Page 49 of Erotic Behavior (Observant Behaviors)

“Then everything will work itself out.It will be painful as hell, but you two can get through it.”

“I miss you so much.”

“I miss you, too, but I need to get going.Are you going to be okay?”

“I think so.Are you?”

“I have Leo, I’ll be fine.”The smile in her voice made me feel warm inside.I didn’t know Leo well, but if Beckett and Talia both trusted him, then I could too.

“I love you, Tal.”

“I love you too, Rae.”

I hung up and wiped the tears from my face.Things needed to change between me and Beckett, and I had an idea I knew how to start it off.

The Next Steps

Beckett

“YoucalledTaliaforme?”

Raven’s voice was quiet as she stood at the door to my office.I took my glasses off and set them aside.“I called Leo, but I told him you needed to talk to Talia.Was that okay?”

“It may have been the one thing that got you out of the doghouse.”

“I see.”

“We need to talk, Beckett.”

“I know, baby.I’ve just been trying to give you some time to figure out what you want from me, or if you want anything at all.”

My voice sounded weak, and it made me want to shake away the uncomfortable feeling I had been walking around with for days.Being out of control and not knowing what Raven was going to do was more painful than I had expected.I knew I loved her, but I didn’t realize how deep it ran until I watched her wander around our home, miserable over what I had done.I had made one mistake after another since she came into my life, and I was determined not to push her into doing what I wanted.She was so isolated it was too much for her, so I texted Leo that morning and told him he needed to call me as soon as he could talk freely.Of course, he thought I was an idiot for waiting so long to tell Raven the true story around the auction and was willing to make time for Talia to talk to her.

“Can I come in now, or are you busy?”

The fact that she had asked just proved how far the distance had grown between us.Even in New York, when I worked from the penthouse, she never gave it a second thought to come in and sit down.Many times she would crawl into my lap and pull me away from my work completely.It had only been a few days, but those moments felt like a lifetime ago.

“I wish you didn’t feel you needed to ask.”

She walked in and took a seat across from me even after I had pushed away from the desk to give her room to come to me.

“You fucked up.”

“I know.I can’t apologize enough for it.”

“I think I understand why.”

“You do?”

“I do.You expected me to be some random woman that you married just to get back at my father, but it didn’t work out that way.I understand because the first night I met you, I felt the pull between us.I know you did, too.”She tucked her legs under her in the oversized chair before she continued.“What was wrong with what you did was waiting so long to tell me.Lying by omission is still lying, and I’m not willing to build a lifetime on lies.”

“Are you going to leave me, Raven?”

“No.I can’t.Contract aside, I… I’m crazy about you, Beckett.The only way I feel like we can move on from this and work together as an actual couple is if we cut the shit.So here it goes… I love you.I’m crazy, madly deeply in love with you.I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone in my life because I’ve never felt this way before.Cal was my ex, yes, but he’s an utter asshole.I wanted nothing more from him, but I never believed I deserved any more either.You make me feel like I deserve the world, and I’m not willing to trade that in.”

I couldn’t keep the smile from my face, but when I went to stand, Raven held a hand up.

“Hold on, I’m not done.”I leaned back again and waited for the final blow that I was sure would come.“I am tired Beckett, I’m tired of the lies and the bullshit.I can’t stand Pamela.I don’t really understand your business.I feel like there is still so much you keep from me, and if this is for real, then all that needs to stop.If you are not willing to do that, then we move forward with the contract agreement only.I will marry you and stay for five years, a marriage in name only; what you had originally planned for but didn’t get.”