I changed this chapter a lot, especially toward the end. Next chapter's the ending.
"Um, Sara, did you just say what I think you said?"
The hundred denials clamoring for dominance in my brain died en masse as I looked at Greg. He was grinning like a man who just won the lottery, going from stark shame to 100 watt joy in one quick step, all because I slipped and said more than I intended to. I swallowed hard and just stared at him.
He took a tentative step toward me, and his smile began to slip. "Sara?"
"Yes, Greg." A wise man once said that a coward dies a thousand deaths, but a brave man dies but once. Greg had just literally laid himself bare for me, so I couldn't very well backtrack and obfuscate now. I took a deep breath. "I, um, said what you think I said, if you think I said... that. I, um, I didn't mean to, to say it, but I did. Say it, I mean."
"Do you?" His voice was soft and husky.
"Do I what?"
He chuckled. "Don't be getting all nervous on me here, Sidle. Just tell the truth. Do you really love me?"
"Yes," I whispered. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it. I didn't mean to..." The rest of my sentence was lost as he pulled me close and covered my lips with his own.
"Yes, you definitely should have said it," he rasped against my mouth, then kissed me again. "I'm glad you said it. Guess what, Sara? I love you right back." Another kiss, this one very long and slow and deep. "So," he whispered in a sultry growl, "I love you and you love me. Where are we going with this?"
"I don't know." I whispered. "This is so complicated."
"Life is complicated, Sara. We still have to live it."
"I think we need to take our time with this, Greg."
He was quiet for a moment. "If that's what you want. We can take it as slowly as you need for us to take it, but please tell me that we're headed forward. I need to know."
I sighed. "I would like to see where this takes us," I said slowly.
He smiled then and leaned forward to gave me another kiss, this one slow and deep. He pulled back, sighed, then dove in for another. "You're... you're trying to seduce me," I whispered between kisses.
"No, I'm not." Another long, slow kiss. "I'm bent on wooing, not seduction."
"Same thing, Greg."
"No, they're different. You see, if I were simply seducing you I would just be after your body - but I want all of you, so this is wooing rather than seducing." I gasped as he gently bit my neck. "Is it working?"