RainaI put a pair of heels in my bag, put on some sneakers so I could actually be comfortable, and went to my truck to start the trek across town to this date that I had no choice but to go on. As soon as this was done, I was going to go to Reed and watch him delete that dating profile myself.No way I was letting this slide again. I couldn’t believe he’d let it go this far, and I was already mad as hell at him for thinking he could just interfere like this. I didn’t get myself involved in his dating life.But then, I knew that he didn’t need my help. He was a great guy, and he was always attracting women, whether or not he was making the effort to do it. His job meant he was in contact with a whole host of different people, and he had the easy, charming confidence to get anyone he wanted to fall for him.It was what made him such a great guy to have on your side in the courtroom, and it was what made all the girls in town tumble over themselves to get their hands on him. He didn’t n

Harry“Yeah, it was my best friend who set me up on this date, and trust me, I wasn’t exactly pleased when I found out what she had done,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I would have canceled it, but I knew that she wasn’t going to let it drop until I had actually been out on a date.”“Oh my God, that’s the same with my brother,” she exclaimed. “We should set them up together.”I laughed. “Yeah, that would show them. Prove that they’re not the only ones who can pull this shit, huh?”“Don’t tempt me,” she replied, lifting her finger as though she was on the brink of setting it up at that very moment. “I’m still so mad at him for this. Trust me.”“Still?” I asked.She smiled at me. “Well, maybe not quite so much anymore,” she conceded, and a little flush ran up her cheeks.The flicker of the candle on her skin made her look even more beautiful than ever, and I glanced down to her mouth, her soft plump lips all but begging me to lean down and taste them for the first time. The stir

RainaI wished I could rewind time back to that exact moment before he asked me out again and tell myself that this was what I wanted. Yes, I knew it would be hard, and yes, I knew that my life was crazy hectic most of the time, but maybe that was just how it was meant to be.I couldn’t keep putting off the thought of being with someone with excuses about how busy my life was. Maybe I just needed to accept that a good guy had come into my life and that the universe was telling me loudly that I should drop the pretense and go after him.“Something on your mind, hun?” Jackie asked as I helped her set the board up outside.I shook my head. I didn’t want to talk to her about all of this. Even though I knew it was kind of pathetic, I didn’t like the notion of her finding out that I wasn’t well put together in my personal life. I knew it was silly, but I liked the thought of everyone around me thinking that I actually had my shit together, even when it wasn’t true. Even when it was so blind

HarryWe arrived at his vast estate. The gates slid open, and I drove up toward the house. It was tacky, really, but the enormous mansion that he’d had built for himself seemed to suit him down to the ground. I could never have imagined myself living in a place like that, but maybe I was just being a snob. Perhaps there was a lot to be said for just kicking back and letting yourself indulge in all your worst, craziest whims as you got older. He certainly seemed to be happy, after all.He was waiting by the door for us when we pulled to a halt outside the house, and he instantly crouched down and held his arms out to Winnie as soon as he saw her approaching.“Hey, Winnie!” he called to her, and she practically leaped into his arms and gave him a huge hug. I was surprised that she didn’t break him. He was starting to look really frail these days, and I just hoped to God that he was going to be with us a little longer yet. He had his bad days, days when he knew that he couldn’t handle se

RainaHow was it that even down the phone, he could get me all flustered and overheated? I needed to get myself together. I needed to—I wasn’t sure, but I needed to do something. Maybe get off the phone and stop sounding like such a blundering idiot?“I guess you will,” he replied. How could he sound so cool? He was talking like he had the world in the palm of his hand, and me right there with it.“Catch you later,” I replied, and I practically cringed when I heard how breathy and overly interested my voice sounded. Oh my goodness. Was that really what I was like when I was around him? I had hoped that I might be able to keep myself together just a little better than that, but it seemed like I had lost the ability.We made sure to exchange numbers and said our goodbyes, and I hung up the phone and stared at it for a long moment. All my thoughts about work and worms and dogshit had vanished right out of my head. I was going to see him again. I was going to see him again. It was like I