more than kiss her. At first I didn’t complain—I liked her—but it didn’t take long to work out she hated giving head, only did it so I wouldn’t leave her.”

“What happened?”

“I stayed with her too long, because I didn’t know how to leave her and it went bad. We were torturing each other. One night I wasn’t careful. I hurt her. Wasn’t intentional, but it happened. I was young and horny and confused and wanted to be a good guy, but I was a jerk. She never spoke to me again. I’ve only now worked out that’s why I’m knotted up about getting blown.”

“I unknotted you?”

Miraculously. He kissed her forehead. “You did.”

“Well, you know there are a lot more coupon experiences that could include that particular activity.”

“But I have to wait a whole twenty-four hours until I can pick another one.”

“Speaking of waiting—I have my period. It’s probably why I was flayed by the bath last night. I’ll be crampy for two days and then ready to go, but you might not want to bother with that.”

“It wouldn’t bother me.” It would’ve; he’d avoided it before. But all the barriers were down now. Flick wasn’t with him because she had to be. “I believe I’m going to dress you for work tomorrow.”

She pulled away. “If I don’t get showered and dress myself now, I’m going to be late.” She scampered across the bed.

Before she left for her own room, he said, “I feel like cooking tonight, will you be around?”

He got a “yeehaw” as his answer.

That night, after they’d eaten, there was a new question. He’d stewed on the answer all day. “Can we talk about beds?” he asked.

Flick was web-surfing for an apartment, but put her tablet aside.

“I’d like us to use only one of them at a time for the rest of the month.”

“You mean you want to sleep together until I leave.”

“We don’t have to have sex every night, but I like having you in bed with me and I don’t know why I tried to be cool about it.”

She made a cartoon-character-like sigh, lots of rolling eyes and shoulder drama, and next thing he knew she was in his arms. “I cried myself to sleep Saturday night when I was alone.”

He lifted her chin. “You did?”

“I thought you were over me.”

He scowled at her. She’d just taken him to the top of the roller coaster and disabled the hand brake. “You did not.”

“I thought about raiding your room and jumping on you, instituting torture by vibrator, or breaking something in the living room. But you tired me out on the walk so I didn’t have it in me to be diabolical. I just missed you instead.”

There was no good damn reason for that to happen. They spent the night in her bed, cuddled close with an alarm set so there was extra time in the morning for him to dress Flick.

She grumbled when it went off. He made coffee and brought it back to bed, and while she sat propped on pillows sipping it, he explored her wardrobe. Never dressed a woman before. Helping her with a coat was about as far in that direction as he’d taken it.

He moved hangers along the rail, recognizing the clothes he’d seen her wear to work. “If you want to kick in with any advice, I’m all ears.”

“It’s Tuesday.”

“Check. I’m not sending you off in this.” He pulled out a dress that appeared to be missing lots of parts. It was black and hung oddly on the hanger and seemed to be mostly a tube of fabric. “I would like to see you in this.”

“I’ll wear it when we go out to dinner.” One of the tamer coupons suddenly got more interesting.

“Anything else I need to know?”

“I don’t have any more client meetings, so you can’t go wrong if you keep to the work clothes.”