Page 62 of Crazy Imperfect Hearts

My entire body stiffens. “Holy shit. What happened?”

“The school security cameras showed him breaking into my apartment. They arrested him for that and the cat, but he was only found guilty of the break-in because he took a plea. It still makes my skin crawl that he got away with murdering Chandler.”

Finally understanding her feline naming nomenclature, part of me wants to laugh. I hold it in, however, because what she’s telling me is so utterly disgusting.

“Did he go to jail?”

“Only for ninety days. Then he was on probation for three years with strict orders to never contact me.”

“Has he ever contacted you?”

“No.”

“Good.” I breathe a little easier. “He’s the reason you learned self-defense, isn’t he? And that dickwad is the reason you can’t have an orgasm with a guy.”

“Yup.”

“Is he also the reason you’ve never married?”

“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I decided long ago that book boyfriends are so much better.”

“Book boyfriends?”

“You know, guys in books. Fictional characters. I do own a bookstore, you know. Unlimited fantasies at my fingertips.”

“And an arsenal of toys in your bedside table?”

She laughs. “Yeah. And that.” Her eyelids flutter. She wasn’t kidding. She really is tired.

“Regan?”

“Mmm?” she says sleepily.

“I’ll quit smoking. Once you get pregnant, I’ll quit. Okay?”

“Mmm…. kay… good,” she says drifting off to sleep.

I watch her face relax, selfishly hoping she didn’t get pregnant this time.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with me not wanting to quit smoking yet.

Chapter Twenty-one

Regan

Sunlight coming through the window wakes me. I must have forgotten to draw the curtains. Rolling away from the light, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep, I bump into something. I put my arms out to pet Joey, only, it’s not him. My eyes fly open to find I’m caressing Lucas’s arm.

“What the…?” I quickly take stock. He’s fully clothed, but I’m totally naked. Under the covers, but naked. “Why are you still here?”

Lucas wakes, looks around to get his bearings, then rolls to his side. “Sorry. Guess I fell asleep right after you did.”

“Well, get up and go.” I pull the blanket tightly around me. “And use the back door so nobody sees you.” I shake my head. “We have to be more careful.”

“Relax,” he says. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. We’ve been doing this all of one day and we already violated our own agreement. No overnight guests.” I reach over and try to push him off the bed. It doesn’t do any good. He doesn’t budge. Of course he doesn’t—he’s two hundred pounds of pure muscle.

“Technically the agreement isn’t in effect until the baby comes.” He works his chin with a few fingers. “And I didn’t think that rule applied tous.”

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