He chuckled, flipping the light off. “I don’t beat around the bush any more than you do, Liz. Just tell me.”
I stared up at the ceiling, my body partially tensed as I waited for him to climb in bed with me.
He didn’t, though.
My heartbeat picked up as I glanced over and found him laying on the floor, using his arm as a pillow.
“I don’t want a relationship,” I finally whispered. “Not a romantic one. It’s been a long time, but I’m not ready. I don’t know if I’ll ever be.”
“Alright,” Elliot murmured back.
I blinked.
Alright?
There was a pause.
I was pretty sure he was waiting for me to respond, but I was a total loss as far as what I should say.
“I’d like us to date, though. If we’re going to co-parent, and share a house, I think it’s fair that we get to know each other. I’d like to be your friend, at least.”
My body relaxed slightly. “Yeah, that’s fair.”
“I already know you’re going to say that you want to move your old mattress in to Ev’s room, too.”
Damn, this guy was good.
“I’ve got a counter-offer, though.”
My gaze narrowed a bit as it pointed toward him, across the room.
He was going to counter-offer to share a bed with me, I knew it.
And he slept naked.
“I’ll move some furniture around in here. Push the dresser into the closet, stick the nightstand at the end of the bed. It’ll be a tight fit, but we can put two mattresses in here
That… wasn’t what I was expecting.
“You want us to be literal roommates?” I whispered. “You’re okay with that?”
“Sure. That way we can split the nightly chocolate-milk feedings between the two of us more easily, and get comfortable around each other a little faster.”
Wow.
That was… kind of sweet.
And I mean, I wasn’t insane. Only an insane person could turn down an equal split of 2 AM feedings.
“Alright, deal,” I finally murmured.
Biting down hard on my lip, I contemplated whether or not to tell him.
Finally throwing caution to the wind, I added, as quietly as I could whisper, “I heard your friends talking about how you can’t help yourself through the climax the other day. They’re wrong.”
There was a moment of silence.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “My other pack would whisper about it when people were mating, and didn’t like each other. As long as you’re picturing your mate when you’re… you know… helping yourself out, you can still find relief.”