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Lucy Hurst has a body made for sin, and I’ve always loved being a sinner. Too bad for the both of us I’m walking the straight and narrow path.
If there’s one important life lesson I learned after all that, it's that you can’t trust anyone but yourself. Everyone else will only let you down.
don’t go falling in love with me, sweetheart. I’m not a project you can fix, and I don’t believe in happy endings.”
I don’t know why but I trace her wedding ring, gliding along the band, not quite hating the way my heart speeds up—or the bit of possessiveness that snakes up my spine over the fact that she’s wearing my ring on her finger. Mine. No one else's.
What is the price of hookers these days? Have their rates gone up with inflation?” “At least they know how to rise with inflation.”
Not that I’m saying all football players are pansies, but well, I am. Football has nothing on hockey. I mean, we skate on knives and punch people for crowd entertainment. And what do they do? Slap each other's asses? No thanks.
She can be the ray of light in my darkness, just for tonight. I’ll try to hate her tomorrow.
I love and hate that I’m the only one who gets to see her so casual. I want to savor these moments and relax with her on the couch. Hide her away from the rest of the world so they don’t get to see what’s mine. What’s special… and then I want to punch myself in the face for thinking any of it.
I could get used to falling asleep next to you, waking up wrapped around you, and then you’ll leave, and I’ll never fucking sleep again. That’s all. No biggie.
I reach out, stroking a finger over the pink laces. “I don’t know how to skate. I don’t want to embarrass you.” Rhett tosses the bag in the chair next to me and kneels down. “You could never embarrass me. You’re the perfect one.”
“Are you going to catch me if I fall?” I stand at the edge of the ice, watching Rhett step on and glide around like he was born to skate. Well, seeing him in his element, it’s not too hard to believe. His mouth flattens, and he gets this almost sad look in his eyes before he whispers, “Always,” in a voice so slow I almost didn’t catch it.
“He looks at you like you're his next breath, like you’re his reason for existing. You may not see it, Lucille, but the rest of us do.”
I actually think you’re good for her. You shake things up in her perfect world and make things interesting. At least, if you let yourself be a decent human being. She must see something in you, or you wouldn’t still be in Nashville.” “But also, if you hurt her, we’ll smash your face,” Lincoln adds in before nodding to Foster. “If it's not real now, it will be soon enough.”
There’s only one person whose opinion matters to me right now, and no matter how much I hate it, I can’t seem to stop it. The pink terrorist that is my wife has me under her spell. Now I need to break it before we’re both ruined.
No good deed is worth this Hillbilly Hell.
“I want them to watch.” I flatten my tongue against the side of her neck and lick up the delicate skin, only stopping at her earlobe to suck it into my mouth briefly before biting down. “I want them to know who you fucking belong to.”
What did I say about letting everyone watch?” “Rhett...” “What did I say, Lucy?” he grinds out, his fingers digging into my hip. I lower my voice and tilt my head back. “You want them to watch,” I inhale sharply, my body trembling as I finish the rest, “So they know I’m yours.” “Good girl.”
“Fuck rule number two, Lucy. You drive me so fucking crazy I won’t be able to hold back much longer. You make me feel like an animal.”
I’m not nearly done with you yet, and I don’t let anyone touch what’s mine.
Rhett undoes my belt and brushes the hair from my face. The way he’s looking at me, like I’m something precious, knocks my breath from my lungs. I don’t dare say anything or move, afraid that doing anything would destroy this perfect moment.
As much as I’d like to deny it, she means way more to me than some inconvenience. Fuck. Lucy is everything, and I don’t know how to tell her.
She’s everything. My world. My hopes. My dreams.
She feels so good. So mine. She’s destroying me bit by bit, inch by inch. This woman owns me.
She doesn’t just look like she belongs there—she does belong there. “Lucy.” “I know, Rhett. I know.” She tilts her head and captures my lips in a kiss. It’s sweet, soulful, and tells me everything I can’t put into words. This woman slays me. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance I can keep her.
“Bananas not only lower your blood pressure, they also float in water.”
Literally no one else knows where I live. And yes, that’s on purpose. As soon as I hit the button for the intercom, a deep British accent shouts, “Let us up you bloody wanker.”
“It seems like you guys have some stuff to talk about, so I’ll get out of your hair. Please feel free to knock some actual sense into him. Nice meeting you guys, especially the one with the accent.” “Rude,” Tag mutters as she disappears.
You can’t count on anyone—they’ll only disappoint you. It’s happened with everyone I’ve let get close to me, and there’s a part of me that thinks I deserve the pain for letting someone else in. For being naive. For being hopeful.
I’ve never been one to believe in love at first sight, but I think I fell in love with Lucy on that first day we met. I’m sure that’s the reason I opened my mouth and pushed her away. She was the one person who could get close to me, who could work her way into my heart and discover all my secrets. It was safer if she hated me, if she thought I was trouble. And then when fate stepped in and shoved us together, I let my wall crumble a little. I let her in, and every day that we spent together was better than the last. Each day, I fell a little deeper. Do I love her? More than I thought I could.
...more
It might be harder to win her over than I thought. But I have to try. If I don’t, I know I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. She’s worth it. She’s worth absolutely everything and more.
On instinct, my fingers go to my obsidian wedding band and twist around the cool metal. It used to be something that represented what I thought was a huge mistake, but now it’s a symbol of hope. Of love. Of forgiveness. This marriage between Lucy and I may have started out as a sham, but it’s morphed into so much more. It’s about time she knows it.
“I know I messed up. I know I said things I didn’t mean. I know I’m not even close to being good enough for you. You are the reason I get up every morning, why I want to be a better man… why I take every breath. I live for you.”
