Page 38 of Ruck Me Harder

His mouth moves wordlessly for a few moments. “Thank you for your trust in me. I won’t share this with anyone.”

“I know you won’t.” I’m not sure how I know, just that I do.

Me and him, we’re two sides of the same coin. On the precipice of change, the world is open to us, and it feels so fucking daunting to know I can do anything I want to. Maybe I’ll travel the world, maybe I’ll stay put, maybe I’ll move across the country. There’s no limit to what I can do.

Tony’s phone buzzes with an alarm, and he grimaces as he goes to silence it.

“I have to get to work,” he says, disappointment in his voice.

I glance at my watch, surprised how three hours have flown by. It feels like we just sat down, but we’ve been talking forever. It’s surprisingly easy to talk to him. He’s not the asshole I thought he was. Maybe I was too quick to judge.

“Thanks for meeting with me.”

He gives me a crooked smile. “Maybe we could do this again?”

My stomach flutters. “I’d like that.”

“I’ll call you,” he says. He unlocks his phone and hands it to me to punch in my number. I call myself so I have his number too. “How does Monday night work?”

“Wow. You really mean it.” Even though I knew he was interested, I didn’t think he’d actually go so far as to make plans right away. I thought I’d have to work for it a little more.

His dark eyes are bright when he grins at me, softening his features. “I don’t want you to change your mind.”

“I won’t,” I promise. “Monday night is great.”

Tony leans into my personal space and I get a whiff of his spicy sandalwood scent. He presses a soft kiss on my cheek.

“I can’t wait.”

sixteen

. . .

Tony

“For fuck’s sake, shut up already,” Al snaps at me from across the kitchen table.

It’s a rare occasion when my brother and I are home at the same time. Even more rare that we actually spend time together.

I’ve been whistling for the last three days, ever since Vivienne agreed to go out with me. Tonight’s the night. I have it all planned out.

“What are you so happy about, anyway?” Al demands.

“Got a date tonight.” I grin as I scramble half a dozen eggs for the both of us.

“Good for you. Now shut up.”

Laughing, I lean against the counter and wait for the eggs to cook.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Al asks.

“She was worth waiting for.”

“Do I know her?”

My heart stops for a second. Vivienne and I didn’t discuss if we were letting people know. We’re too connected. What if it doesn’t work out? What if she decides I’m too much of a grumpy asshole for her after all? I don’t think I’d be able to handle all of our friends and my family asking what went wrong.

“Nah, you don’t know her,” I lie, stirring the eggs.