“Like I said, it’s not just about love. Our marriage was too damaged at that point. We tried for a few months, but she’d lost my trust completely, and on top of that, I blamed myself.”
He was different while he spoke. Human. After being so rigid this week, his vulnerability was not only welcome, but attractive. I hugged him closer to me, and he ran a hand over my hair.
“So I’ve spilled my guts,” he said. “You know more about my relationship with my ex-wife than most. How about you? Why don’t you tell me about this boy?”
Boy?It seemed so long ago now. Had I been crying over him just a few days earlier? “I’m naked in bed with you. Wouldn’t that be weird?”
“No. Go ahead. Who is this kid?”
“Trey,” I said. “I met him at orientation, and we ended up in the same dorm. We’ve been dating since around Thanksgiving.”
“Has he met your parents?”
I shook my head. “He was going to this summer.”
“Where is he now?”
“Mexico. We were all going for Spring Break, but I backed out last minute.” I shrugged. “He said he wouldn’t go if I did, and the thought of drinking and partying all week without him didn’t sound like fun.”
“So you think this dress is the answer to all your problems?”
I nodded. “I look amazing in it.”
“I’ll be honest, you looked amazing in pea-green. If he can’t see that, he doesn’t deserve you.”
My lashes fluttered. “Thank you, but—”
“No but. You are beautiful. Learn to take a compliment.”
I flushed, unable to contain my smile. I looked up at him in the light of the bedside lamp and sneakily admired his strong nose and the line of his jaw. I was tempted to tell him he was beautiful too.
Instead, I closed my eyes. A moment later, he shifted against me to shut off the lamp, and then I was floating in his clean, male scent, drifting off in this new bed in new arms.
CHAPTER 9
I awoke curled against Dean’s chest. When I looked up, he was reading a newspaper intently.
“Dean?”
He glanced down. “Morning.”
“You’ve already been up?”
“Just to get the paper and coffee.” He smiled. “You’re a heavy sleeper.”
I nodded and yawned.
He kissed the top of my head. “How’d you sleep?”
“Really well. Thank you.”
“Anytime,” he said with a low chuckle. I let my eyes wander down over his skin and the chest hair that covered it. I touched him gently with my fingers.
“What’re your plans today?” he asked, still reading.
I beamed up at him. “Just to get my dress.”
“When’s the formal?”
