problem.” My voice was tight and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
“I'm going about this all wrong.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Considering you neglected to mention Britni before you fucked me, I'd say you definitely went about whatever this is the wrong way.” I knew I should just get up and go, head back to my apartment and forget all about Reed Stirling. I didn't know what his game was, but I knew that's all it was. I should've known better than to think he was different.
“I don't love Britni.”
Yeah, hadn't heard that one before. Still, I raised my eyebrows and waited for him to go on.
“Our fathers went to Brown together. Our families took vacations together. Her parents are my sister's and I's godparents and my parents are godparents to her and Brock.” He leaned forward. “She's five years younger than me, but as soon as she turned eighteen, our parents started pushing us together, having us sit next to each other during meals, encouraging us to spend time together, that kind of thing. Then, two years ago, my parents told me that they and the Michaels had basically decided that they wanted our families to join together.”
“Like a merger?” I thought I knew where he was going with this, but I wasn't going to assume. Fool me once...
“Exactly like a merger. Except there wasn't a buy-out or a contract. Just wedding vows.” His voice was flat, as if he felt nothing about what his parents wanted him to do.
“Why didn't you just tell them you don't love her?” Maybe I was overstepping my bounds, but if he was going to make me into the other woman who ruined his engagement, I thought I had the right to push a bit.
“They already know.” He ran his fingers through his hair again and I found myself remembering how it felt to do it too.
“And they don't care?”
“When they first told me what they wanted, I didn't care.” He met my eyes and I couldn't look away. “I'd gotten burned, bad, in college and I didn't think I'd ever fall in love.”
His eyes were blazing and my chest tightened until I could barely breathe. I refused to let myself think about what he was going to say next.
“But I think I could fall in love with you.”
Chapter 9
I couldn't look into his eyes and not believe what he'd said. Or at least believe that he believed, at least in this moment. This time, when he reached for me, I let him take my hand. He was right about the connection. I could feel it, and I didn't want to ignore it. The need to touch him was too strong. He paid the check and laced his fingers through mine as we headed out of the restaurant. Neither of us said anything and I wondered if his brain was as busy as mine.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask him as he flagged a cab. What did it mean that he wanted to be with me? Here in Vegas? Back in Philadelphia? Did he expect me to move back? I'd be able to stay with Anastascia if I needed to, and I could probably find a waitressing job without too much trouble, but what about dancing? Then again, was I actually more likely to make it in Vegas, where I was a stripper, than if I tried in Philly? What would his family say, especially when they found out where I worked? I didn't doubt for a minute that Brock would tell his sister about me being a stripper when he found out that Reed called off the wedding for me. And what if it didn't work out? Would I be stuck back in Philadelphia?
“We have a choice to make.” Reed's statement drew my attention back to him. He looked at the cab. “Is he making two stops, or just one?” He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I want you, Piper, but I'm not going to ask you to do anything you don't want to do.”
I looked up at him. I was doing what I always did. I was over-thinking things, making plans for things that hadn't happened and might never happen.
“Come back to my hotel with me.” He brushed my hair back from my face, letting his fingers linger on my cheeks. “Let
“I'm going about this all wrong.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Considering you neglected to mention Britni before you fucked me, I'd say you definitely went about whatever this is the wrong way.” I knew I should just get up and go, head back to my apartment and forget all about Reed Stirling. I didn't know what his game was, but I knew that's all it was. I should've known better than to think he was different.
“I don't love Britni.”
Yeah, hadn't heard that one before. Still, I raised my eyebrows and waited for him to go on.
“Our fathers went to Brown together. Our families took vacations together. Her parents are my sister's and I's godparents and my parents are godparents to her and Brock.” He leaned forward. “She's five years younger than me, but as soon as she turned eighteen, our parents started pushing us together, having us sit next to each other during meals, encouraging us to spend time together, that kind of thing. Then, two years ago, my parents told me that they and the Michaels had basically decided that they wanted our families to join together.”
“Like a merger?” I thought I knew where he was going with this, but I wasn't going to assume. Fool me once...
“Exactly like a merger. Except there wasn't a buy-out or a contract. Just wedding vows.” His voice was flat, as if he felt nothing about what his parents wanted him to do.
“Why didn't you just tell them you don't love her?” Maybe I was overstepping my bounds, but if he was going to make me into the other woman who ruined his engagement, I thought I had the right to push a bit.
“They already know.” He ran his fingers through his hair again and I found myself remembering how it felt to do it too.
“And they don't care?”
“When they first told me what they wanted, I didn't care.” He met my eyes and I couldn't look away. “I'd gotten burned, bad, in college and I didn't think I'd ever fall in love.”
His eyes were blazing and my chest tightened until I could barely breathe. I refused to let myself think about what he was going to say next.
“But I think I could fall in love with you.”
Chapter 9
I couldn't look into his eyes and not believe what he'd said. Or at least believe that he believed, at least in this moment. This time, when he reached for me, I let him take my hand. He was right about the connection. I could feel it, and I didn't want to ignore it. The need to touch him was too strong. He paid the check and laced his fingers through mine as we headed out of the restaurant. Neither of us said anything and I wondered if his brain was as busy as mine.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask him as he flagged a cab. What did it mean that he wanted to be with me? Here in Vegas? Back in Philadelphia? Did he expect me to move back? I'd be able to stay with Anastascia if I needed to, and I could probably find a waitressing job without too much trouble, but what about dancing? Then again, was I actually more likely to make it in Vegas, where I was a stripper, than if I tried in Philly? What would his family say, especially when they found out where I worked? I didn't doubt for a minute that Brock would tell his sister about me being a stripper when he found out that Reed called off the wedding for me. And what if it didn't work out? Would I be stuck back in Philadelphia?
“We have a choice to make.” Reed's statement drew my attention back to him. He looked at the cab. “Is he making two stops, or just one?” He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I want you, Piper, but I'm not going to ask you to do anything you don't want to do.”
I looked up at him. I was doing what I always did. I was over-thinking things, making plans for things that hadn't happened and might never happen.
“Come back to my hotel with me.” He brushed my hair back from my face, letting his fingers linger on my cheeks. “Let
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