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Blake didn’t want to impress him (at least I don’t think so). He just wanted to protect me.
What a weird thought.
I saw Blake as nothing more than an arrogant rich playboy. And now here he is, showing me that sometimes first impressions don’t really matter.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell him meekly, but he just flashes me that heart-melting smile again, and I feel sweet thorns of despair wrapping themselves around my heart. What the hell’s happening to me?
“I had to. And Dale should be the one apologizing to you,” he replies.
I stand there in silence, shifting my weight from one foot to the other while I think of something smart to say. Of course, words fail me again.
“What the hell are you doing with someone like him?” Blake continues. I run my tongue over my bottom lip, feeling it dry, and then I finally look into his eyes. “The guy’s a complete jerk.”
“I know,” I manage to say, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Blake’s right (just as Robin was right about my relationship). What the hell was I doing with a guy like Dale?
I can’t believe how stupid I was. I wanted to marry, have kids, and buy a house. I wanted to go the distance with Dale, a man I now despise more than anyone.
Sometimes you get too comfortable in a long-term relationship. Too comfortable.
“I don’t know how it happened, but I dated Dale for a long time,” I continue, allowing the words to pour out of me. “I always had this notion of building a family and having a man by my side… You know, stupid girl dreams.”
“These don’t sound like stupid dreams,” he says gently, and I feel warm blood rushing to my cheeks.
“Maybe. But I guess I wanted that so much that I didn’t even realize the man I was with. I only realized it when…when…” I have to take a deep breath to steady myself, but then I finally manage to push the words out.
Even though I don’t care for Dale, it still pains to realize I’ve been backstabbed like that. “He cheated on me. And I caught him right in the act,” I continue.
“Jesus,” Blake whispers. “I’m sorry.”
At that, he reaches for me and tucks a stray lock of hair over my ear. I feel my skin prickling at his touch, and my heart starts beating faster and faster.
“Any guy that’d cheat on you is a complete fool,” he continues, looking straight into my eyes. “A complete fool,” he repeats, his words soft and warm.
My eyes slowly go to his lips, and I find myself needing to feel his mouth on mine. It’s more than physical, though. The pull I feel toward him goes beyond having our lips locked together or our naked bodies pressed against each other.
More than just my body, my heart and soul need to experience Blake.
Oh, I can’t fall for him.
I know that men like Blake aren’t designed for romance. They just can’t do it. I can’t allow this to become more than just a fling, and I can’t allow myself down this slippery slope.
“I’m happy you’re here,” I find myself saying, my eyes still on his lips. Oh god, why am I saying this? It’s almost as if I’m not in control of my actions and that I’ve thrown all rationality out of the window.
“I’m happy I’m here too,” he whispers, brushing his long fingers against my cheeks. Smiling gently, he leans into me, and my eyelids slowly start to droop.
I breath in his perfume—it reminds me of pine trees and the wintery ocean—and I realize that there’s no way I’ll ever be able to control myself around Blake.
I part my lips slowly, and then we kiss.
Chapter 13
Katherine
He stares at me for a long second, before leaning in and finally kissing me again. I open my mouth in an instant, allowing our tongues to wrestle against one another hungrily, as if we have been craving that for too long. He laces my back with his arms, pulling my body closer.
I can’t believe I’m doing this again. I tried to convince myself that what happened between Blake and I was just a one-time thing, but I was wrong. A one-time thing? How can that be after how wonderful he was? After how wonderful it was between the two of us.
And more than that, the way he handled Dale just now…and the things he said. There’s this air of arrogance around Blake, yes, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. Under his bad boy looks, there’s a gentle heart somewhere in there.
