Page 38 of Romancing the Rude Guy

“Is that really what you think?” The straps of my purse dig into my fingers as I clutch it.

“You said so yourself, Alice. Marcus is disabled.”

“But you are disabled!” I protest, wondering what I’ve done so terribly wrong. Yes, I touched his chair, which is apparently a huge faux pas. I didn’t know! All he had to do was tell me and now that I do know it won’t happen again.

He nods. “Yes, I am. There’s no forgetting that.” His face is full of pain as he blows out a short, harsh sigh. “But for a while with you, I didn’t feel like just that disabled guy in the wheelchair.”

“Well, you’re always going to be that guy.” I say, feeling a pain deep in my chest at the way his eyes brim with hurt at my words. “That rude, sarcastic guy in the wheelchair.”

His entire body sags in his chair as his eyes fall away from mine.

“That guy who builds car models with me, who makes me pancakes with chocolate chips even though he doesn’t like them, and the one who kisses me like I’m someone special.”

I take a trembling step towards him and then another.

“The man that doesn’t rush to open doors for me just to check out my ass or feel me up. The one that didn’t get all giddy with dollar signs in his eyes when he saw my car or found out what my job title is.”

Swallowing hard, I take two more steps until I’m standing right in front of him. “I don’t want you to stop being him.”

His head slowly lifts, and his already deflated body seems to collapse more into itself. “Alice, I-” Marcus clamps his firm lips close and blinks.

Slow tears weave down his hard face as he heaves another breath and meets my incredulous gaze.

“I should rush to open doors for you. And I AM in awe of your car and job. You are amazing.” He shakes his head and lets out a shaky laugh. “Not just for those things, or for your ass- which is pretty damn fantastic- but for a million other reasons and ways.”

He pushes himself up straighter. “I worry I’m going to wake up one morning in a puddle of piss-”

I gasp and he laughs.

“It’s happened before, and it might happen again. But I’m going to wake up at one of my lowest points and you’re going to be gone because you’ve realized that you can have any man you want so why settle for me.”

“But you’re the man I want you,” I say simply.

His eyes go wide, and I use that moment to take the final step that brings me to him, and I plop down on his lap.

Marcus’s arms wrap around me, holding me tightly to him as if he’s afraid I’m going to suddenly get away. “I’m not going to let you change your mind,” he growls before slamming his mouth over mine.

Happiness, relief, and joy explode within me as his lips move against mine.

He pulls away first. “I love you so much, Alice,” he confesses in a hoarse voice.

“I love you,” I tell him, looping my hands around his neck and smiling. “Now why don’t we go inside, and you can show me how sorry you are for telling me I deserved a dickhead like Troy.”

Marcus chuckles. “You’re not going to let me forget that one, are you?”

I place a loud, smacking kiss on his nose. “Nope.”

He grins. “Fair enough.”

Slowly he wheels us up the ramp in the garage leading into the house and I can’t help noticing the way he grimaces. “You hurt yourself, didn’t you?”

Sighing, he nods. “Yeah, I did.”

“How bad is it? Do you need a doctor?”

“No, but I probably do need a few days of rest.”

I start to get off his lap when his arms band around me. “You’re not going anywhere.”

---