Page 55 of Recklessly Rogue

He sighs. “Just say, ‘Of course, Henry’. Is that really that difficult?”

I smile up at him. “Of course, Henry.”

“That’s better.” Again, his gaze drops to my lips. “Don’t be long.”

A hot ripple goes through me.

Dammit.

It would be so great if I was going home to have dinner with my boyfriend.

Or even if I was just going home to have dinner with a really great, rich, hot British guy that I wanted to have hot sex with.

Which, I guess, technically, I am…

“Ruby?”

“Yeah?”

“Get in the car.”

I realize I’ve been staring at him.

Okay, at his mouth.

Dammit.

Sleeping with him again is a really bad idea.

I’m pretty sure. I’m having a hard time remembering why, though.

April talks non-stop about the day. How Dan said he was going to donate some of his new money to a town project. How popular Elliot was with the other kids because he and Henry were friends. How living with Mandy and Will means that Elliot will have a pet.

I just let her talk. I’m happy for her. I really am. I’m happy for Mandy and Will too.

I guess I was just expecting to be helpful to her for longer than a couple of days.

I thought I’d be… I don’t even know. I feel like I haven’t really done anything at all.

April and I pass the meat counter, where I grab some chicken thighs and then head for the produce section. I figure I can throw together a salad as well. Something simple. And something light. Something that won’t sit like a lead ball in my gut while I tell Henry he can now leave Emerald.

I’m squeezing avocados when I hear, “Christopher is a good man. You’re making a mistake.”

Dammit. We were so close to the end.

I look over to see Crystal Dumont standing behind her cart, glaring at April. Behind her is her mother, Kelly. Crystal has a very high opinion of herself, but Kelly thinks Crystal is even more perfect than Crystal does.

“If you like him so much, you can have him,” April says.

“I have a husband,” Crystal says. “I know what it’s like to have a good man and to begratefulfor that.”

I move up next to April and start to open my mouth to defend her, but April says, “Grateful? Isthatwhat keeps you with Luke? I’ve always wondered. Because it can’t be the way he treats you with respect and love, or the way he supports you, or the way he defends you or believes in you.”

I snap my mouth shut and settle back on my heels. April seems fine. I’m here for the show now.

“You are such a bitch,” Crystal says. “I told Luke when Chris first started dating you that you’d be trouble. Luke never wanted him to get serious about you.”

“I know,” April says. “Because he was afraid thatyoumight figure out that your whole world didn’t have to revolve around him and you might grow a spine. He was afraid you’d take after me.”

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