Free Absolute Lovers (Absolute #2) by S.J. Hooks Page A

know what the fuck she's
doing."
    She drew a ragged breath. "I've only been someone's
girlfriend once before and that turned to complete shit. I have no idea how to
be what you want. Casual fucking is all I've known for years. It's all I've
wanted."
    She looked at me and wiped her eyes. "But then you come
along and all I can think is how much fun it will be teaching you how to fuck
and talk dirty. And you know what? It was . It was so much fun that I
asked you to stay over afterward. I never do that! I…I never planned on
actually liking you and wanting more than just to fuck you. I've never brought
a guy hangover food before, and after Pop's funeral you were the only one I
wanted to see."
    She threw up her hands. "I don't know what I'm doing,
Stephen! I feel so fucking much for you that it scares the crap out of me, and
it makes me want to run just like before. You don't need that. Don't you
see?"
    I took a beat to process everything she had just said. Then
I took her hands in mine again and looked into her eyes.
    "Julia, I'm crazy about you," I said bluntly. I
kissed her hands and continued. "I only want you. There might be women out
there who are more age-appropriate, but they're not you. I've never felt this
way about anyone before. You make me feel like I’m finally living, not just
existing. I mean, before you I had never spent the night with a woman and I
hadn't ever slept with the same woman twice. Do you see what I'm trying to
say?"
    "I think so," she whispered, tightening her hold
on my hands.
    "I don't know what I'm doing either. I've never had a
girlfriend or a serious relationship before. This is completely new to me. I
never expected to develop feelings for you when this started. But I did, Julia,
and it scares me, too."
    "Oh." She nodded.
    "I'll probably screw up a lot," I added. Her lips
curved and she smiled.
    "I probably will, too," she said softly.
    Does that mean…
    "So you'll… " I was afraid to say it.
    She drew a deep breath. "Yes, Stephen. I'll be your
girlfriend."
    YES! She said yes! Julia is my girlfriend! I am her
boyfriend! Wow!
    I could feel myself smiling so widely that it hurt my face
as I leaned in to kiss the hell out of my girlfriend . She
surprised me when she pulled back.
    "If you hurt me, I'll kick your fucking ass. You know
that, right?"
    "You say the sweetest things," I deadpanned.
    She raised her eyebrows. I knew that she wasn't kidding
around.
    "No ass-kicking will be needed, I swear you can trust
me," I vowed. "I won't let you down, Julia. I'll be the best
boyfriend in the world."
    I'm sure there are books and helpful websites on the
subject.
    "Just keep being you," she said softly. "I've
loved everything you've done so far. Well, except getting hammered and then
giving my paper an F," she added with a hint of a scowl.
    "Um, an excellent example of the aforementioned
screwing up I might do?"
    She grinned and nodded.
    "I may have overreacted just a teeny tiny bit,"
she said. "I think maybe I was looking for an excuse to leave because we
were getting closer."
    "Really?" I was very impressed with her level of
insight.
    "That's what Sophia said, anyway."
    "Oh." I smiled. "She's perceptive, that
one."
    "Is she ever," Julia agreed with enthusiasm.
"You remember that night she and Meg walked in on us?"
    I nodded.
    "The next day she kept saying how she could just tell
that we were going to become more than casual sex-buddies. I told her she was
being ridiculous. I guess the joke's on me, huh?"
    "I'm really glad that she was right," I murmured.
"May I kiss you now?"
    "Please," she whispered, leaning forward again.
    I cupped her face in my hands.
    "My sweet, beautiful girlfriend," I said, still
trying to wrap my mind around this astonishing development. I kissed her slowly
and gently, savoring the feel of her soft lips against mine.
    "Stephen," she sighed. "Please don't make me
regret this."
    "You won't," I promised. "Julia, you won't. I
only want to make you happy."
    "Are you happy?" she