Page 66 of The One You Want

“Gray.” She couldn’t say anything more than his name and she hoped he heard everything in her heart to go with it.

“Yeah. Damn. This is getting good.”

“So good,” she agreed.

“Maybe you two should be getting married instead of Marc and me.”

Rose went still and stared at Maggie, wondering if she was having second thoughts.

“WithMarc and me,” she corrected, rolling her eyes at her blunder. “Sorry. I’m stressed.”

“I can help,” Gray said, and even though Maggie could hear him because they were sitting so close, Rose put the phone on speaker. “Hey Maggie. I called our events coordinator and asked her if she could reach out to a few of our vendors to see if they could do a last-minute wedding cake.” Gray paused. “She just emailed me with the name of a bakery here in the city. They’re happy to help and all they need are the details. I’ll forward this to you. Give them a call with the details of what you want and they’ll make it happen. The only hiccup is they can’t deliver it. But I’m sure we can figure out how to pick it up and get it to the reception.”

“Are you serious?” Maggie asked, hope and wonder in her words.

“Yes. All I need is your email address.”

Maggie rattled it off for him. Ten seconds later, her phone lit up with the incoming email alert.

“I know you’re totally into my best friend,” Maggie said, “but when I see you, I’m going to kiss you for this.”

“Rose is only happy if you’re happy, so it’s really in my best interest to help you out, because I’m happy when Rose is happy,” Gray said.

“That’s it, Rose, you win. Marc apologized and turned around and lied about why he wanted to talk to you. You and Gray spend five minutes on the phone and it’s filled with sexual innuendos, flirting, and romance.”

“Why did Marc want to talk to you, Rose?”

She eyed Maggie, who whispered, “Sorry,” for bringing up Marc and hinting at what Rose hadn’t told Gray yet.

“I would really like to tell you about that when we’re together. It’s an in-person kind of thing.” She didn’t want to tell him over the phone without being able to see his face and how he took the news. She wanted him to see in her that it didn’t mean anything to her.

“You’ve got my attention.”

“She’s had your attention from the second you met,” Maggie interjected. “If what she says changes that, then you haven’t been paying attention to what she’s been telling you and you don’t feel for her what you say you feel for her. This happened before you met, so it shouldn’t affect you and her and what you have right now.” Maggie always had her back.

“This is about that asshole you had a one-night stand with, right?”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Yes.” She sighed. “Gray, really we can talk about it when I see you.”

“And you told Maggie whatever it is you want to tell me?”

“Yes.” She knew it was coming but it still didn’t prepare her for Gray’s clipped, controlled tone.

“It was Marc.”

“Yes,” she confirmed.

“That cheating asshole never said a word, just secretly got off on knowing how much I liked you and wanted you and he’d already had you.”

“Gray.” She spoke softly, understanding he needed to work it out in his mind, but also so very aware that Maggie could hear him.

“All the flirting, catching you two talking in the hall at the bar, him calling you gorgeous on the phone, kissing you in the restaurant, saying little things about you to get under my skin.”

“He kissed you?” Maggie looked furious.

“On the cheek in greeting.” Rose wanted that to be clear.

“Yeah. And you backed up into me because I thought you didn’t like it.”