Page 57 of Truly, Madly, Deeply

Caitlin shot Truly an appraising look over her shoulder. “I don’t know. Do you?”

Before she could unpack that, her phone vibrated from inside the back pocket of her jeans. “Sorry, one sec.”

She tugged her phone free and unlocked the screen.

Colin (4:56 p.m.): How many covert pizzle jokes do you think we can make today before my sister catches on?

Colin (4:56 p.m.): Also, where are you? Caitie’s getting on my last nerve.

“Oooh, that’s a big smile. Special someone?”

“Um. Maybe?” Truly pocketed her phone. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Ah, gotta love a maybe. Maybe you’ll get married! Maybe they’ll break your heart, crush your soul, and send you back to therapy! Who the hell knows?” Caitlin grinned and opened the door to the studio, gesturing her through with an exaggerated wave. “After you, my dear.”

Truly slipped inside the room and—that was unfair.

In the center of Caitlin’s ostentatious yellow sectional, Colin sat, long legs spread, bent elbows resting on his knees, phone cradled in his hands, the sleeves of his baby-blue button-down rucked up, revealing a swath of beauty-marked skin she wanted to put her mouth all over.

Taste, trace, mark.

Want, take, have.

She must’ve made a noise, a soft utterance of desire escaping her lips, because Colin looked up, brown eyes catching hers from across the room. Their gazes met, locked, her breath stalling, a quiet but not inaudible catch in her throat.

“St. James.” Colin set his phone aside. “Long time no see.”

Something inside her stomach fluttered. “Miss me, McCrory?”

He laughed and the butterflies trapped inside her chest fluttered frantically. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

She wouldn’t dream of it.

Chapter Ten

“And that’s all the time we have today, folks. Thank you ever so much for listening and we all hope you enjoyed this extra special episode of Unhinged wherein we discussed what to do when you accidentally find an engagement ring in your significant other’s sock drawer and you really don’t want to marry them, along with how to cope after running into your parents on—gasp—a swingers’ cruise. Join me, your host, Caitlin McCrory, this Thursday for our regularly scheduled episode wherein I’ll be chatting with local sexpert McKenna Manansala about everything from upgrading your orgasm with toys to how to remove come stains from cashmere because, hey-o, we’ve all been there, haven’t we?”

Colin’s expression went pained and he muttered something that sounded an awful lot like please shoot me, under his breath.

Caitlin waggled her fingers at the camera. “As always, a gentle reminder to subscribe and leave a glowing review because my rent un-fucking-fortunately does not pay itself. And if you want to tell your friends and the most open-minded members of your family to check me out, who the hell am I to say no? Until next time, Unhinged fam.”

Caitlin pointed finger guns at the camera and winked before reaching for the remote.

“Another episode for the books.” Caitlin stretched her arms over her head, back cracking. “Any fun plans tonight, Truly?”

“If by fun plans, you mean a hot date with a box of Kraft mac ’n’ cheese eaten in front of my computer while I revise, then yeah, totally.”

“Wow, not to be a bitch, but that sounds tragic.” Caitlin stood. “Back me up, Colin.”

“It does. Neon-orange powder should not be allowed to call itself cheese. That’s—that’s dairy sacrilege.”

“Dairy sacrilege? Who are you, the pope of pasteurized milk?” Truly laughed. “It’s cheese product, McCrory. It comes out of a box. I think you overestimate my standards while I’m on deadline. My diet mostly consists of mac ’n’ cheese, frozen pizza, and Chinese takeout.”

Colin full-body cringed.

“Ignore him.” Caitlin laughed. “He’s a food snob. But it’s Saturday and those are some of the worst weekend plans I’ve ever heard. Let me buy you a drink.”

“And a real meal,” Colin muttered.

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