“Lisa, look at me.” I gripped her chin lightly. “Let me earn your trust first. Let me earn more of it. Let me date you. It’s been three weeks. I want more than one more week with you or a one-night stand. Let me be the gentleman tonight.”

“I don’t want you to be the gentleman.”

“Yeah, but, Lisa, I think that’s exactly what you truly crave. Not the adrenaline soul-pounding quickie in front of the fireplace, but the type of lovemaking that lasts for hours… days. The type you experience only once in a lifetime, only when you truly give yourself over to someone. It’s what I want with you.”

She nodded her head and slowly got off my lap. I quickly slid on my boxers and put on a shirt.

“Sleep with me tonight,?

?? I offered.

“But…”Lisa shook her head. “…you just said?”

“In my room,” I corrected. “Like one of our totally harmless slumber parties that ends up being completely acceptable because I don’t actually take advantage of you.”

“Will you make popcorn again?”

I grinned. “Tell you what. It’s a little cold. You know where my room is. Turn on the fireplace, get comfortable in bed, and I’ll be up in a few minutes with your popcorn.”

“Smothered.” She added, pointing at me.

“I remember.” I exhaled and looked away. “You’re killing me, by the way. I hope you know. Go put a top on before I forget that great speech I just gave you.”

Laughing, she nodded and picked her discarded clothing off the floor. “Alright… I’ll just steal one of yours to sleep in.”

“Do that, by all means. Then I’ll just be more turned on by the sight of you in one of my labeled shirts.”

“I knew you labeled your shirts!” She pushed against my chest.

I pulled her in for a lingering kiss then slapped her on the butt.

“Ouch.”

“Upstairs, go.”

“Yes, Dr. Blake.”

I groaned aloud.

“Whatever you say, Dr. Blake.”

“You fail!” I yelled after her. “Just in case you were wondering.”

I heard nothing but laughter, and I knew in that moment I’d made the right choice. But did making the right choice one time with her trump the fact that I was still lying?

Pushing the doubt away again, I made my way into the kitchen to get the popcorn. That I could concentrate on. That I could do.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

I pretended, just like Gabe had pretended. On the outside I was fun and easygoing… and honestly, things were great — until my mask slipped and then, all of a sudden, I realized I’d been living a lie. —Lisa

Lisa

I MADE MY way into Tristan’s room and let out a snort of laughter when I got there. We really were a pair. The guy had his closet labeled Closet, really bordering on OCD. I peeked in and was rewarded with labels of different seasons for different clothes. I wanted nothing more than to peel every label and replace it with the wrong one. Give the man a bit of chaos. He could use it.

His shoes had similar labels, and when I walked into his bathroom, I wasn’t surprised to find more labels for toothpaste, Q-tips, you name it.

If I hadn’t known him, it would probably make me hightail it home, but knowing Tristan just made the whole label thing endearing and so cute I wanted to keep laughing.

Tags: Rachel Van Dyken Ruin Romance
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