Page 76 of Mine Again
Dots. He’s typing.
Sapphire Eyes:I was hoping the sequel would involve dinner.
Straight to the point. God, he reallyisdirect.
My stomach flips. But not from nerves. Okay, maybealittle from nerves.
Dinner sounds… too late in the day.
If I want to keep Plan NUPTIAL secret, I can’t risk being out at night. That kind of thing needs a lot more careful planning.
Let’s see where this thing with Sebastian goes first.
Ideally, I won’t introduce him—or whoever I choose—to my family until things are irrevocably done. As in,Here’s my husband, surprise!
Will they be happy about it? No.
Can they do anything other than kill him? Also no.
Not that Mamma would resort to that sort of thing. That was Father’s domain.
I’m sure eventually they’ll all be happy for me. Especially if I’m content.
I type quickly.
Me:Hold your horses. Dinner is too committal. Let’s start with coffee. Step by step, Mr. Impatient.
Sapphire Eyes:I actually do own horses. Five, to be precise. Three forracing, two for cross-country. That’s my passion. Well, one of them. Do you ride?
Oh hell. Why does that sound so sexual?
And why is my body reacting to images of him riding… and not just horses?
My imagination is suddenly sponsored by steamy romance novels and fueled by my long drought. It’s been so long since Luca last touched me.
God, I miss the way his hands used to map every inch of me, the way his lips coaxed shivers out of places I didn’t know could respond. I miss how safe and undone I felt in his arms, like I could fall apart and be put back together at the same time.
Could I have that with another man? Withthisman?
Sebastian could be dangerous. Not mafia dangerous, but the kind who might slip past my defenses and make me forget myself… forget Luca.
No. I could never forget Luca.
Me:I don’t ride…
Well, I rode Luca once. It was… awkward. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, where to put my hands, if I looked ridiculous.
I was glad when he took over again.
What would it be like now, if everything had gone according to plan?
We’d be married. Four years in.
Would I still let him lead all the time? Or would I be different now? Braver.
A pulse of sadness moves through me.
My first and only love. We promised each other forever.
