Page 31 of Bad Boy Done Wrong
She marveled for a moment that their paths had ever crossed at all. Her chest ached to think about missing out on everything he’d shared with her. The way he’d taken her list seriously and brought her such pleasure. She’d always be grateful for that. She grabbed his coffee and took a sip to ease the awful tightness in her throat. He watched her drink but made no comment. She set the mug back in front of him.
“Do you have a suit?” she asked brightly, eager to move the conversation to a safer topic. “I’ll be wearing a dress. My dad will be in a tux. My mom actually fits into her wedding gown.”
He sipped his coffee. “I can scrounge one up.”
“It’s not a problem if you can’t. Just a nice shirt and pants will do.”
“I won’t embarrass you.”
“Oh, no. I’d never be embarrassed. You’re the hottest guy I’ve ever been with.”
He grinned.
“Not that I’ve been with a lot.”
He stopped smiling. “Just me and your ex, I remember.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry. I’m just…I guess I’m a little worked up about the whole thing. You know, seeing Edward again after all this time. And his fiancée. Apparently she’s young and beautiful.”
A small smile curved his lips. “So are you.”
She sucked in air. That was such a sweet thing to say. The second sweet thing this morning. And he was a man of few words, so when he used them, they meant something. “Thank you.”
He jerked his chin and took another sip of coffee. Something that felt less like lust and more like pure affection built in her. Strong affection like she wanted to hug him. Not to feel him up either. Just to hug.
He set his mug down and watched her steadily.
She blurted the first thing that came to mind. “I feel really bad I’ve been taking your bed every night.”
He shook his head. “Not a problem.”
“I’ll go home after so you can stay in your bed, where you’ll be more comfortable.”
He met her eyes with a hard look. “I don’t want you out alone in the middle of the night.”
She returned his hard look. “And I don’t want you squishing yourself onto a sofa your legs are too long for.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I can’t believe our first fight is us trying to out polite each other.”
“A fight would imply a relationship.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know what this is.”
“Me either.” She kept telling herself it was a fling, but it was beginning to feel different. The air felt charged, the conversation rife with hidden meaning. Somehow things had shifted this morning when she’d invited him to her parents’ anniversary celebration.
He brought the coffee mug to his mouth and spoke behind the rim. “Let’s not screw with what’s working.”
She bit her lip, his casual reply stinging more than it should. “No, of course. You’re right. Just—” she swiped a hand through the air “—leave it alone.” She couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice.
He set the mug down. “I meanyousaid two weeks.”
“You offered two weeks,” she returned. “I just agreed with it.”
“What’re we even fighting about?” He stood and stacked the plates. “I’ll sleep in the bed if it makes you happy. Okay?”
“Fine.”
“And don’t think you’re leaving alone in the middle of the night either.” He stacked the silverware on top of the plates. “We’ll both sleep in the bed.”
She tilted her head back to meet his eyes where he stood next to her. “Isaidfine.”
“Good,” he growled. Then he leaned down and kissed her breathless. He pulled away, studying her for a moment before grabbing the dishes and heading to the sink.
She sat there, her head spinning, wondering what the hell just happened.
