Page 38 of Bad Boy Done Wrong
“They’re closed.”
“I can see the whites of them.”
“Then you should close your eyes.”
She rubbed his chest. “Why aren’t you a cuddler?”
“Don’t know.”
“You’ve never slept with a woman in your bed?”
“They sleep. I don’t.”
“What can I do to make it easier?”
He couldn’t think of anything. His plan to exhaust them both hadn’t worked. He was exhausted, though. No surprise he’d made so little progress with his book. Carrie was a full body and mind workout. He thought about her way too much. She was never far from his mind, stuff she said floating through his brain or her beauty in different lights. Like in the morning light her hair rumpled from him, sweetly sleepy, looking for her coffee. He was aware he was entering mushy territory but too tired to guard against it.
“Tell me about yourself,” she whispered.
He tensed. “What do you want to know?”
“How did you meet up with the Campbells?”
He relaxed. “Their dad, Joe, was coach of the basketball team at the Police Athletic League. Ethan wanted me to play since I was tall.”
“You didn’t want to play?”
“I wasn’t into sports, but Ethan was persistent. Turns out it’s easy to be good at basketball when you’re the closest one to the net.”
“How old were you?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“Nine.”
She sighed, her breath fanning over his chest. “I always wished I was tall.”
“You’re perfect.” He instantly regretted his sappy words. He understood he was on a time limit with her. But the more time he spent with her, the more he thought she was the most perfect ideal woman he’d ever met.
“Zach?”
“Yeah.”
“Sometimes you surprise me with…sweetness.”
He grunted. She wouldn’t think he had much sweetness if she knew where he came from or how he’d pretended to be something he wasn’t just to be with her. His chest tightened, gut churning with the shame he could never fully push down.He’s a bad seed.You can’t trust him. Sneaky, a liar and a thief.
“What was your troubled past?” she asked, startling him. It was like she’d read his mind. “Tell me your story.”
“Who said I had a troubled past?”
“All of the guys close to the Campbells do.” She lifted her head and ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him. “You can tell me. I won’t judge.”
He gave her part of it. “I was a repeat runaway from foster homes. I stole cash and food.” He left out that his parents were in organized crime. He didn’t like the association it put in people’s minds and especially didn’t want it in her mind. Carrie thought he was a bad boy with a little sweet on top and he was mostly okay with that.
“Oh, Zach.” She gave him a squeeze around the middle. “That must’ve been scary for a little kid to be on the street. Of course you’d need to steal cash and food to survive. How old were you?”
“Started when I was six—”
“Omigod! Six!”
