Ravenous (Steel Brothers Saga 11)

He didn’t. Instead, he pulled a red bandana out of his pocket and handed it to me. I blew my nose unceremoniously into the soft cloth. Not ladylike at all, but it sure felt good to expel the watery snot. Embarrassment warmed my skin. Or heck, it could have been from my meltdown. Probably both.

With the only dry part left on the bandana, I wiped my eyes. Then I handed it back to Bryce. “Here.”

“Keep it.”

“I don’t want it.” I threw it at him. It landed on the grass next to his feet.

“Look, Marj—”

“Please, spare me your words. I’ve no more use for them. Not after…” I shook my head. I couldn’t finish. Couldn’t bring the words out of my throat.

Bryce sat down on the grass across from me. “Look at me,” he said gently.

What the hell? I knew I was a disgusting mess. I met his blue gaze.

“I never meant to hurt you.”

I scoffed.

“I mean it.”

“The words you chose weren’t hurtful at all,” I said sarcastically. “And you couldn’t even say them to my face. You left me a note, Bryce. A note!”

“I just—”

I held up a hand. “Don’t even try to excuse it. It was cowardly, and you know it.”

“I had to.”

“Really? You couldn’t have dumped me to my face?”

I regretted my word choice as soon as I spoke. Dumped implied we’d been in a relationship. We hadn’t been. He’d been clear on that from the beginning.

“No, I couldn’t.”

“Because you’re a coward.”

“That’s part of it. I won’t deny it.”

“Part of it? Come on.” I rolled my eyes. “That’s all of it. A real man would have said the words to my face.”

“A real man?”

“Yeah. A real man. You’re lacking there.”

He shook his head. “You have no idea. A real man wouldn’t start something he can’t finish. A real man knows his limitations. A real man… Fuck.”

“I grew up with three real men, Bryce. You don’t have to educate me on what a real man is.”

“A real man, Marjorie? Would a real man do this?” He cupped my cheeks and kissed me.

Again.

Hard.

This time I didn’t start with my lips pressed shut.

Chapter Nine