God, that felt good. So good, she raised her hand to do it again, but he caught her wrist midair. He held it easily in one hand, the other rubbing his cheek while grinning like he’d just solved a puzzle. “I deserved that. Personal. Controlled. An appropriate response.”
“Don’t you dare lecture me on fair play.”
“So you do know the concept?”
Frankie inhaled and released a slow, frosty laugh. “Oh, I know it. I practically invented it. In fact, I keep a tutorial in my Birkin on how to cut someone out cleanly and with flair.”
He frowned. “Is it as good as the tutorial I gave you on a masterclass in foreplay?”
She sputtered.
“Confirmed! Sex happened! Who had it on their Bingo card?” a voice from the crowd hollered.
Frankie jabbed Marcus in the chest. “Look what you’ve done. Now they’ll be talking about us for years. Are you happy?”
“Not even a little.” He stepped closer. “Do you even want to know why I chased you down this morning?”
“Because the mudpuddle had you butthurt?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Because I wanted to stop you.”
“From what?” Even as she asked, she knew the answer. He didn’t want her telling the locals Gi Gi was his mother. She should. She really should. It would serve him right.
He cupped her cheek, and she shoved his hand away.
“I wanted to stop you from leaving.”
Frankie’s chest went tight. “Of course I’m leaving. Why the hell wouldn’t I be leaving?”
For some reason, her words landed. Like they hurt more than her revenge ever could.
“You’re right,” he said quietly. “I’ve given you no good reason to stay.”
“And you’ve given me one very uptight reason to leave.”
He nodded. “Of course you’re correct, and I’ll eventually wrap my brain around the idea of a life that doesn’t have you in it.”
It wasn’t the words so much as the emotion that cracked her armor, sending a spray of doubt straight through her ribs. He sounded sincere.
Then again, most men sounded sincere when they were angling to keep a friend with perks around for late-night booty calls. Did he really think they could ever be friends again? Let alone one with perks?
“That’s a you problem,” she said. “Because you and I? That ship has sailed.”
“I screwed up. You got caught in the fallout. And you have every right to hate me, to walk away, and leave my heart under those lethal heels.”
A collective gasp reminded Frankie they weren’t alone.
“Who had he’ll-declare-love-first?” someone stage-whispered.
“He didn’t declare love,” Frankie snapped. “Don’t fall for it.” She turned to their gawking audience. “He’s just playing the melodramatic card, so you’ll all take his side.” She glared at Marcus. “Tell them I’m right. Tell them this is all part of your ‘crisis control.’” She flicked air quotes around the words.
Marcus’s nostrils flared. “Why is it so hard to believe someone could love you, flaws and all?”
“Wow. A false love declaration and a character critique in the same breath. Ballsy.”
He said nothing.
She arched a brow. “Tip for next time. Lead with love, skip the personality review.” Sure she had flaws. Everyone had them. But mentioning them during an admission of love… Un-fucking-believable.
