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Nope. That was not going to cut it. I grabbed his arm and forced him to turn back around and meet my gaze.
“You wanted that kiss as much as I did, Bryce. Now tell me why you stopped it.”
“We’re in your bedroom, for God’s sake.”
“So?”
“Marj, this bedroom used to be painted pink and yellow with a unicorn theme.”
He remembered that? I’d painted over those walls over a decade ago and discarded the stuffed unicorn collection before then. I held back a giggle. “Again…so?”
“You were a little girl. You were five when Joe and I graduated high school.”
“Once more…so?”
“Do I need to spell it out for you?”
“Don’t treat me like a moron, Bryce. I’m not five. I’m nearly twenty-six. I haven’t had unicorns on my walls since I was twelve. Look around you. I have white walls with portraits of famous chefs. I’m a grown woman. A grown woman who is more than capable of deciding who she wants to kiss. And by the way, you were kissing me back.”
“I’m not denying that.”
“You said I’m beautiful and glamorous. You’re attracted to me.”
“I’d have to be blind not to be attracted to you.”
Good. Now we were getting somewhere. I wasn’t asking him for anything more than a kiss. I smiled.
“Your brothers…” he began.
“My brothers love you, Bryce. All three of them.”
“Maybe so. But they don’t want me kissing their baby sister.”
I smiled again, in what I hoped was a seductive manner. “It might surprise you to know that I don’t ask my brothers’ permission before I decide to kiss someone.”
“In Jamaica, they didn’t like it when…”
“When what?”
“I made a comment about how attractive you were. They all looked like they were ready to set hellhounds on me.”
I sat down on my bed with a plunk. “My brothers are protective. Not a big surprise there. But you kissed me back, Bryce, so what is this really about?”
He paced around the room, his hands fidgeting in his pockets. “It’s about that. It’s about a lot of things.”
“I’m not asking for forever. Just for a kiss. A kiss we were both enjoying. Or did I read you wrong?” I tensed. What if he said I had read him wrong?
“You didn’t read me wrong.”
Thank God. I relaxed my muscles. “Then what’s the problem? And if you say pink and yellow unicorns or my brothers, I’m liable to punch you in the nose.”
He laughed. God, he was gorgeous when he laughed. He had a dimple on his left cheek. Just one. A perfect imperfection.
“The unicorns and your brothers are definitely a consideration, but there’s a bigger and more important thing.” He raked his fingers through his sandy hair. “You deserve better, Marjorie.”
“Seriously? You’re Joe’s best friend. You’re one of the best men I know. My brothers love you.”
“That’s not what I mean. I’m a mess right now. I can’t give you what you deserve.”
