NICE GIRL TO LOVE (THE COMPLETE THREE-BOOK COLLECTION)(26)

She slid a hand along his cheek. “And that’s what I’m realizing I should’ve been doing here all along. With us. This past week, I haven’t been totally honest with myself on what I truly want. I hid from it. From you. The truth is, you are most definitely a wish I want to become my reality. Even if it’s only going to be a short reality.”

That last part made him flinch.

“I’m entering this with my eyes wide open,” she reassured him. “Telling you my sordid past simply reminded me how being scared to admit to and hold true to what I really want never got me anywhere good. You’re what I want, Connor. What I’ve wanted for a while if I’m being perfectly honest.”

She felt his heart rate pick up under her palm.

“Dammit, Abby. You can’t offer yourself up to me on a silver platter after telling me everything you just did.”

“I know. So that’s why we should just do what we had planned. Eat, talk, and watch a movie. For tonight.”

“And tomorrow?”

“I’ll be just like your other one-month women.” She smothered her body’s immediate objection to that statement and held his gaze. “I’m not resisting what I want anymore.”

The latter half, her body didn’t have any complaints over, seeing as how it was the absolute truth.

Resisting Connor Sullivan was no longer an option.





CHAPTER SIX


AS FAR AS MORNING AFTER big declarations go, Abby decided this one was going fairly smoothly. Probably because they were both on their laptops pretending they weren’t sitting six feet from each other.

But it was around the third mumbled apology when their hands collided reaching for something on the table that she started getting pissed. Shoot, if she only had another three weeks with the man, this was not how she was going to spend it.

She grabbed her phone and started texting.

>> Were the white panties the only one you saw?

>> …you know, that day in my lil’ bag-o-fun?

She kept her eyes down as Connor reached for his beeping phone. A tiny flash of amusement flickered over his features, soon followed by a hint of wariness. Good. She liked him off-kilter.

Seconds later, he was texting back. Four quick taps.

>> Yes.

Pause.

>> Why?

She smiled, waiting far longer than she needed to reply.

>> Because I bought a pair of red ones, too.

Another pause. And just the slightest gulp.

>> That’s…interesting. Good for you.

That’s it? Eyes narrowed, she kicked it up a notch.

>> Thx. I like ‘em. Mostly because they’re, well…

She dragged it out. This was too much fun.

>> less ‘conservative’ than the white pair.

A choked throat clearing sputtered out from his end of the dining room.

Excellent.

>> Plus, it’s not ‘easy access,’ but rather…

She tapped the second half of the text out, but purposely didn’t put it through. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Connor practically glaring at his phone.

He broke first.

>> Rather, WHAT?

She clicked send.

>> ALL access.

“Jesus Christ.” It was a hiss more than anything else and oh, so delicious. Now to go in for the kill…

“I’m wearing them now.” She said it aloud instead of texting it. And saw instant, white-hot desire flare up in his eyes.

An answering rush of heat charged through her.

“Abby, we don’t have to do this.” The corners of his mouth softened into a look of genuine affection as he studied her from across the table. “I was wrong. We can most definitely be friends. I’ve really enjoyed this past week with you. More than I’d ever imagined possible.”

“But—”

“No, just listen. You’re special to me, Abby. I hated hearing you say you were going to be just like my other one-month women.” He held her gaze. “You’ll never be ‘just’ anything. Let alone that.”

Emotions swelled up out of her chest. Every day in every way Connor just kept getting more irresistible. “You promised me the one month, Connor. I want it.”

The look in his eyes switched from desire to determination as he walked over to her and held out his hand. “Come outside with me for a bit.”

Abby looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “What? Now?”

“Please. I want to show you something.”

Curiosity overruling her stubbornness, Abby took his outstretched hand and followed him out to the garage. But when he led her over to the second garage door, not the one where he parked his Lexus, she hesitated. “You’re not going to show me some sex dungeon or something in there are you?”

He chuckled. “No. Nothing like that.”

Feeling a buzz of excitement unfurl in her stomach over the unfamiliar, almost childlike joy she saw in his eyes, she turned quickly to see what was behind the mystery door, the slow hum of the rising garage door motor resounding like a drumroll.

“You’re kidding me.”

Beaming proudly, he circled the gunpowder black car, trailing his hand along the hood. “It’s a 1971 Dodge Charger.”