Surrender (Seaside Pictures #4) - Rachel Van Dyken Page 0,55
I don’t like it when you do that, and I know I’m probably asking for way too much right now, but I want to understand you, I want to know—”
“I was thinking I was jealous.” I gulped.
“Jealous?” She squinted. “Of what?”
“Your kids’ piece-of-shit dad. Which just makes me feel even shittier because he doesn’t realize what he has — in his own kids, in his gorgeous ex-wife whose body I’m about to strip — and I don’t like it. I don’t like being jealous of someone who doesn’t even deserve to breathe the same air as you.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t play house with you, Drew. It’s already going to kill me when you walk out that door.”
“The only reason I’d be walking out that door would be to get groceries, run any errand you want, or go to the studio. Just know that walking out that door doesn’t mean I’m not fully planning on walking back in.” I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Fuck seven days, Bronte. You’re mine. You get that, right? I’m not playing at anything. This is real.”
“How? How can this be real? We don’t even know everything about each other, and I know you’re still hiding things from me.”
“To protect you,” I whispered, “not to keep you out.”
“What if I don’t want your protection?”
I smiled. “Then you have it anyway. Besides, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I can’t just drop years of baggage in one night, one week, even one month. The only thing you can do is trust me when I say I won’t ever let it affect you, your family, or us. I swear.”
“You can’t swear that.”
“Just did.”
“Drew—”
“Less arguing, more sexing.” I jerked her toward me. “Look at that. I made up a word. Am I the infamous Drew Amhurst or what?”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh good. The ego’s back.”
“You love it.” I nipped her lower lip. “If you wanted to date a Bob, you’d be dating a Bob — or a Harry, George, Henry—”
“Dating?”
“But…” I didn’t give her a chance to panic. “…you wanted to date a Drew, and Drews are wild. Drews are unpredictable. Drews like kissing, they like sex, and they’re overconfident — but not to a fault. Drews aren’t selfish in bed, and Drews keep you guessing. And at the end of the day, I’ll admit, Drews are a risk, but I need you to stop playing it safe and take that leap with me, so I don’t fall flat on my ass by myself. Can you do that?”
She opened her mouth and then closed it only to try to speak again. But all she got out was “Dating.”
“Shame on you. I don’t do one-night stands,” I scolded. “PS, will you be my girlfriend? I can write it down so you can circle yes or no, but I figured I couldn’t handle the stress of watching your pencil hover over the no as if you actually had to think about it.”
“Dating.”
“Cool, so that’s a yes.” I smirked and then threw her over my shoulder and slapped her on the ass, enjoying her struggling and pounding on my back with her tiny fists. “You’re adorable; you know that?”
“Where are we—”
I tossed her onto her bed, and she bounced up, her chocolate hair scattering around her shoulders. I kissed her breasts, and her eyes locked on mine in total fear, but right after that fear, her mouth softened, showing need, followed by trust. Then my heart pulsed a word: mine.
“So, gorgeous girlfriend…” I peeled my T-shirt over my head and tossed it to the floor before stalking toward her in all my tatted-up glory; my two necklaces swung across my chest, making a clanging noise with each step I took.
I leaned over the bed, letting her make the choice. We were nose to nose. I could feel her heartbeat, or maybe it was mine pounding that loud.
She could still reject me.
She could say it was too soon.
She could back up.
And I would let her because this was about her, not me.
“You’re too sexy for your own good. You even have the swagger down,” she whispered, reaching for my necklaces then clutching them in her hand.
“They unlock the secret to the swagger after your first Grammy.”
“They?”
“The Illuminati — we’re all members. FYI, you’re gonna have to make a blood sacrifice, but I figure Ryan will work, right?” I grinned.
“Fine by me.” Slowly, she twisted the silver chains in her hand. One of them had a