Page 49 of Fiery Romance

“If you must know, we’re in an open relationship.”

“Ah.” It’s one syllable and yet it’s the most sarcastic sound I’ve ever heard in my life.

My hackles rise. “Monogamy is a big commitment. Most men are biologically incapable of being with one woman, but not Taz. I was his first and only girlfriend. We spent half of our life together. We’re practically an old married couple without the marriage license. That’s a lot for someone who’s not even thirty. Of course he’d want to see what’s out there before he comes back and spends the rest of his life with me. It’s only right that he gets a chance to figure himself out before we do that.”

Bolton has both eyebrows raised. “So he promised he’d marry you?”

“I have the promise ring in my drawer.”

“What a way to propose to a girl. ‘I love you. I want to be with you forever. But first I want to sleep with other women’.”

I bristle. “Anything sounds stupid if you say it like that.”

His eyes cut into me. “Or maybe it just sounds stupid.”

“You’re stupid.”

He laughs. “Okay.”

“This way, he’ll have… whatever it is out of his system and he’ll be ready to settle down like we always planned,” I say snootily.

Clay pins his lips together.

Inside, I get restless. “What?”

“I am not touching that with a baseball bat.” He glances at his dashboard.

“You might as well speak your mind. Your face is saying all kinds of things.”And not nice things either.

“We don’t have enough time for me to speak my thoughts. We’re almost there.” He gestures to the road.

“Give me the Cliffs Notes version then.”

Clay slides me a quick glance before facing forward again. “I’ll be honest, a man who can’t commit now, isn’t going to commit in the future. Marriage doesn’t change anything about a person. It just shows you all the flaws you had in the first place.”

“Taz and I are solid. I didn’t give you the full story because there’s actually a lot more—” I stop when I see Bolton smiling again. “What’s so funny?”

“You asked for my opinion, remember?”

“Fine. Talk.” I gesture to him and sink petulantly into my chair. The salon is coming into view. This really can’t last that long anyway.

“Second, going through personal drama is not an excuse to be a,” he pauses, “‘cheap, twenty-five dollar plastic wig with synthetic, allergy-causing, cess-pool lowlife’ to the people around you.”

I cover my mouth to hide my laughter. “Oh gosh. Did you memorize all that?”

He stops the car. “We’re here.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but did you have a third one?”

His eyes lock on mine. The intensity in them sends nerves shooting through my body.

“Third, you deserve better than that, Island Hayes. And there’s a part of me that wants to show you.”

“Show me what?” I ask, my throat tight.

“How a man acts when he truly values a woman.”

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