The Bacelor: Make A Sex Deal

My heart was exploding not only from his candor, but from his expression too. The way his eyes were softening while he looked at me. How he saw me in a way that no other man ever had.

“There was so much fucking temptation every time I was around you. There were instances when I had to actually walk into another room, so I didn’t flirt my ass off with you or brush a piece of hair off your cheek-any excuse just to touch you and talk to you more. Because I knew that even though those were small acts, if I allowed myself to do them, they would lead to my hands wanting to be all over you.” His focus shifted from my right eye to my left, scanning equally back and forth. “You’ve always been this perfect girl in my mind, Oaklyn. Never did I believe we would be here. That every one of my desires would be coming true. That you would be mine. So, yeah, there are times when I just want to stare at you and remind myself that it isn’t a fucking dream. That I get to do this”-he pressed our lips together-“any goddamn time I want.”

I thought my heart couldn’t swell any larger.

But it happened.

My chest filled with so much emotion that I almost couldn’t hide it from my eyes.

“I know exactly what you mean. I’ve felt the same way for just as long.” I rubbed my nose against his cheek, inhaling his scent and feeling the roughness of his beard. “You have no idea how badly I want to talk to Hannah about you and just boast at the fact that I’ve finally gotten the man I’ve been dreaming about for all these years. How I want to put one of our selfies on Instagram. How I want us to go hiking at Runyon Canyon and go to my favorite restaurants and even a concert without the fear of running into one of the Daltons, who I swear are everywhere in this city so we’ll inevitably bump into one of them.”

“I promise you’re going to get all of that very soon.”

A worry came over me.

One that made me want to clarify and say, “Camden, I don’t want you to think I’m rushing us. This pace is perfect. I’m not trying to force us into something you’re not comfortable with. I just hate that we have to be a secret.”

“Stop.” He kissed me. “I want everything you want. You’re not alone in this.” He continued to gaze into my eyes, holding me like I was weightless. “How about right before you go to Arizona with Hannah? That’ll give us a little more time, and we’ll have a better idea of what things look like between us. You’ll get to clear your conscience and then take off to the mountains with her.”

I took a deep breath. “Ugh, I don’t know if that’s the best idea. I almost think we should tell her after we get back. What if she’s so mad that she won’t want to go? Or it could turn our trip into something awful.”

“Then, we’ll tell her when you get back.”

“Okay.” I filled my lungs again. “I like that plan.”

Just having something set in motion gave me the smallest amount of relief. It was this in-between, this waiting, this unknown that was eating at me.

“Once we tell her,” he said, “nothing is going to change between us. I want you to know that.”

I squeezed my legs around him. “Even if she hates the idea of us?”

“My sister’s opinion isn’t going to force me to let you go, Oaklyn. Not a fucking thing in this world can do that. It’s taken me a long time to get here. I’m not returning to my bachelor life, and I won’t let a day go by where you’re not mine.”

I rubbed my nose across his and whispered, “Best answer ever.”

“I don’t want to set you down because then you’ll be too far away from me and I’ll start craving you again, but I’m dying to try this dinner you made, and I don’t want it to get cold.”

I couldn’t stop smiling. “Let’s eat.”

He reluctantly set my feet on the floor after he kissed me, and I hurried over to the lasagna cooling on the stovetop, the layers settling. I cut two pieces and plated them. I added slices of the bread I’d made and brought them over to the table, where Camden was pouring us some wine.

“Wine now, vodka later,” he said as I eyed his glass. “There will be a later, right? Or do I need to worry about my sister randomly showing up?”

“She calls first. Always. So, even if she came, we’d have enough time to hide you somewhere.”

“Now, wouldn’t that be interesting?”

I sighed, lifting my fork and placing my napkin on my lap. “Let’s not even think about it.”

“Good call.” He glanced down at his dinner. “This looks fucking delicious.” He even leaned his face close to the pasta to smell it. “Mmm.”

“Remember, it’s different from Mom’s. I added some veggies and more meat than she typically uses-”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Fuuuck.” His head leaned back as he chewed, his eyes closing. “Oaklyn, you’ve done it.”

I was so nervous that I hadn’t even taken a bite yet. I just knew what it tasted like from the tiny sample I’d tried before he came. “Really?”

“Mmhmm.” His neck straightened, and he looked at me. “It’s better than Mom’s.”

I shook my head. “No. It can’t be-”

“It is. Trust me. I’m blown the fuck away right now.” He took a piece of the bread and dipped it into the sauce and moaned as he bit off the red-soaked corner. “Holy shit. This is amazing too.”

I laughed as I sliced my fork through the cheese and noodles and brought some up to my mouth. “Wow,” I said from behind my hand, “it is good.”