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“Yes.” I relax my shoulders. “The kind of break that I suppose only Vegas can provide.”
He chuckles deep and low. It’s a nice sound.
“Now that just makes me want to find out why you needed such a break.” He grins. “Do you want to share the details?”
Do I?
Not really. But something inside me wants to scream my grief from the rooftop and let the world know I’m not the one at fault. That I’m not broken.
I’m just a girl who wants the chance to live her life.
I think about what I would say if I decided to tell him what happened to me.
My true feelings have been locked away for so long that it would be nice to speak to someone who doesn’t know me.
What would I say, though, without revealing too much about myself?
Maybe just enough?
“My ex left me for my sister, and now they’re engaged.” There. That’s justenough. I told him the shocking truth but remained vague enough that my handsome stranger wouldn’t be able to link me to Cole or Charlotte, or even identify me as Shawn Jakobe’s youngest daughter.
Aries narrows his eyes and his full lips part in surprise. “Jesus. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“It’s okay. The only thing that upsets me is that I can’t seem to escape the awkwardness of the aftermath. It keeps following me. That’s the part I hate and what brought me to Vegas.”
“I think your need for a break from life is perfectly understandable.” He blows out a ragged breath. “Do you still speak to your sister?”
“Unfortunately, I have to.” God knows I would love to ignore Charlotte for the rest of my life, but the best stance to take with her is one of strength.
“Wow. Well, I’m sure your ex has lost out by replacing you.” He sounds as if he truly believes what he’s saying, but I wonder if he really knew me, or Charlotte, whether he’d still say the same things.
I feel that most people—including my parents—believed Cole did better in picking Charlotte.
“That’s sweet of you to say.”
“Trust me, I’m not sweet.” A sly grin lifts the corners of his mouth, compelling me to believe him.
“Aren’t you?” He’s been nothing but sweet to me since we met.
“Not even a little bit, Venus.” He looks me up and down. “But not being sweet isn’t always a bad thing.”
I pick up a dangerous vibe in his wandering eyes. Surprisingly, it doesn’t scare me although it probably should. Instead, I’m intrigued by the element of possession in the danger that emanates from him.
“What are you like, then?”
His eyes darken and linger on my lips before drifting back up to meet my gaze. “I’m the kind of man who thinks your ex’s loss is my gain. You’re here with me now.” His voice slides over my skin like smooth velvet. Deep and intentional and filled with the kind of temptation that makes a girl forget the general rules of what you should and shouldn’t do on a first date.
This thing we’re doing might have a different label, but it’s still a date. It just feels like it was designed to skip over the usual boundaries you’d expect when meeting someone for the first time.
“I guess I am here with you now,” I agree, laughing nervously.
“Yes, you are. And I sincerely hope you’re not still hung up on this ex of yours. Are you?” He raises a quizzical brow.
“No, I’m not.”
“How long were you together?”
“Two years. We broke up nearly a year ago.”
