Page 78 of Fierce- Royce

He sighed. “I don’t know. Just a thought. I didn’t want you to be in this alone.”

“I’m not,” she said. This was where she actually felt bad that the one person who had her back her whole life didn’t know what was going on in her personal life.

But she reminded herself she didn’t always fill him in on her dating life either and this wasn’t much different.

She wasn’t lying. Royce was a friend first and became her boyfriend later.

“Are you sure?” Dane asked.

“I am. Money isn’t an issue either.”

“I know,” Dane said. “I’m here if you need me. Just remember that.”

“I will. Thanks, Dane.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

“I’m great. I really am.”

She hung up the phone and realized that, yes, she really was. Or she was getting there.

And to prove it, she texted her boyfriend to let him know she wanted another date tonight. Not out, but at his house.

Private. Just the two of them.

But something fun.

She needed some fun in her life now.

28

The Shock Factor

“You’re in a good mood,” Royce said to her later that night. “I wasn’t sure what to expect when you said Raina and Megan found out.”

“I didn’t know how I’d react, but there was some relief with it too,” she said.

“That’s good,” he said. “I know you aren’t ready to announce it to anyone and, to be honest, that’s not my style.”

“Mine either,” she said. “We’ll have to figure that out when the time comes. I’m all for the shock factor.”

He laughed. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. “Meaning what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe walking over and giving you a big kiss in front of everyone.”

He pulled her toward him. “That sounds like fun, but for now we can push it from our minds.”

“I can do that,” she said. “I know I said I wanted a date tonight so it’s all in this bag. And I appreciate you accommodating me, as I know you’re busy. We’d said before that we wouldn’t have expectations last minute and here I went and did that.”

That was the last thing he wanted her to say. She wanted to see him and she didn’t ask for much and he was damn well going to make it work.

“And I made the time easily,” he said. Besides, that was their agreement before. It was different now. He smelled something spicy but wasn’t sure what was going on with her plans. “What’s that?”

“Chicken wings,” she said. “Two dozen, different flavors and you’ve got beer. Upstairs you’ve got darts and a pool table. Sounds like a great date to me.”

“Shit yeah,” he said. Never in a million years did he think he’d find a woman that would think that was an ideal date. And this was another part of the reason he had no problem shifting things for her. It’s like she was giving him something he needed without knowing.

“I’ve got clothes for tomorrow. I hope it wasn’t too forward of me to plan on staying the night?”

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