Chapter 29

That makes me laugh. “Fair enough.”

He kisses my lips, long and luscious, then lifts his head and kisses my nose. “Am I squashing you?”

“Yes, but I like it. All the things you said about me—I like how we’re different, too. Women are encouraged to believe they can do anything men can do, and it implies we’re the same, but we’re not.”

He moves his hips against mine. “

“Mmm, but it’s not just about that. You’re taller, broader, stronger, and more muscular.” I run my hands up his biceps, feeling the hard bulges there. “Your hands are larger. You have hair in places I don’t—your face, chest, and belly. Your voice is deeper, and you have this.” I brush a finger down his Adam’s apple.

“But it’s not just that,” I continue thoughtfully. “Before she fell ill, my mum was spirited and independent, and she brought me and Charlie up to be the same. But she also thought it important that we be ladylike and feminine. She taught us to sit with our knees together, and to be conscious of our posture and