Full Contact (Worth the Fight #2) - Sidney Halston Page 0,30

a minute.”

—

Seriously, best sex ever. She may have wanted to fuck, but that hadn’t been fucking. Even rough and dirty, it wasn’t fucking, because it was with Jessica. He returned to the bed with the box of pizza and two beers. They sat side by side, his legs stretched out, the pizza box over his thighs. He handed her a slice, then grabbed another and took a bite out of his. He twisted off the cap of one beer, took a long pull, and handed the bottle to her. When they’d finished that bottle, he opened the second.

“Ice cream’s melted,” he said.

She pouted briefly, then smiled the most beautiful smile he’d seen to date. “But we still have cookies.” And that was the moment he realized that Jessica was truly something special. He adored her and needed more of her in his life. She was such an optimistic person. She said what she felt, whether she was feeling silly, angry, or happy; right now, all it would take to make her happy was a chocolate chip cookie. If she was to suddenly walk out of his life, he’d…he didn’t know what he’d do. She’d stormed into his life, stirred up parts of him that would never be the same again. And suddenly he was scared shitless.

He swallowed hastily, unable to get rid of the lump in his throat. “Yeah, there’s cookies. Finished with the pizza? I’ll bring you some cookies.”

“I can do that. Stay. I’ll be back.” She stood, still naked, grabbed the empty beer bottles and pizza box, and left the room. He looked around. Her house was modest, nothing grand, but neither was his. The first time he’d gone to her house, he’d been expecting some sort of weird Zen-like place, since she was so into yoga. But it wasn’t what he thought it’d be. It was warm and homey, no incense or Buddha statues anywhere in sight.

When she’d been staying in his house recovering from her injuries, she had mentioned that she lived day to day, pinching pennies. He didn’t want that for his woman. He wanted her to be happy. He didn’t want her working at a bar unless that was what she wanted. Suddenly making Jessica happy seemed paramount.

When she returned Slade was still stretched out on her bed. She straddled him, laid the box of chocolate chip cookies on his chest, then ripped the box open and fed them both cookies.

“Jess? I know you’re going to think this is fast, but I was thinking…I think…If you want—but no pressure—why don’t you move in with me?”

She stopped in mid-bite, crumbs falling all over his chest. “Whoa! What?”

“You can save on rent, work fewer hours, and do something else that makes you happy. What do you have to lose? Besides, I liked when you were living with me.”

She didn’t speak for a while, and his heart started to pound. He must’ve scared the shit out of her, he thought. Bad move, Martin!

“Slade, I have feelings for you I can honestly say I’ve never had for anyone else. And, I think you are the sweetest man I’ve ever met. But the last relationship I had…well, you know how that ended up. I jumped into it without giving it much thought. You and I, we’ve just started this thing between us, and I couldn’t be happier. But I want to do this right, and I think moving in together after a few dates isn’t a good idea. Especially since you’ve never really been a relationship kind of guy. I don’t want to smother you.”

“You wouldn’t,” he put in, but she put her hand over his mouth.

“I wouldn’t want you to feel smothered,” she went on. “I like where we are and what we’re building. All in, right?” He nodded. “Then give me a chance to get my life back in order, so that I can be as good to you as you are to me. You’re right, I don’t want to work at the Pier forever. I want things. I have dreams, and with you by my side, cheering me on, I think those dreams can one day become real. So I’m not saying no to your proposition; I’m saying not yet.”

“Fair enough. I can live with that.” He sat up and kissed her. “So, can I ask you about those dreams?”

She hesitated before speaking. “I’d like to one day open a yoga studio.”

“That’s it? You can totally do that, Jessica. I can help. Let’s look at spaces