Page 72 of Captivating Mr. Second Chance

It was too early in the morning to dissect the relationship she’d had with Bobby, and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Because I don’t want to. He doesn’t deserve any more of my time or energy.”

A frustrated sound left Ethan a split second before his mouth was on her chest, and she shrieked out her shock, knocking her cell phone from his hand. “What’re you doing?”

“Youdon’t have any more time or energy, but I’ve got plenty,” he said as Laney got a look at the photo on her screen. Ethan had taken a picture of him sucking on her nipple, his eyes glaring at the screen, his hand possessively around her breast.

“What’s this for?”

“Send it to him,” he said, sitting up. “Tell him you’re done.”

She started to laugh but stopped. “You’re serious.”

He lifted his shoulder, seemingly unbothered. “You said he keeps calling and texting you, so tell him to stop. Tell him you moved on. Tell him whatever you want, but you don’t need to put up with him contacting you.”

She pulled the sheet up to her neck, feeling overly exposed at the moment. “I have moved on.”

“Okay. Then why don’t you block him?”

“Do you want me to block him?”

He crawled closer to her, and the jealous glint that previously darkened his eyes was replaced by concern as they rounded. “I would never tell you what to do.”

“But you suggested it.”

He held her face between his hands. “Because I don’t want you to be upset, and I can see that you are.”

“I’m not.”

He flattened his mouth.

“Not really,” she corrected.

“I know you can’t say no people—apparently not even to assbags like him—but this one time, I think you need to.”

Laney pouted. She could say no to people. She did it all the time.Would you like a refill? No, thank you. Can you meet at two? No.“I can say no,” she mumbled, and he smiled into a kiss. “I can!”

“So prove it. He keeps reaching out, and you don’t want him to, so I think you’ve got to either talk to him and put it to bed or block him.”

She nodded, but after everything went down, even after Bobby had made her feel completely worthless and exchangeable, she still had trouble convincing herself she could do it.

Delaney Hargrove was raised to be polite at all times, to be sugar and spice and everything nice. She made friends with everyone, was a shining example to her community, and would never dream of making anyone uncomfortable or distressed.

Even if it madeheruncomfortable or distressed.

“Lane,” Ethan said, knocking his knuckles into her thigh, capturing her attention from her mental confusion. She turned to him, and he dropped his head toward his shoulder, smiling. “I love you.”

She raised her arms to hug him, the sheet dropping down to her waist, and he threw himself at her, tackling her back to the pillows. When she screeched out a laugh, he chuckled, nipping at her throat. “Love that laugh too.”

He smooched loud kisses on her shoulders, across her chest, and up her neck until she was a giggling mess. “Stop! Stop!” She smacked at his shoulder, trying to wiggle out from under him. “You’re making me claustrophobic.”

He lifted his head a few inches, hitting her with a suspicious glare. “You’re not claustrophobic.”

“You’re not letting me up.” She dug her index finger into his left pec until he howled.

“Hey!” Then he went after her again. “You’re never getting away now.” He tickled her sides as she thrashed under him.

“Come on,” she whined, locking her hands around his wrists in an attempt to push him away. “Don’t you have to work?”

He grumbled and stopped fighting her, only to drop his dead weight on her.

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