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“I’ve always had body issues. I’ve had, well, a hard time accepting my curves. I know it’s silly, and I should accept the way I look, but sometimes it’s easier said than done.”
What I’m hearing doesn’t make sense. “Roxy,” I say, taking her hand. “You are beautiful. So beautiful. The fact that you don’t see it blows my mind. You are perfection itself.”
She looks away, her eyes wet. “Please, Wade, stop. You don’t have to say that.”
“Of course I do.” I stroke her cheek and turn her chin toward me. “Because I’m mad about you, and I can’t bear to see you like this.”
Her mouth falls open. “But—” she starts, and I squeeze her hand. My pulse quickens when I realise I just dropped a massive bomb on her.
“You don’t have to say anything. I—it just slipped out,” I mutter, hoping I didn’t just ruin everything with my big mouth. “This isn’t what you signed up for, and then there’s Karl. I just need you to know that my words are true. I’m not pretending. I haven’t been for a while.” Admitting it is equal parts scary and liberating. At least it’s out. Now, let’s just hope she doesn’t crush my heart with a sledgehammer.
My fears are alleviated when a beaming grin stretches across her gorgeous face. “Does that mean I’m getting a dinner overlooking Niagara Falls?”
My body relaxes. “Depends. Are you still faking it?” I try to keep my tone light, but an undercurrent of worry leaks into it. I search her eyes for the answer I’m desperate to hear.
“No,” she says, finally freeing me from my misery.
Cupping her face with my hand, I brush her cheek with my thumb and press my lips to hers. Sweet and firm, they tease my mouth open, and our kiss deepens. Her hand reaches for my neck, but it gets caught up because of the IV line. We both laugh, our teeth clacking a little.
She pulls back just an inch, and I resist the urge to moan at the loss of her touch. She murmurs, “You know, this would be very romantic if we weren’t in hospital.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper, bringing her closer to me. She wraps her untethered arm around my waist. “This is pure romance to me.”
20
Perfect Gentleman
Roxy
Loving yourself is a lot easier when you’re loved by somebody else. Especially when that somebody is Wade Hunter. And he’s telling you one hundred times a day how beautiful you are. Really, everyone should get themselves a Wade Hunter. Go on, it’s worth it. I promise.
It’s been three days since the incident, and ever since then, I’ve been floating on air. Wade stayed with me until yesterday, monitoring me to make sure I was taking care of my body. Meaning, eating properly and resting. We’ve done a lot of that—chilling in front of the TV and getting plenty of sleep. Not exactly what I had in mind when I imagined Wade in my bed, but he’s been a perfect gentleman. Unlike my perverted brain, which has been very unladylike.
Wade left for Paris yesterday, and I already miss him like crazy. Thankfully, I’m joining him tomorrow night. Taking off for a weekend getaway in Paris with my boyfriend sounds like a dream come true. Only, I never even dared to dream this big.
My packed suitcase is already waiting by the door. That’s how ready I am. But alas, I must go to work first. I’ve been on sick leave for the past three days, and I have a growing pile of tasks to catch up on. Nobody knows what happened, so at least I don’t have to bear the pitying looks of my colleagues. Well, none except Lina, who’s currently staring at me as if I’m about to break in half.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks again as we’re taking our well-deserved 10 a.m. break.
“I’m fine. Promise.” I shoot her a thin smile. “I just got overwhelmed for a minute. You know, the pressure of dating a footballer and all.”
Her mouth twists. “Yeah . . . How are you holding up in that department?”
Before I can stop it, my smile turns into a face-splitting grin. “Pretty great, actually.”
Her mouth pulls down in confusion.
“We, em, aren’t really faking it anymore.” I feel a blush colouring my cheeks, and I’m unable to wipe this stupid grin off my face.
“Oh!” Her hands fly over her heart in a very Lina way. “That’s amazing. When did that happen?”
I resist the urge to jump for joy, instead tightening my hands around my cup. “At hospital. He came to see me and admitted it was real for him.”
Her mouth falls open. “What! So romantic.”
“You know, I didn’t think about it at first. But yeah, it was.” My heart swells at the memory of Wade and me on my hospital bed. The way his lips brushed against mine, so soft and desperate. It felt like a first kiss. The kind that explodes in your chest and sends fireworks to the sky. In a way, it was our first real kiss, with tongue and everything. More importantly, it was the first time we kissed after admitting our feelings to each other.
“So, what does that mean for you, for him? I thought he didn’t want to tie himself down before retiring.”
