AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She joined me. “You don’t need to be nervous.” Seems she’d noticed my leg tremors. “I’ve been doing personal protection a long time, and the guys are positively first-rate.”
“I just want to have a nice time, you know, a fun day…”
“With Duke?” she filled in.
I nodded.
“What happened at your family barbecue? It seems like things changed pretty abruptly.”
I explained it in the simplest way I knew. “My ex showed up, probably invited by Dad.”
“Aaaaaaaawkward.” She drew out the word and shook her head. “Who does that to their daughter?”
“Super awkward, but it highlighted how different Duke is from any of the boys”—I used the word intentionally—“I’ve dated before. Then Duke goes and tells my father he’s claiming me.”
“Claiming you?”
“Duke told him straight out that I was his. In my wildest dreams, I’d never imagined a guy saying that to my father. He claimed me as his girlfriend—out loud, without a care in the world for what Dad thought about it. Like in a novel.” I shook my head. “He stood up to my father and flat out told him how it was going to be.”
“Knowing your father’s reputation, I bet that doesn’t happen often.”
I laughed. “Try never.” My leg had stilled.
She laughed. “You’re not kidding?”
“Honest to God, he did.”
“Me Tarzan, you Jane,” she murmured in a low voice. “Hold on. He can’t do that. You get a say in this.”
“You’re right. I get a choice. And I choose to be his girlfriend.”
Constance laid a hand on my shoulder. “I’m happy for you. Truly, I am. Duke is a stand-up guy. But…”
I waited for the catch.
“Winston tells me he doesn’t do relationships.”
“So?” I shrugged. We’d had sex once, so a relationship was a bit of a stretch.
“Just be careful what you expect.” Constance looked up as the door opened.
“Sorry,” Duke said. “I thought you were alone.”
Constance stood. “I’ll get out of your hair now.”
“What expectations do you need to be careful about?” Duke asked after the door closed again.
I dug a fingernail into my palm. “Oh, she warned me the lines will be long and not to expect very many rides tomorrow.”
“Probably true.” Duke advanced on me, and the predatory look in his eyes communicated very clearly that talking about Disneyland was not on his agenda.
“She wanted to talk about how to present Terry to the group tomorrow,” I added.
“I don’t care.” He took my hand in his and, with the other, urged my chin up.
When our gazes locked, I felt it—his heat, his desire, the connection we shared.
His hand tightened on mine. “I’ve been waiting for this all damned week.” Apparently in my bed was different than a quickie against the door at my parents’ house.
