Because everything had always come easy to Kingsley Ames.
He was still there in front of me, on his hands andknees, motionless.
“You told me you weren’t a relationship guy. You’d never be a relationship guy.”
“I lied,” he said instantly. “Don’t believe that dogshit I said. All it took was the threat of losing you. I’ll do anything to prevent that.”
“I don’t think you can give up your roster.”
He whipped his phone from his pocket and flipped the screen around.
“Deleting all.I promise you I don’t care about that shit. Keep my phone.”
I hesitated, watching all the numbers disappear one by one, all the tits and ass and nips and pussy vanishing into the ether.
Could he possibly be telling me the truth?
The fresh tattoo on his fingers glinted at me. Myinitial? I could hardly believe it.Kingsleycommit?
“Fine,” I sighed. “One date. But no guarantees. And I don’t think you can do it.”
“Give me two hours to prepare,” he said.
“You have 30 minutes,” I retorted. “And it better be good.”
I knew him, and he was just going to take me to the most expensive restaurant in town, or try to dick me down in some fancy wine bar, wasn’t he?
Because he had never been a date guy before.
But when we drove out into Cincinnati our destination was not what I expected.
“A fabric store?” I said. “Since when do you like going to those? You told me you’d never be caught dead in one.”
He captured my chin with strong fingers and kissed me.
“Since I do boyfriend shit, Rosalie St. James.”
His kiss was hard, domineering.
“And that name is going to be Rosalie Ames as soon as you let me. This whole-ass store is yours,” he added. “Buy every damn thing you want. Whole thing is yours now.”
I chose a few different fabrics that would be good for a new dress and some curtains, trying to keep my jaw off the floor.
He had never been a fabric store guy. Hell, he had never even been a date guy.
He had always just been a “come over and blow me and I’ll make you a burger” guy.
After I was done, we walked down the street together, his arm around my waist, but the paparazzi were already there.
“Kingsley! Kingsley! Didn’t you just go public with another woman? Kingsley, do you think you’ll ever settle down? Kingsley, tell us who’s on your roster!”
He was ignoring them, but at this last yell, he turned with a snarl.
The bright lights were flashing in our eyes as he pulled out his phone and held it up to the crowd of paparazzi.
“You want to know who’s on my roster? I don’t have a roster anymore. Fuck rosters.”
Then he snapped the phone in half, scattering parts all over the ground and flicking open his lighter for the last jagged chunk.
