Page 118 of I Got You

“Maggie, I’m no saint, but those women only wanted to hook up with my name until they were ready to move on to the next guy.”

Ah. There’s something in that. “There had to be at least one or two nice, honest women?”

“Dating isn’t my forte.”

“Big guy, I’m married to you, and I don’t buy that for one second. Although I imagine it would be difficult to sift through all that fool’s gold to find the real gem.”

“I kept to myself and played the game, not the field.” He pushes off the counter, closing the short distance between us, and rests his hands on my hips. His freshly showered skin is still warm and smells so good. He leans down, speaking softly in my ear. “And you’ve said before that I’ve seen bigger and better. Firefly, there’s no comparison to what you’ve got going on.”

He releases me and steps around me to move into the bedroom. I’m left utterly speechless, with my mouth hanging so far open I might need a snow shovel to help me get it off the floor.

It takes me a minute, but I spin. “Wait, how do you know what I’ve got going on? I mean…I know the whole fake mouse thing had me in a bit of a revealing state, but I kept my bits hidden.” Shane ignores me, sitting on the bed and scrolling on his phone. “Grizz?”

He looks at me from underneath his dark eyelashes. “I saw you strip that day I was sick,” he says flippantly like it’s no big deal.

My mouth falls open again at his admission. “That…You….” I don’t know what to say, and he dares to smirk. “I don’t even know what to say right now. I don’t know if I should be mad or…flattered about what you just said. You suck. You know that?”

Shane laughs, and I can’t help my smile. It is the most incredible sound.

“Maggie, go get your hot little butt in the shower so I can read to you, and we can get some sleep.”

I squint at him. “Is there a class you men take to teach you to say things like that?”

“Like what?” he asks, and I turn my back to him, pull my shirt over my head, and throw it at him before closing the door in his face.

The smug little… Gah. I love him. Crap.

Chapter 45

SHANE

I tug on my tie, ready to yank it off, and this whole thing hasn’t even started yet. The last time I was in a suit was when Maggie and I got married, and the memory stirs something foreign in my belly. The neck on this shirt feels two sizes too small, and I can only imagine what Maggie feels like in certain dresses.

“Well, don’t you look dashing?” Gwen steps into the living room, where I’m waiting for Maggie to finish getting ready. “That tie brings out the green in your eyes.”

I look down at the purple and navy tie Maggie picked out and try to adjust it again to make it more tolerable.

“He looks like a prince,” Liv says, hugging my leg. “Can I go with you? I want you to dance with me like Belle and the Beast.”

I pick her up, tickling her side. “Are you saying I’m a beast?” I growl as she squirms.

She puts her hands on my face, holding it still. “The beast is really the prince, and he dances with Belle.”

I run my hand down her braid. “You can’t go this time, but maybe some other time.” Even though I hate dancing, I’d dance with Liv because I’ll do anything she asks. She sticks out her bottom lip as I set her down, and then she’s off, twirling around the room.

I hear Maggie’s heels approaching, and she steps around the corner. I’ve seen beautiful women, but she’s in a league of her own. Her navy blue dress hangs off her shoulders, leaving her collarbone and chest exposed except for a layered gold necklace. The material hugs her body, cinching her tiny waist and hips with a large ruffle that flows around her thighs.

I can’t even speak, and as if she recognizes it, her lips turn up into a shy smile. She runs a hand down her stomach, looking at her gold strappy heels that have to be at least three inches.

“I’m not sure how long I’m going to last in these, so we should probably get going.”

“You look…stunning,” I say, unable to find words to do her justice.

Her smile grows wider, and she steps towards me, running her hands over my shoulders and resting them on my chest. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

Gwen clears her throat. “Well, Liv and I are going to start dinner. You two have a wonderful time this evening.”

They leave the room, and my hands find Maggie’s hips, holding her in place. Her short waves fall around her face, resting near her shoulders. Her blue eyes are even more intense with the color of her dress.

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