Page 75 of Forbidden Vows

“I thought he was just after your cute little punani. The man looked at you like you were something to eat!” She pauses. “There’s a pun in there somewhere, but I’m too tired to find it.”

“Not really. Please continue. And I could do with a little less of the vagina talk.”

Her eyes widen. “You said vagina. Out loud. Good girl.”

“Vagina, vagina, vagina.” I laugh. “Can we go back to sorting my life out now? Please?”

“Anyway, after getting to know him, I could see how much he cares about you. He thinks you shoot rainbows out of your adorable ass, which he couldn’t keep his hands off, by the way.”

“What about how different we are?”

“Meh. Little things. You both love your family. You’re loyal. Hardworking. And you both totally nerd out over renovations. Redoing that house together could last you two a lifetime.”

Her words make me feel warm where I was empty. “Do you think I was a fling?”

“I honestly don’t.” She shakes her head. “Every choice he made, he put your comfort and safety first. A man like that isn’t after sex. He’s after forever.”

Her words hit me straight in the heart.Forever.That’s what I want. I just didn’t know if it could be with him.

I can tell she’s waning, but I’ve depleted her serious emotional talk energy, so I get one more question while I can. “We’re so different. How would it ever work?”

She thinks for a moment, then looks at me. “Every bad boy needs a good girl backing him up.”

I’m stunned. She’s stunned me.

“I’m sooo glad I could finally make you speechless. Thought you were gonna try and talk all night.” She pats my thigh. “Look, I’d love to sit here and watch you eat cookies, but this problem has an easy solution, and I’ve got to go to bed.”

“Night.”

“Don’t stay up too late.” She kisses the top of my head as she departs.

I feel sick from too much sugar and heartache, but underlying my bad choices, there’s a glimmer of hope in my heart. Could we work? Could we be an us? I clean up aftermy pity party, then pad to my tiny room to dig my toothbrush from my overnight bag, her words repeating as I rummage through the clothing.

Every bad boy needs a good girl to back him up.

If Blaze wants this girl to be the one to support him, why did he say goodbye for good?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Blaze

I refuse to ruin this shower, torturing myself over things I’m not smart enough to figure out. For example, why didn’t I press her more when she said she had feelings? Why didn’t I beg her to stay? Why the hell did I offer her the alternative of stupid, boring Nathan?

I should have been more honest about how much I love her. How long I’ve loved her for.

Would it have made a difference?

I never should have said goodbye. But that would have been selfish. Tearing her away from the classroom of kids she was so eager to advance with? Her best friend? The only city she’s ever known?

I squeeze a massive amount of slippery pearl-colored body wash into my palm and cup it around my cock. The only thing that’s going to clear my mind is a good, hard orgasm. As I stroke my shaft, all I can think of is her. Flashes of herbreasts, her belly, her ass invade my mind. I hear the memory of her sighs, her pleading, begging me to make her come.

It's not working. I’m desperate for the real thing. I rinse off, dry, and dress, dragging myself through the motions.

I head to the café, hoping coffee will lift my desperate mood. I slept none, tossing and turning without her in my arms. I tried to watch a movie to cheer me up, but it only made me miss her more.

As I leave the house, I see that the guys are finishing up with a project in the yard that I previously commissioned. Seeing the final product makes a rock settle in my stomach and an emptiness burn in my chest. I was a fool.

I’ll have them take it down tomorrow.

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