“Jeremy.” The name tastes bitter on my tongue. “He said I wasn’t the girl he started dating. That he wasn’t attracted to me anymore.” I force a laugh that sounds hollow even to me. “I mean, Ihavegained weight—”
“Riley.” His voice cuts through mine like a blade. “Look at me.”
I do.
His eyes are blazing. His hands have curled into fists at his sides.
“He’s a fucking idiot.”
Duke takes a step closer, and suddenly there’s barely any space between us.
“You are gorgeous and funny and smart. I’ve never met another woman who makes me laugh like you do, or who is half as interesting.” He says it like a fact, like something so obvious it doesn’t require explanation. “Don’t you dare let some insecure prick make you believe otherwise.”
Hot tears prick at my eyes, and I force myself not to cry. Duke is taking me out, and I don’t want to ruin my makeup or the night he has planned. Not for the first time, I wonder why I can’t find a man like Duke.
Jeremy used to shrug when I told him something hurt me.You’re too sensitive. I was just being honest. He’d said the cruelest things with a smile on his face, then made me feel bad for caring.
Duke is looking at me like he wants to burn down the world on my behalf, starting with Jeremy.
I don’t know what to say.
“Well.” I attempt a smile. “Remind me not to leave you two in a room together.”
Duke doesn’t laugh. His jaw is still tight, his eyes still fierce.
But I reach out and take his hand. My fingers slide between his, palm pressing against palm, and I hold on. His skin is warm and rough with calluses.
I don’t let go.
Duke looks down at our joined hands. The fury bleeds out of his jaw, his expression softening into tenderness. He tightens his fingers and pulls me close to him.
We stand there for a long moment, the Vegas lights swirling around us, tourists streaming past. The fountains erupt behind us, but neither of us turns to look. His thumb brushes across my knuckles slowly, and an unexpected surge of tenderness and desire surges through me.
“Come on,” he says quietly. His voice is rougher than before. “We’re going to be late.”
He tugs me forward, and I follow. Our hands stay linked as we weave through the crowd, his grip steady.
His voice echoes in my mind.You are gorgeous and funny and smart
And for the first time since Jeremy broke my heart and my self-worth, I see a glimmer of the kind of man I want as a partner.
A man like Duke.
CHAPTER 3
DUKE
Duke! Is this real?” Her voice cracks after I’ve collected our tickets and backstage passes in the lobby of the theater. She whirls to face me, eyes huge, one hand pressed to her mouth as I lead her through an entrance that is plastered with posters of Izzy. I have no fucking idea how Jake manages Izzy’s fame.
I grin, and satisfaction spreads through me at her reaction. “Surprise.”
“You got us Bella tickets?Bella?”
“Fifth row center.” I lead her to the seating area, where the lights are up but the roadies are working on the stage. Before long, Izzy is launching into her opening number, the crowd surging forward like a wave. Jake did me a solid with these seats. I knew Riley would love this, but seeing how charged and joyful she is? I might be buying drinks for Jake for the rest of my damn life.
Riley stares at me. Her eyes are glassy, and for a second, I think she might cry. Then she throws her arms around my neck sohard I stumble back a step, her body crashing into mine, her face buried in my shoulder.
“You’re the best human being on the planet,” she whispers against my ear. Her breath is warm. My arms come up around her automatically, pulling her closer, and I relax at how she fits like she belongs there.
