Page 72 of Pretend You Love Me

Smug bastard.

I roll over toward him. “Oh, I won’t forget that easily. I haven’t forgiven you.”

“Forgiven me? For what? Saving your life?”

I scoff.

He brushes the hair back from my face. “Ginger, I wish you’d talk to me.”

“Kip, I wish you’d just let it go.” I’m still breathing heavily. My whole body is tingling. I’m afraid I may just spill all my secrets right now if he keeps asking.

“You know I can’t do that,” he says, his face is dark now.

“I’m starving,” I change the subject. “I’m working in a few hours.”

“Shame.” He watches me get out of bed. “Your boss must be a real hard ass.”

“Smart ass is more like it,” I say. He throws a pillow at me.

“I’m watching you,” he grins.

“Oh, I know.” I call over my shoulder as I walk into the bathroom.

Chapter Nineteen

Kip

I’m just staring at her like some sort of love-sick idiot. I don’t normally stay this long at the bar. I spend most of my time in the back, but I’m making excuses for being up here tonight because I can’t stop watching her. She glides from table to table like it’s a fucking dance. Her smile is lighting up the room. I want to pull her back into the office with me and bury myself inside of her until I hear her scream out my name again.

“You okay, boss?” Sadie says as she slides past me.

“Fine.”

“Just seem a bit distracted.”

“That’s one way to say it,” Kyle mutters.

I glare at him, and he just resumes pouring a drink without another word.

She’s serving a family now - two elementary school kids and their parents. She lowers herself until she’s eye level with the kids. I step closer until I can hear what she’s saying.

“I love it too. I haven’t laughed that hard at a book in my whole life,” she says to the boy. He’s smiling at her like it’s the first woman he’s ever seen, and I understand completely.

“You want to know my favorite character?” she says. The kid leans closer, his eyes eager with anticipation.

“Rodrick.”

They both start laughing.

“He reminds me a bit of one of my brothers.”

The little girl is laughing now too.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Ginger says, pointing at the little girl. “Brothers, right?”

She shakes her head, and they all continue laughing. I lean up against the doorpost, so I can watch this scene play out.

“What’s your favorite book?” she asks the girl.