Page 55 of Strictly the Worst

“What the fuck did he do to you?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

“The man who won’t be mentioned,” he continues, softly stroking my hair. It feels good. I close my eyes and let the sensation wash over me. “I don’t know what he did to you to make you feel like you’re not the most beautiful woman on this fucking island, but you need to know you are, Carmichael. You’re gorgeous and you should know it.”

I look up at him, and there are tears in my eyes. “I’m not twenty-five.”

“Thank fuck. Because I’m not either.”

Oh god, this is stupid. I should be under him right now. In the throes of passion. But instead a tear begins running down my cheek.

“Oh fuck.” He brushes his thumb against my skin, scooping the tear away. “Don’t let him ruin this for you. Hasn’t he done enough?”

“I’m sorry. I…”

“You don’t need to be sorry. You don’t ever need to be sorry.” His voice is soothing. “I just hate that he’s made you feel this way.”

“Have you ever made a woman feel this way?” I ask him.

“I try not to,” he says, honesty radiating from him. “My mom, when I was younger. She watched my dad leave her for somebody else. It was hard.”

My stomach tightens. “I’m sorry.”

“I hated seeing her go through that. Promised myself I’d never do it to anybody else.”

I let out a ragged breath. How did I not know this about Linc? How did I not realize just how sweet he can be?

“I’ve had a few longer term relationships,” he tells me. “But we parted amicably.”

“And shorter term ones?”

“I always make sure we both know what we’re getting into.”

I blink. “So what is this?” I ask him.

His lip curls up into a smile. “What do you want it to be?”

“I don’t know.” I frown. “I just… I wanted this. Want you.”

“I want you, too.” His voice is still so soft it’s like a feather. “But not if it makes you cry. I’m not into sleeping with weeping women.”

That makes me laugh and he smiles. “Let’s take the pressure off this. I’ll pour us a drink, you go run the bath. Get in and get relaxed, then call me when you’re ready.”

“What if I’m never ready?” I ask, more to myself than him.

His eyes catch mine. “No pressure, Carmichael. I’ll still hug you all night no matter what.”

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

LINC

I hear the bath starting to fill up as I pour out two glasses of champagne from the minibar and set them on the kitchen counter, then I sneak over to the mirror to make sure I look presentable.

And then I scroll through my phone because I meant it about giving her some space. I’m not the kind of asshole who would try to hurry her. Luckily my brothers’ messages in our Bachelor party chat do that perfectly.

HOLDEN: I thought we said the bachelor party was going to be calm.

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