He let his arm straighten so her hand slid out of the crook of his elbow. “Then they know I’m not your real husband?”

She shot him a reproachful look and grabbed hold of him again. Trev didn’t resist as she towed him outside toward her car. “Watch what you say,” she cautioned, glancing around. “And how are you not real? We eat together, sleep together. We have sex. We spend leisure time together. Doesn’t that tick all the boxes?”

Somehow he swallowed some of his unhappiness. Trev couldn’t even say why it bothered him, imagining the convo with her book club friends. What would she have said? I found some loser and—suddenly, her fingers were on his chin, and she was kissing him, not gently either. She shoved him back against the car and curved her hand around the nape of his neck. Leanne leaned into him as she bit his lower lip and swept her tongue against his. Her body felt fierce and urgent against his, and he got hard immediately.

“It might not be traditional,” she said against his mouth. “We didn’t do things like everyone else, but don’t ever say it’s not real. Hear me?”

“Yeah, but…” With her gaze locked on his, he couldn’t bring himself to voice his doubts. That this likely had an expiration date and when she reached her goals, she’d discard him like a pair of shoes she’d worn out. Yet, even if that was true, he still chose to stick around because at least he’d have these precious memories when it was done.

And the knowledge that someone like Leanne had wanted to be with him, even briefly.

“But nothing. Let’s work on your self-esteem. How about some affirmations?” she said, rounding the car to open the door for him.

Little details like that were so freaking charming that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He probably wasn’t supposed to like it when she took the lead, but he did. Just as he enjoyed cooking for her, making sure the house was clean, and supporting her quietly from the sidelines. His old man wouldn’t approve of any of it, but that wasn’t news. Trev hadn’t made him happy since he quit baseball in fourth grade.

Trev got in the car. “What kind of affirmations?”

“Repeat after me.” Leanne flashed him a teasing smile. “‘I am a valuable human being.’”

“I am a valuable human being,” Trev said.

She started the car and put it in gear, then drove toward the other side of town. “You don’t sound like you believe it. How about this one…? ‘I deserve to be happy.’”

Stealing a glance at her profile as she drove, he wished he could believe that. While he didn’t know if he deserved it, per se, he did feel incredibly content. Jubilant, even. “I deserve to be happy.”