Poppy whirled around at the sound of my voice. Her one-shouldered dress was covered with colorful swirling stripes. I suppose it was made by some famous designer, but it looked like something I could get at Target for $14.99.
"I wish I had never laid eyes on you," she snapped at me, striding past. Then she paused and turned around to face me. "Just so we're clear, that wasn't a death threat, Miss Paranoia. I don't want the coppers to come banging down my door."
Then she laughed and walked away. Through the open door, I saw Daniel make a beeline for her. He reached for her in a solicitous way, but she raised her hand and kept walking, completely blowing him off. Daniel's jaw clenched. Then he turned around and drove his
SUSPICION
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fist into one of the columns near the wall. I flinched as a few people nearby yelped in surprise. Then Daniel took off out the back door of the hotel, his hand tucked under his arm.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"That was Daniel not controlling his infamous temper," Upton replied, placing his hands on my shoulders from behind. "You look gorgeous, by the way," he said in my ear, sending a thrill down my side. He kissed my shoulder and nuzzled my neck. Suddenly, all I could think about was getting him alone. This guy had a major effect on my insides.
But I couldn't let myself get distracted.
"Thanks," I replied, turning around. "But I wasn't talking about Daniel. What were you and Poppy arguing about? "
Upton put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. "She's just cross because I backed out of a fund-raiser. It's this thing in London her parents throw every spring, and I'd said I'd take her, but I can't."
"Why not?" I asked.
Upton raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do you really have to ask?"
I blushed. "Answer please," I joked.
"Well, if you must know, I have a feeling I'm not going to be going out on many dates with other girls from now on," he said, running his fingertip down my cheek. "After you, everyone else would be sodding boring. I couldn't bear it."
I grinned uncontrollably. "Really?"
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"Really," he replied.
I couldn't believe it. Upton the ultimate player was actually going to stop playing ... because of me. My heart fluttered in my chest like a hyper butterfly.
Upton leaned down and touched his lips to mine. It was a deep kiss. Full of meaning and intent and mushy emotions I would normally get lost in. But this time, I couldn't stop ... thinking. Did canceling a date three months from now mean that he wanted to stay together? That he wanted to do a long-distance thing? Could a lifelong player like himself really go from sixty to zero that quickly? Before long I found myself pulling away from him.
"That's really sweet, Upton, but.. ."
"But what?" he asked.
"You're going to be in England and I'll be in Connecticut," I said, lifting a shoulder. "I don't expect you to be my long-distance boyfriend."
"What if I want to be?" Upton asked without hesitation, pushing his hands into his pockets.
Yes. Yes, yes, yes. That was all I wanted to say in that moment. Upton was so much more mature than the guys I was used to. So easygoing and drama free (if you didn't count his crazy exes). I would have loved to have had a long-term boyfriend like him. He made me feel safe and loved and most of all ... carefree. He saw the world as full of possibility, and he made me see it that way too.
But then my rational side kicked in. Maybe Upton had told me he was falling in love with me, but I didn't exactly expect that to translate
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into a future for us. It was great that he was offering to be my one and only, but what if he went back to England and realized he couldn't do it? Even if he didn't, I knew I'd always be suspicious. Did I really want to be hanging out at Easton, all celibate and alone, wondering where he was at every moment. .. and with whom?
"Can I think about this?" I asked. "It's kind of a new concept forme."
"Take all the time you need," Upton said, reaching for my hand with a smile. He seemed pretty confident that I'd eventually agree. "In the meantime, I was thinking we should do something fun together tomorrow. Something that will get our minds off everything that's happened in the last few days."