Page 105 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

“Then you’ll know where you stand,” Chase said, standing up with a grin. “But if I were you, I’d find out sooner rather than later.”

CAROLINE HAD BEEN experimenting with the effects chocolate had on spoonfuls of peanut butter when someone knocked on the front door. Sticking the spoon in her mouth, she walked over and opened the door, expecting the UPS man, but instead, Gabe looked in at her nervously with a bouquet of roses in his hands.

“I know I should have called, but I was afraid you wouldn’t see me, and I needed to say this.”

She waited quietly, somewhere between shock and awe. Plus, the peanut butter was stuck to the roof of her mouth, and she was afraid to try to speak.

“I have tried to be a good guy for years, to prove to my sister, to my mother, even to Chase that I wasn’t just the dumb asshole who ruined everyone’s lives. I figured when we started hooking up that it was going to be short-lived fun, but I found myself wanting to prove that to you too. And it scared t

he hell out of me, especially when you left for New York and I wasn’t sure if you were coming back. I should have just accepted your apology and moved on, but I sabotage things because I have a hard time thinking anything good can happen to me.

“But you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Not just because of the way you make me feel—feelings that I’ve never felt before—but because you don’t judge. You’ve always accepted me, even when I was an asshole. You’re amazing, Caroline, and I’d like to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love everything about you, starting tomorrow.”

Pulling the spoon out of her mouth, she worked the peanut butter until she could swallow it. “What’s tomorrow?” she asked breathlessly.

“Our first date, hopefully,” he said with a nervous grin. “I’d ask you to come home now, but I want it to feel like the real thing. Like I come to your door and ask your sister’s permission. As if we hadn’t started things off ass-backward.”

Her heart swelled at the sweet, romantic gesture, and she teased, “I don’t know. My sisters can be major hard-asses. Not sure they’ll let me out the door.” Leaning closer, she added, “You look like one of those guys who could get a girl in trouble.”

“I used to be that guy,” he said, handing her the armful of roses he’d been holding. No sooner had she taken them than he was cupping her face in his hands. “But that was before I fell in love with you.”

Holy hell, what do you say to that?

Choking back a sob, she said, “That’s pretty convenient, considering I love you too.”

He dipped his head, and she met his kiss, dropping the roses to the floor of the entryway so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders.

Finally, he pulled back and whispered, “I’ll pick you up at noon?”

“Sure,” she whispered, “but first . . .”

“What?”

She jerked him inside and shut the door behind him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, a smile spreading across his face, lighting up those obsidian eyes.

“People in love have make-up sex, don’t they?”

“So I’ve heard,” he said.

She jumped him, wrapping her arms and legs around him, trusting him to catch her. He did, of course.

“Well, come on. Let’s get on with it.”

“Where am I going?” Gabe asked.

An evil plan formed in Caroline’s head. “Val’s room is on the left.”

“Won’t she be pissed?” Gabe said, pushing the door open.

“Too damn bad! Now she’ll know what it was like to listen to her loud monkey sex for two weeks,” Caroline said, giggling. “Payback is a bitch.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Love is about sharing yourself with someone else. Even the ugly, scary, bumpy parts.”

—Miss Know It All