Page 123 of The Bad Girl List

I brace myself for the impact of my words. They seem like a horrible thing to say after everything he’s said and done, after everything he’s shared with me about his first fiancée.

Trevor’s brow furrows, but he doesn’t get angry. His hands tighten around me and he leans forward to rest his forehead against mine. The ends of his hair tickle my face.

“I can understand why you might think that.” His breath feathers the top of my nose. “But you have to know I’m not the person I was when I fell in love with Elle. She changed me when I fell in love with her, and she changed me when she died. She made me the person I am today. She made me the man who wants to be with you. I care about you, Dom. And I … I know this might sound bizarre, but I think she gave us her blessing.”

He proceeds to tell me a story about blue butterflies, and a grave in the vineyard that holds all the keepsakes from his time with Elle.

“I don’t think it’s an accident that you saw blue butterflies outside my house, and I don’t think it’s an accident that you picked them for your tattoo,” Trevor says. “I think Elle has been here all along, watching over me. And when the person I’m supposed to be with came along, she did everything in her power to make sure I noticed.”

My heart constricts with emotion. I swallow as a few unbidden tears leak out of my eyes. Of all the things he might have said to put my heart at ease, I never expected this.

Trevor wipes my tears away with his thumb and smiles tenderly at me. “We’re not a mistake, Dom, and we’re not a fluke. I think we’re meant to be. I know we just met. I know this seems like a conversation we should be having six months or a year from now, and I know I’m coming on strong, but I don’t know how to be any other way with you. Hell, even my dog thinks we’re perfect for each other.”

As soon as he says this, Tequila barks. She scrambles out of her dog bed and hops over to us, tail wagging.

“Dad,” Trevor says in his mock-dog voice, “I told you she’s the one for you. What does a dog have to do to get her human to pay attention once in a while? I mean, even your crazy dad who sounds like an elephant knew she was the right one. You need to have her name and phone number added to my dog tags ASAP.”

Tequila barks, trying to balance on her single back leg to put her paws up on us. Happy tears gush out of my eyes as I fall against Trevor, laughing.

“You are so weird,” I say.

“I’m the weirdo who’s crazy about you.”

When he kisses me again, all I want to do is take his clothes off. I run my hands over his ass and squeeze. He returns the favor by cupping a breast and rubbing a nipple through the dress.

“Maybe we don’t have to leave right now,” I say, my voice hoarse from the rush of arousal making me hot. “We could leave in, like, five minutes.”

He grinds his hip against me, letting me feel how hard he is. “I need a lot more than five minutes.”

“Mmm.” I suck at his bottom lip before firmly stepping back. “In that case, we’d better wait until next weekend. My family will not let me hear the end of it if they have to pay a penalty fee for a late check-out.”

“Only if you promise to let me have unlimited access to your body next weekend.”

“I’m pretty sure that can be arranged.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.” He bends down to kiss me gently on the forehead.

As we walk together, hand in hand, out his back slider door, I feel light on my feet. Tequila yips, hopping along behind us.

“I think she wants to ride into town with us,” I say.

His eyes crinkle with a warm smile. “She just doesn’t want you to leave us.” He pats his leg and says, “Come on, girl.”

Tequila’s tail wags and she barrels past us, yipping on her way to the car. She runs straight past the Beamer in the carport and up to the beat-up truck parked beside it.

“Oh, look,” Trevor says. “She must smell the bad battery in the truck. She’s hoping we’ll get stranded on the side of the road and you’ll miss your ride home.”He grabs me around the waist and swings me around. “You’d be forced to stay with us indefinitely.”

“Your truck has been known to get into mischief,” I reply. “It made me have a picnic with you against my will.”

“Lucky for you,” Trevor says. “That was a great picnic.”

“I’m not sure I’d call it great. There wasn’t a good make-out session.”

He laughs. “I’ll make it up to you. Next time you come up to stay with me, I’ll take you on a real picnic.” He wiggles his eyebrows and smiles suggestively. “Come on, we should take the Beamer. I still need to get a new battery for the truck.”

I slide into the front seat of the BMW. Tequila hops in with me, making herself comfortable on the floor between my feet. “I think this car is better for her. It’s lower to the ground.”

“Maybe I’ll have to start driving it more.” He wrinkles his nose at the thought.

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