Page 64 of Better Not Pout
I’m already half-asleep, but then, just before I’m in dreamland, one that will most likely consist of him… I think that I hear, “I’m not letting you go, Sugar.”
But then again, maybe I’malreadydreaming.
twenty-three
. . .
Wells
’Twas the Night Before Christmas
“Ready?”Rosalie asks from beside me, giving me a wide, sweet smile.
It’s hard to believe that it’s already Christmas Eve. I’d be lying if I said I’ve been looking forward to it all, counting down the days since the night of the engagement party with an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Because now that the party is over, and so is the weekend with my family… I guess that means that our arrangement is too.
Neither of us has brought up what happens next or how we’ll navigate the end of this pretend bullshit. We originally said we’d keep the act up until Christmas, which is technically tomorrow, and I haven’t figured out how to tell Rosalie that I’ve come to the stark realization that I don’t want it to be over.
I’m fucking crazy about her, and even though developing real feelings is the last thing I expected to happen, it doesn’t make it any less true.
I want her to be my girl.
I want to date her, get to know everything there is to know about her.
I want her to bemine.For real this time.
“I’m ready. Areyouready?” I say back with a smirk, tossing an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to me, and pressing my lips against the top of her hair.
She nods, smoothing her hands down her dress.
And hell, what a fucking dress it is.
The soft, red velvet material is plastered tightly to her lush body, accentuating all of her curves and making my mouth fucking water.
That dress is the very reason we’re arriving at her grandparents’ nearly thirty minutes late. The moment she answered the door when I came to pick her up, I almost swallowed my damn tongue, and I couldn’t keep my hands off her. I bent her over the couch and fucked her with those sexy red heels on until they scratched the hardwood in her apartment all the way the fuck up.
My lip curves in a grin as I think about it, and I feel her elbow hit my ribs.
“Oh my God. Stop thinking about having sex with me, Wells McCoy. You’re out of control.”
I lift my hands in surrender. “Well, Sugar, you blew my fucking mind less than an hour ago. Can you blame me? Give me a little more time to recover.”
She giggles, slipping her hand in mine just as the front door swings open, and her Grams fills the doorway of their cottage.
“Rosalie, Wells. I’m so glad you made it, darlings! Come in, come in.” She ushers us inside, holding the door open wider. “You’ll catch a cold out there.”
It’s not the first time I’ve met Ida Sullivan. We own businesses next door to each other, and we’ve spoken a handful of times prior to her inviting me to dinner, but this time feels different, coming here tonight by her granddaughter’s side.
Honestly, there’s nowhere else I’d rather spend my Christmas Eve than with Rosalie. And if I weren’t with her and her family, then I’d be at home with Frankie, probably eating something I tossed into the microwave, watching reruns on TV.
It would be just any other night.
I was a little surprised when Ida came by the bar yesterday and asked me to join them, but Rosalie assured me she would like me to be there too. So obviously, here I am.
“Thank you for having me here tonight, Mrs. Sullivan,” I say once we’re inside the cottage and hang our coats on the rack.
Immediately, she shushes me, waving a hand through the air. “Oh, honey, I’ve told you, please call me Ida. No need for the formalities. We’re so glad you could come. I’ve got to finish helping Percy in the kitchen with the treats, but you two make yourselves at home. Rosalie girl knows where everything is, and I’ll bring you glasses of eggnog. That sound good?”
