[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

still in her dress from earlier that evening, all long-legged and beautiful. Her shoes were nowhere to
be found, her feet bare as the water rushed over them.  Why was it that after spending all day telling
me you couldn t wait to see me, you suddenly had some  issue that came up and made you cancel on
me? In front of my friends?
 Oh, is that what the surprise was? He asked, feigning a grimace.  Man, I m sorry.
 You re not sorry! She glared at him and then looked away quickly, dashing her hand to the corner
of one eye in a movement that made his heart squeeze.  I mean, if it was something I did, at least have
the guts to tell me 
 Something you did? What do you mean? When she didn t look at him, Rob moved in front of her
and held her by the arms, trying to get her to look at him. She avoided his gaze.  Marjorie, what do
you mean, something you did?
She swallowed hard, her throat working, and kept her head ducked.  It s just . . . last night was my
first night . . . for a lot of stuff. And I thought it was great and that there was no shame in the room,
right? But then today, you avoided me, and I couldn t help wondering if it was something I did or
didn t do 
 What? No, no, no. Not at all. His hands rubbed her arms and he tried to draw her against him but
she pulled away stiffly.  Marjorie, I don t even know how you can think that. You were fucking
amazing last night.
 But not so amazing that you wanted to see me today?
 I m here, aren t I? I came out looking for you. And to me, you were so goddamn amazing that I
wanted you to sleep next to me all night last night. I didn t want you to leave. Do you know how rare
that is for me?
 No, she answered honestly, and he was dumbstruck again. Of course she didn t know. He hid so
much shit from her that she d be appalled if she ever found out who he really was.
Well, fuck.  Something . . . something just came up, he said lamely.
This time she looked at him.  Just stop it, Rob, okay?
 All right. I m fucking lying. Nothing came up. I just freaked out tonight, but it had nothing to do
with you and everything to do with me, all right? I m a selfish fucker and I shouldn t have blown you
off. I didn t want to, and I know you don t believe that, but it s the truth. He grabbed her hand and
pressed both of his around hers and held it against his chest.  The last thing I wanted to do was hurt
you. I know you don t believe me, but I swear to God and Jesus and Buddha that it s the truth. You re
the first person that has been genuinely happy to know me in fucking years, and you have no idea how
good that feels and how scared I am of fucking that up.
 How can I believe you? she asked in a soft voice.
 Ask me for something, he said quickly.  Tell me what to do to make it up to you, and I will.
 The rehearsal dinner is tomorrow night, she told him.  Dewey s my date, but 
 Wait, he said, a surge of jealousy roaring through him.  Who the fuck is Dewey?
Her mouth curled in a reluctant smile.  He s an eighty-year-old man I met playing shuffleboard.
He s lonely, so I introduced him to Agnes and Edna when we started spending time together.
 Oh. His heart slowed down a little. Just a little.
 But I want you to be my date instead, she told him.  I d love if you went to the rehearsal dinner
with me.
Ah, fuck. The moment he showed up, Logan Hawkings would lose his shit, and Rob s presence
would ruin things for everyone involved.  I . . . can t.
She tried to pull her hand from his grip, flinching backward.
 Marjorie, he began.
 Let me go. He could hear the tears in her voice.
 It s not what you think 
 I think you re ashamed to be seen with me, Marjorie told him, her voice thick.  That s what I
think. That it s perfectly okay to date Big Bird when no one sees you with her, right? But the moment
someone will, all bets are off.
 That s not it at all.
 No? She tried to yank her hand out of his again.
 No. I m not ashamed of you at all. I don t know why you would think that 
 Because I m six foot one, Rob. And because no one has even given me the time of day before I
met you. So how am I supposed to think that twenty-four years of nothing is somehow magically
changed after a week of your attention?
 You re also gorgeous as fuck and my dick gets hard every time I look at you, he told her.  Don t
believe me? I m hard for you right now because you re so fucking beautiful. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]