Page 5 of Accidentally, Scandalously Yours

His brows arch. “That seems unlikely.”

“That’s because you don’t think like a woman.”

“You’ll need to enlighten me.”

“Every woman in New York wants to date you, and that’s not an exaggeration. We’re all sure we’re the one who will change you. But your track record really doesn’t lend any credence to that, so broken hearts lie scattered through the streets of this city.”

“We’reall sure?”

My use of that word was a slip of the tongue, but the way he’s asking, combined with the way he’s looking at me like he really wants to know the answer causes my reply to tumble out of my mouth without hesitation. “Yes,we’re.”

He likes my answer.

A lot.

That’s written all over his face.

“It’s a shame you’re pining over another man.”

“Because?”

“Because I would have liked to know what you had in mind to change me.”

I have to work hard to keep my hands to myself. I’ve never wanted to touch a man as much as I want to touch Bradford right now.

Deep down, I suspect tonight will be all we have together. The timing is off for anything else. While that makes me sad, it also forces me into action. We’ve got one night to feel this spark, and I want to make the most of it.

“Do you know what I think?” I ask.

“I’d like to know as many of your thoughts as you’d like to share.”

That statement gets me bothered in the kind of sexy way that no flirting or foreplay ever has. Not one guy I’ve dated has been this interested in my thoughts. “I’ve got no plans for the rest of the night and would like you to change that. I want you to show me your favorite parts of this city and I’ll show you mine too. And when my glass slippers become too much for my feet, I want you to carry me home on your back before we say goodbye and go back to our lives.”

The smile that spreads instantly across his face lets me know how much he approves of this idea. “I’ll say yes to all of that so long as we add food to our list of things we need tonight. I’m starving.”

I stand, pulling him up. “Deal. But just so you know, I’ve barely eaten for a month, and I intend on rectifying that tonight. I may break your back when you carry me home.”

He looks stunned. “Amonth? Jesus. We’re getting food first.”

With that, he takes my hand in his, holds it firmly like he doesn’t intend on letting it go anytime soon, and leads me out of the party.

My last thought as the twinkle lights fade from my vision is that maybe princes really do exist.

2

Bradford

Kristen Blaise is a beautiful contradiction. I’ve now spent almost four hours with her and am bewitched by her beauty, but even more than that I’m captivated by her mind. To the world, she projects a cool confidence, seemingly indifferent at times, but she’s showing me a different side. One minute, she’s keeping it light and laughing easily with me; the next, she’s going deeper and offering thoughtful opinions on a variety of topics. Anything and everything from movies, to books, to politics, to climate change, to existential dilemmas.

We’ve walked a great deal of Manhattan since leaving the rooftop party and she’s taken me to some of her favorite parts of the city. Tacos from a food truck were first on her list of favorites. I struggled to take my eyes off her as she devoured a chicken taco, a pork taco, and chips with guacamole. The joy that covered her entire face as she ate was the kind of joy I don’t see often enough.

When she realized I was doing more watching than eating, she tilted her head, and said, “You’re looking at me like you’ve never seen a woman eat.”

“That’s because I’ve never seen a woman inhale her food like you are,” I’d replied.

Barely skipping a beat, she’d taken another bite of her food, grinned at me, and said, “You need to up your dating game. Switch the fancy restaurants for taco food trucks.”

“Your boyfriend takes you on dates to food trucks?” I’d asked. It astounded me just how much I wanted to know the answer to that question.

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