Page 43 of Her Pretty Words

“Why’s that?”

“How have you of all people never been in a r-relationship?” she says slowly.

“Me of all people?”

“You’re hot,” she clarifies.

“You think I’m hot?” I grin.

“You’re tall and muscled and have a good face.” She shrugs and then shoots me a pointed look. “Don’t let it get to your head.” She sighs. “You can’t help me then.”

“Because I’ve never cheated on someone?”

She nods quickly, leaning to the side as if she can’t control her own body.How much has she had to drink?

“Maybe I can still help you.”

She stares at me for a while, her eyes tracing my features before she says, “I was going to ask what it was about your girlfriend that made you cheat on her.”

My teeth ache as I tightly clench my jaw, trying to keep my composure. “Has someone cheated on you?”

She groans. “Don’t remind me.”

“Wally?”

“Walter,”she corrects. “But yes, he cheated on me.” She looks thoughtful for a moment. “Do you think it was because of my eyes?”

“Your eyes?”

“They’re so big. Maybe he wanted someone with smaller eyes.”

I get down from the coffee table and kneel before her. “Stop. Your eyes are lovely. I could stare at them all day and never grow bored,” I tell her honestly. “If Walter slept with other women, it’s because he doesn’t have an ounce of respect for you. And I’m sorry if that’s harsh, but it hasnothingto do with you and everything to do with him,” I say with complete conviction.“That moron doesn’t deserve such an exceptional woman by his side. And you certainly don’t deserve to be with a fool.”

“I let him disrespect me.I’mthe fool.”

I frame her face in my hands, taking in the pretty freckles lining her nose. “You are not a fool. You have a big heart, and I know enough about you to know you wanted to see the good in him. You can’t fault yourself for loving someone. You just loved the wrong person, but now you can give that love to someone who deserves it.” My eyes search hers, and I realize as I capture the expression on her face, that I want it to be me.

I want to be a man worthy of her heart.

She reaches for the hem of her shirt and struggles to pull it up. I still her hand. “What are you doing?”

She leans into me, and before I can tell what she’s trying to do, she kisses me. I pull away. “You’re drunk, Macy.”

She smiles seductively, but her eyelids droop from the alcohol. “Fuck me, Grayson.” Her lips curl around the words but they are all wrong.

“No.”

She winces.

“I’m not touching you right now, Mace,” I say gently.

“You don’t want to?”

“I’d be more than willing to take you to my bed when you are sober and if you still want to.” I brush my thumb over her cheek and then grab the water she got for herself off the coffee table. “Drink this.”

She takes a single sip and hands it back, so I shake my head. “Drink all of it for me please.”

She slowly gulps the entire thing, wiping her top lip when she’s finished.

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