“It’snot quite thesame but I still have my childhoodstuffy,too. A pink flamingo—FlamingyLou—that my dad bought me for my first birthday.”
“So, you’ve always been bad at naming things?”heasks, laughing against the top of my head.
“Excuse you?”
“FefeFluffington.Flamingy-Lou.”He’s definitely laughing at me, but I’m so relieved to hear something other than fear or pain in his voice, that I don’t care.
“Okay,Sauce.” I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me.
“No, listen.” He shifts us so he can kick his feet up onto the coffee table. “He’sa rhinoceros, but Icouldn’tactually sayrhinoceros at four-years-old. So, Sauce.”
“Okay, stop.” I cup his scruffy jaw and pull his face down to mine. “That is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Play your cards right, and maybe I’ll show him to you one day.”He speaks the words directly against my lips.
“I’d really like that. Maybe I’ll introduce you to Flamingy.”
“Kiss on it,” hemurmurs, and Istretchup to seal the deal.
THIRTY-THREE
ELLIS
“Isit weird that our second date isatmy ex-boyfriend's wedding?”Scarlet blinks up at me from beneath long sooty lashes.
My dress shirt pulls tight asI lift one shoulder in a shrug.“One man’s weird is another man’s... you know what?”I pull her in closer as I twirl us around the dance floor.“Fuck it.Everything'sbeen a little weird between us, but Iwouldn'tchange asinglething.”
She pretends to swoon.“What a sweet talker you are.”
“Pretty sure you prefer it when I'm a dirty talker.”I dip her low, running my fingers over the velvet of her dress, before leaning in close anddrawing us both back up to full height.
“Ellis Wilder.” She smacks at my chest. “This is not the time or the place.”
I roll my eyes.“If not now, when?We'reabout to have James for a whole week. I have a feeling that kid'sgonnabe a pint-sizedcockblock.”
Scarlet laughs and the sound winds itself around my heart. “Okay, but like the cutest cockblock.” Then she shivers, a look of revulsion passing over her features. “That felt wrong to say, much less think.”
I nod. “Yeah, maybe a little weird.”
We continue dancing as my eyes scan the space. I don’t want to say I’m on high alert, especially here, but everything's been so quiet with Scarlet's stalker that I can't help but worry that it’s all going to blow up sooner rather than later.
Scarlet, on the other hand, is convincedhe'slost interest andgiven up.But I know that can't be true, because how could anyone ever lose interest in a woman like her?She'sperfection.
“Are you sure you don't want me to take off work during the day?”sheasks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Princess, I promise, I've got it.”I press my temple to hers.“Me and mydudewill hold down the fort until you get home. And then, whenyou’rehome,we canplay house.”
Her eyes twinkle at the thought, and I'm not going to lie, something inside of me lights up, too. The idea of Scarlet and me chasing after a little rugrat of our own... I got to say, I don't fucking hate it.
“Do you want a small wedding like this or a big production?”
Shecocksher head to the sideas shethinks about it.“I used to think I wanted a big wedding with all thebells and whistles.”
“And now?”
“Now... I just want to be loved. I want to be lovedso deeply,in such an all-consuming way that nothing else matters.”
My heart stutters in my chest before kicking into overdriveasI skim the backs of my fingers along her cheekbonebefore reaching around and cupping the back of her neck and drawing her mouth to minefor a gentle kiss.“Do you think that could ever be us?”Iaska hint of vulnerability bleeding into my words.
