Slowly he came down, regretfully, knowing they’d have to pack up and leave soon, leave behind this perfect bubble of passion and togetherness.
He pulled out of her, wanting Chris in his arms, face-to-face, wanting to ask what she was feeling, if her emotions had changed after their amazing night together.
Of course he did nothing like that, just gathered her to him and lay there as if he was only experiencing oh-baby-you-were-great afterglow.
“Mmm, Mr. Arnette, I have to say the benefits of being your friend are con-sid-erable.”
He forced a laugh at the unintentional jab. In his view, what they’d shared had taken them way beyond friends. Even friends who were lovers. But he’d have to be patient. “Yeah? Think you might want to be this friendly again sometime?”
“Most definitely.” She did sound happier and more relaxed than he’d heard her in a long time. “I love doing this with you. It’s like... It’s so...”
He waited eagerly. Fantastic? Incredible? Life changing?
“Nonthreatening.”
Ouch. “Uh...yeah, wow, Chris. Every guy’s dream after a long night of sex is to be told he’s not threatening.”
“I’m serious.” She stretched luxuriously, making him want to pounce on her again. “I feel so comfortable with you. Like, amazingly comfortable.”
He smiled. Of course she did. Because they were really, really good together. “Why do you think that is?”
Chris narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You’re smirking again. That means there’s something going on in your head that you’re not telling me.”
“No, no, nothing like that.” He made his smile as innocent as possible. “Go on.”
“Well...a couple of things. First, I know you’ll laugh, but I do think my experience at the Peace, Love and Joy Center has changed me.”
Zac gritted his teeth. She was giving credit for how good they were together to some New Age BS yoga studio?
“And in this situation with you, I don’t feel any expectations I have to live up to. I don’t have to be the perfect partner.”
His irritation dissolved into protective sympathy that any guy had made her feel that way—or even that she had to feel that way all on her own. He liked things black, white and organized. You needed clean water in a village. If there wasn’t any, you found a way to bring it in. If you had storm overflow too often, you found new places for the water to go. But Chris’s brain seemed to have much more complex reactions. It was obvious she’d struggled through life a great deal more than her outward control and competence let on.
“Of course you don’t need to be perfect.” He stroked her hair, keeping his voice light. “Perfection is boring.”
“You think so?” She sighed. “I’m a perfectionist. Always have been. My parents, too. Eva was the lucky one in the family. She was sloppy and careless and fun from the moment she was born. She surprised and enchanted people. I have always felt completely predictable beside her. But then, that’s what my parents raised me to be.”
Zac nodded, wanting to ride in on his white horse and slay her demons. But he knew she’d have to put those to rest by herself. “I had a best friend growing up who was incredibly charming and passionate and cool. So I know that feeling. Next to him I was the too-big, slow-moving dork.”
“I think you’re charming and cool.” She gave him a come-hither smile. “And I know you are passionate.”
He dropped a thank-you kiss on the top of her head. “I know Eva admires you, but I bet she envied you, too, in a lot of ways.”
“Grass is always greener?” Chris shrugged. “Maybe. But she is what she is, and always has been. She’s done really well and is incredibly happy, and here I am, supposedly the daughter who’s got it all together, and I’m still trying to figure so much out.”
Here was his opportunity. But he’d have to tread carefully. “She’s always been herself, Chris. But so have you. And you are also doing really well and will be incredibly happy someday, too.”
She turned her head toward him, and where he expected her to bristle as she always did and insist she had changed and would continue to change, she just looked thoughtful and slightly troubled in a way that made him ache.