Page 52 of Always a Roommate
But then, she smiled, the kind of smile that Rae never would have given me, and I knew she was both.
“Good evening.” I closed the door and kicked off my shoes.
She raised a brow at my greeting, her smile widening. “How do you do?”
I had to laugh at that. “Was I too formal?”
She shrugged. “A ‘hey’ would have sufficed.”
“I’m not exactly sure what the protocol is here.” I didn’t know how she wanted me to act.
Shutting her laptop, she scooted away from the coffee table and rose up on her knees. “The protocol is that you kiss me.”
My lips twitched as I studied her face, so earnest, so honest. She fully expected me to comply, and who was I to disappoint?
I sauntered toward her, surprised how natural this felt as I bent to capture her lips with mine. She sighed into me, wrapping her arms around the back of my neck and pulling.
I lost my balance, falling next to her and landing on my hip with a thud.
She didn’t even try to stifle her giggle.
“You think that’s funny?” I asked, eyeing her.
Rae shook her head, but I could tell she was lying.
I lunged, tackling her so her back hit the floor. Hovering over her, I looked down into her intelligent green eyes. Finley and Johnny were wrong.
I didn’t need sweet—someone who wouldn’t fight me. It hit me with a sudden force that all I wanted was this woman right here.
I dipped down to kiss her again, thoroughly and completely, my body pressing down on hers.
Maybe Finley had been right about one thing. Telling her about the engagement was my final closure.
Maybe I was truly ready to move on.
21
RAE
I woke up deliciously warm in my bed as I gazed at the gray sky outside. Another rainy Florida day, but that was okay. I was spending most of today with Lola and Drew at Drew’s giant house, going over the final plans for the wedding. It was only a couple weeks away now, and I was getting nervous.
I’d never succumbed to nerves in my career before, but I’d also never planned a wedding quite like this.
The smell of bacon reached my room, and I rolled over, a smile on my lips. Neither Shane nor I had done much cooking in our time living together, mostly because we’d avoided the common areas of the house.
Kicking off the sheets, I stretched before climbing from bed and stepping in front of my closet. Today felt like a sweater kind of day. The afternoon might get warm, but I could always change.
Slipping on a pair of dark skinny jeans and a white cashmere sweater, I stared at myself in the mirror. My face, normally pale, had more color, and I had zero desire to spend the next hour doing my hair.
Reaching for a hair band on my dresser, I pulled it back into a high ponytail, letting the curls brush my back. I pinned back my bangs and dusted a light coating of foundation on.
The scent of bacon made my stomach growl, so I hurried up, opting for a light brown shade of eyeliner and nothing else. I looked plainer than I normally did, but somehow, I knew no one I’d see today would care.
With one final look, I headed out to brush my teeth before walking into the kitchen. Shane stood with his back to me as he turned over French toast in the skillet. A plate of bacon sat to his right. I snagged a piece, bringing it to my lips.
“You couldn’t wait?” Shane didn’t look at me. “The rest of breakfast will be done soon.”
“Do you always play by the rules, Shane?” I made a point of crunching the bacon.
