She turned and wrapped her thighs around him, pulling close.

“This is nice. You’re very limber. I admire that in a woman.”

Laughing, she took a sip of her wine before setting it on the side of the tub. “I’m going to have a Come To Jesus talk with Nancy when I get back to Petal.”

Marc chuckled. “You won’t be the first. Cassie got hold of her first, then Maggie, I think Matt and Kyle too. Oh and my momma.”

Liv winced. “I almost feel sorry for her for that. Almost.”

“Don’t. She thought she’d test my commitment to you. She’s sorry but it’s not enough.”

Liv grinned and leaned in to kiss his chin.

“What was that for?”

“You didn’t take her side.”

He laughed at that outright. “Do I look crazy? Sugar, she nearly broke us up because she acted like a selfish bitch. Her being sorry doesn’t erase that. I almost lost the best thing that ever happened to me. I nearly kicked her butt myself.”

“Hmpf.”

“I like this side of you.”

“The side where my goodies are?”

Lord how she made him laugh. “Well, that too. But I meant the possessive, slightly feral side. Not that you have anything to worry about. You don’t. Liv, I’d never cheat on you. In the first place, I love you. In the second, I have honor.”

“Well, I have to deal with an awful lot of female attention your way. Which sucks. I mean, it was bad with Matt but you’re worse. You’re a very flirty man. Women, some women, tend to purposely misunderstand that and take it for an invitation. I don’t like it but I don’t think you’re fixin’ to cheat on me. Let me just tell you, a knee in the junk is the least that’ll happen to you if you really do cheat on me.”

He winced but couldn’t deny the viciousness in her eyes was a turn on. Man he was sick.

“Liv, sugar, I’m going to make a real effort not to be so flirty with other women. I don’t want you being bothered by it and I don’t want you to feel disrespected, nor do I want to send the wrong signals. It’s something I do on auto-pilot. This is all sort of new to me, the being hopelessly in love with the most beautiful woman in the world thing. I’m learning as I go.”

“I don’t want you to give up who you are.”

“You think flirting with women is who I am?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. But I don’t want to change you. I just want to try and find a way we can be together without either one of us having to give up who we are.”

He soaped a washcloth and began to minister to her, enjoying the way she arched into his touch like a cat.

“Olivia, woman, you are exasperating sometimes. Just when I think you’re doing one thing, you go and do or say something that shows me just how unselfish and giving you are. You have such a tough exterior and it’s all bullshit. You’re a marshmallow, aren’t you?”

“I am not. I am a hard assed bitch. Ask anyone.”

He pushed her back playfully and she ducked under the water and got to her knees to return the favor and soap him up.

“I have asked and that’s not anyone’s impression of you at all. Well, except the mayor and that’s good. He should be scared of you. Maybe his crush on you will wear off. I have to deal with male attention your way too, you know.”

He watched as she stood and grabbed a towel before stepping out. “He’s just lonely, that’s all. And I don’t come equipped with a harem but if you see me flirting or you feel uncomfortable about the way I interact with anyone, please tell me. I’d hate for you to feel bad.”

Standing, he got her wet again as he embraced her.

A knock sounded on the door and he held a hand out. “I’ll be right back.”

“What are you up to?” she called out.

“Hold your horses.”

She got dressed in the bedroom and peeked out to see what he was up to.

“Nosy. Come on out and bring a blanket.”

“What?” She grabbed a blanket and skipped toward him.

He caught her, laughing, picking her up and she wrapped her legs around him.

“Now that’s the kind of leg wrapping I approve of.”

He kissed her quickly and put her down on the couch.

“I had them bring up some DVDs and some snacks.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. The Matrix movies and those weird chocolate things with the white stuff you like.”

“Snowcaps? Where? Gimme!”

He put in the first movie and came back to the couch, handed her the box of candy and settled in beside her.

“You remembered I liked Snowcaps. That’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done.”

“It’s candy, sugar, while I’m content to hog up credit that’ll get me laid later, it’s not that big a deal.” Smiling, he put his arm around her shoulder and tucked the blanket around them both.

But it was a big deal. He noticed something small and seemingly inconsequential. They’d only gone to the movies once and she’d gotten the candy there. And the movies he’d gone to the trouble to get? She had just a teeny celebrity crush on Keanu Reeves.

The sex had blown her mind but the movies and the chocolate had shown her he’d noticed more about her than her bra size. It occurred to her she needed to be more mindful of what he liked too. She hadn’t been as aware of things as she should have been, or at least she hadn’t shown him. If they were to make a go of their relationship it was up to her to do her part as well. As she snuggled into his side, she let hope settle into her bones. Hope that just maybe, Marc was more than her future, they were the future.