Chapter 32
CHAPTER 32
B lake hadn’t meant for everything to come out like that. He’d been thinking about how to tell her all the way home, and he’d planned on making a nice dinner and then telling her how he felt.
But after she’d told him how she felt about him, he couldn’t help himself.
“So what about you? Are you all-in?” he asked.
“I thought I’d made that clear.”
“No, you just told me you wanted my body, not necessarily everything that goes with it.”
She smacked him on the shoulder. “I did not.”
“Ow. Yes, you did.” He chuckled. He wasn’t sure how this had happened. But living together could do that to people. They’d grown comfortable with one another, and life was easy with her. He enjoyed it.
“I want it all. But maybe a better proposal.”
“You’ve got it. Remember that when it happens, you asked for it.”
“I will.”
How had this happened? They hadn’t even really kissed yet—the grocery store did not count—and here they were talking about the rest of their lives together.
They both went quiet for the next several miles. He wanted to reach over and take her hand.
“What are you thinking about?” Blake asked.
“That we’ve gone and made this awkward again. I mean, do I hold your hand or not? When we kiss, is it going to be all weird and forced? And if you climb into bed naked tonight, I promise it’s gonna be weird.”
He chuckled.
“I won’t. But listen, let’s just let things move naturally. If we don’t kiss for several days, that’s fine. It’ll come when it comes. Both of us are a little out of practice. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
* * *
Paige disappeared into her art studio the second they arrived home and hadn’t emerged for a few hours. Blake took Tria for a walk, spent some time in his gym, and now he missed her. She was the presence in his life that was always around, and now she wasn’t, and he had no idea why.
He knocked on the door to her studio.
“Come in,” she called.
He poked his head in. She stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by various canvases and covered in paint.
“You look good,” he said with a chuckle.
She stuck her tongue out at him, the only pink on her green and blue face. “Inspiration struck, and so I ran with it.”
None of the new pictures were finished, only the beginnings of her visions on each canvas, but they looked good.
“I look forward to seeing the final product. Were you planning on working the rest of the night?” He hoped the answer was no. He wanted to spend time with her.
“No. I’m about done today.”
“How would you feel about picnicking down on the beach? I can pack some food up while you clean up.”
“Who says I need to clean up?” She popped a hand on her hip.
“Well, if you don’t, that will be one messy picnic. But I’m open to it.”
She shook her head at him. “Go pack that picnic. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”