Page 122 of The Spider & the Storm

“Even the Misfit Toys had each other.”

That made his lips quirk in something close to a reluctant smile.

“You really should go to his wedding,” I added, finally heaving a forkful of rice to my mouth before closing my eyes and nodding with instant approval.

I had to give it to the guy—he sure knew how to cook.

Charlie took a bite and, with his mouth full, said, “I'm thinking about it.”

I poked at a sprig of broccoli and lifted one shoulder. “I told you I’d go. As your plus-one.”

For a second, he looked like he might take me up on the idea, and I hoped he would. But then he shook his head quickly, chasing the thought away.

“It's the day after Thanksgiving. I'm sure you have stuff you have to do. Family and what—”

“Come with me,” I blurted out before I knew what the hell I was saying.

Come with me?Had I really just invited this man I hardly knew to meet my family in Connecticut? And not just my sister and her family, but myparentstoo? The people who had stopped asking if I was ever going to settle down somewhere in my late twenties because I’d “clearly given up on wanting more” from my life?

Their words, not mine.

And for a second, I hoped he'd shoot me down immediately, the way he had when I initially asked him to Blake's party. I hoped he'd scoff and stare at me like a third eye had popped up in the center of my forehead.

But …

Fuck it. No. Iwantedhim to come, and I wasn't going to pretend like I didn't. I wanted him to have a holiday surrounded by people who were at least friendly because God only knew when the last time he'd had that was. I wanted him to be there with me as my date because Ilikedhim, and I wanted my parents and sister to like him too.

The invitation startled him enough to let some rice drop from his fork as he stared across the table at me. I did, in fact, feel like I'd grown a third eye, but I didn't care. All the more to look at him with.

What could I say? The dude was ridiculously hot.

“Please,” I added, holding my fork tight as drunken, disoriented butterflies swarmed around my gut.

Great, I'm begging. That's a new low.

His throat bobbed with a hard swallow. “Y-you haven't asked them or—”

“I don't need to ask. I'll tell them I'm bringing my …” My jaw flapped a few times, as I was unsure of what word to fill that blank with. “Guy … friend.”

He sputtered with a chuckle, one side of his mouth lifting in a genuine smile. “Guy friend?”

“It's much more family-friendly thanguy who makes me come harder than I ever have in my life,” I muttered with a nonchalant shrug.

He snickered. “Okay, lying isn't necessary.”

“I might be a lot of things, Charlie, but a liar has never been one of them.”

His rich brown eyes met mine with a curious tip of his head. I flashed him a smile and asked what that look was for, and he responded with a slow shake of his head.

“You just”—his head continued to shake—“remind me of someone.”

“Someone good, I hope,” I teased, scooping another forkful of rice.

He pulled in a deep breath as the corners of his mouth tugged gently downward. “The best.”

Jesus fuck, he looked sosad. I wanted to get to the bottom of it. I wanted to dig out every one of his secrets and help him carry the load that weighed so heavily on his shoulders.

But before I could comment on the shift in his demeanor, he dropped his eyes back to his food and muttered a quick, “Okay.”

---