Page 31 of Best Man Speaking

I’m feeling too much.

Too much want. Too much anger. Too much volatility.

“You shouldn’t tempt me like that.”

The urge to lift a hand is strong, but my stupid, traitorous fingertips want to touch him more than they want to strike him. Or maybe they’d do one and then the other.

“A little temptation never hurt anyone,” he replies.

I laugh as his smile blooms because we both know that’s simply not the truth.

“You can’t imagine I’d want to be this close to you.”

“Come on, Hallie, you’re not stupid. Maybe Erica was right at dinner the other night, maybe we should just hate fuck and get it over with.” He says it like it’s the simplest thing in the world, as if it’d solve all our problems.

“You’ve got to be kidding?” I ask with a laugh.

I’m unwilling to believe he could actually be serious. The first and only time we slept together, Marcus broke my heart. The chances of me ever being up for round two are pretty damn slim.

Yet, I can’t deny the tension that still exists between us—tension I’d like out of my system once and for all.

“No, I’m not joking,” he replies as if I’ve somehow offended him.

“Hell is likely to freeze over before I get into bed with you.” I’m completely blown away by the conversation we’re having.

“A kiss, then?” Marcus offers, and I…

I hesitate.

The refusal that should’ve flown from my lips seems to have disappeared.

“What?” I scoff as my heart pounds, shock at my own reaction pouring through me.

“You heard me.”

“Well, I’m currently hoping I misheard you because you’re crazy.” My tone can only be described as unimpressed as I stand and make my way to leave. “I don’t want to kiss you.”

He stands with me, his smirk still in place. “Yes. You do. You know you want to.”

Just a kiss, and oh, how I want it.

“If you’re anything like me, Hallie, you want a taste, a simple touch. You want to know what it’s like after all this time, and you want it the hell out of your system.”

He repeats my own thoughts back to me, and it takes all my control to not let it show on my face.

“Just a kiss?” The sound of my voice shocks my brain. “Just this once?”

Logically, I know words aren’t spoken without the brain’s permission, but it doesn’t feel that way. No rational part of me is on board with this. I’d be better off punching him.

“If once is what it takes.”

“It wouldn’t mean I like you or could actually stand being around you.”

“And it doesn’t mean I’m happy you’re back in town,” he says.

I can’t help but feel the sting of the words.

“It’d just mean I’m curious.” Marcus would already know what this meant: that when I’m curious about something, I have to know, no matter the fallout.

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