Tangled (The Tangled Series)(76)

Edward Cullen can take his stupid heroin and OD on it. Kate is my own personal brand of Viagra.

“When I knew I was in love with you.”

Have you noticed that Kate hasn’t returned any of my “I love you”s? I certainly have. But like I said—I try not to put much faith in words. Actions tell you more. And every move Kate makes tells me that we’re on the same page.

Still, I’m kind of curious.

“When?”

She leans forward and kisses my eyes…my cheeks…and then the tip of my nose before planting a sweet one on my lips. Then she leans back. “Do you remember that day in my office? After Billy and I broke up, and I was crying?”

I nod.

“I should have been devastated—I was—for a little while. But then you came in, and you put your arms around me. And I never wanted you to let go. It was like everything I’d always needed, anything I’d ever wanted, was right there in front of me. And that’s when I knew. That, somehow, you’d sucked me in, and I was totally in love with you.” She laughs softly. “I was so scared…”

I bet.

“…because I never in a million years thought you’d feel the same way.”

I brush my thumb across her beautiful bottom lip. “I already did, Kate. I just didn’t know it.”

She smiles and lays her head back down on the pillow. Her voice is soft and sincere.

“Yeah. You can be a real dumbass sometimes.”

Was that what you thought she was going to say? Me neither.

“Excuse me?”

She cocks a brow smugly. “I’m just saying, if you look at our history—”

Before she can finish, I’ve got her pinned under me, her back to my chest. “Those are fighting words Kate.” My fingers travel down her ribs slowly. Torturously. She starts to squirm, and her ass rubs against my cock.

It’s nice.

“Take it back.”

“No.”

My fingers move light and fast over her. Tickling her without mercy.

“Say, ‘Drew Evans is a god. A brilliant, genius god.’”

She bucks and shrieks, “Drew! Stop! Stop!”

I don’t let up. “Ask me nicely and maybe I will. Beg me for it.”

She laughs even while she’s screaming. “Never!”

You know what they say about never, don’t you?

Oh yeah—this is going to be fun.





She begged.

Did you have any doubt? Then she got on top of me, and I was the one begging.

Now I’m lying with my head at Kate’s feet, massaging them. Her head’s on my thigh. Want to know how we ended up in this position? Nah—I’ll let you use your imagination.

“So, what did Alexandra say to you?” I ask her.

“Mmm?”

I bend my elbow and rest my head on my hand so I can see Kate’s face. She looks completely exhausted. Worn out. Un-gently used. It’s a really good look for her.

“The other day, in your office, before you agreed to go out with me. You seemed different. More…receptive. Did she threaten you?”

She chuckles drowsily and cracks her eyes open. “No, no threats. She told me to think like the professional woman I am. To look at you like a business venture. That every investment has risks, but I have to weigh them against the payoff. She said based on your most recent performance, you’re a risk worth taking.”

Good strategy. I should have thought of that.

“I should send her flowers.”

Her hand rubs my thigh. “But that’s not what convinced me to give you another chance.”

My brow wrinkles. “No?”

“Nope.”

“Then what did?”

She swings around till her head’s on my chest, and there’s not a breath of space between us.

“Mackenzie.”

“How’d she pull it off?”

“She told me a story about how you took her to Central Park last summer. And a boy threw sand at her.”

I remember that day. I was just about to offer a six-year-old fifty bucks to dropkick the little f*cker.

“And then he came up to her and said he was sorry. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted to play with him again. And she said that you told her that sometimes boys are stupid. And a lot of times they do stupid things. So, once in a while, she should take pity on them. And if they say they’re sorry, she should give them a second chance. Not a third or a fourth…but you told her that everyone deserves a second chance.” She pauses. And laughs. “And then you told her if he did it again she should kick him in the balls.”

All girls should know how to defend themselves. A well-aimed kick will do it every time.

It’s kind of amazing, don’t you think? If it wasn’t for my perfect niece, we might not be here right now.

“Maybe I should buy her two ponies.”

Kate smiles. And her eyes gaze up at me in that way I now crave. Like I mean everything to her.

“You have no sense of self-preservation, do you?”

I shake my head. “No, not at the moment. I’m too focused on…fornication.”

She brings her knee up around my hip. “I’m going to make you so happy, Drew Evans.”