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“I didn’t.” She wanted that to be clear, too. “I told you everything about that night and how things ended between us the next morning.”
“Well, you didn’t tell me everything,” he pointed out.
She wasn’t about to give him a blow-by-blow. “The only thingI held back that mattered was his name. Because of Maggie, he didn’t want me to say anything at all, but I thought you both should know that Marc and I met long before Maggie met him and I met you. Marc was a mistake I made.” She sent Maggie an apologetic look. “You are exactly what I said you were five minutes ago. Everything, Gray. My every thought. The man I can’t wait to see. The one I want.” She felt the tears threaten to spill from her eyes. “If I’m not that for you, even in some small way right now, because of a guy I slept with before you were the dream I never thought could be my reality, then . . . I guess this isn’t as real for you as I thought. If we were talking about one of your ex-girlfriends, I’d tell you nothing from the past matters if you want me now. And I know it’s complicated because he is your cousin and there’s history there and he’s Maggie’s fiancé, but he is not and never was mine. I was never his. We were two strangers who spent the night together. I thought you understood that. I hope it hasn’t changed just because you know his name.”
She held her breath and waited.
“Rose.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you crying?”
“A little bit. Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because losing you hurts.”
“Why?”
The tears cascaded down her cheeks unchecked. “Because I’m yours, Gray. And I thought you were mine.”
“I am, sweetheart.” Relief came out in a whoosh of air over the line. “I meant it. You own me. You’re the one I want.”
Maggie laid her forehead on her arm on the table and sighed. “Thank god.” She glanced up at her. “Because you two were made for each other.”
Rose thought so, too, but she still felt the intensity coming across the line from Gray.
“Take me off the speaker, Rose.”
Maggie’s eyes filled with concern.
Rose nodded toward Maggie’s phone. “Call the number Gray sent you and order the cake.”
Maggie grabbed her phone and walked over to the windows.
Rose tapped the speaker button and put the phone to her ear. “It’s just you and me now.”
“Exactly the way I like it.” The teasing tone didn’t conceal the possessiveness of his words or the residual anger.
“Gray. I’m really sorry I didn’t say something sooner.”
“I didn’t name every one of my exes.”
“I doubt any of them were my cousin or friends.”
“Did you know Marc was dating Maggie before you saw him in the bar?”
“No. Marc is a common name. It never even occurred to me.”
“You never saw a picture of them together?”
“He knew about me, so he made sure I never saw a picture so I couldn’t tell Maggie.”
“So he knew walking into that bar that you were in there waiting with his fiancée.”
“Yes.”
