Read Online FUSE by Deborah Bladon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Deborah Bladon
Tags: alpha male, alpha male romance, new adult romance, bad boy, Bad Boy romance, blue eyes, new adult romance novel, man in power, man in control, new adult with sex, standalone romance, deborah bladon fuse, deborah blazon, wealthy romance, wealthy man
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any day. I'd never refuse that."
Again, it's the charm but I take something more from the words. I can tell that he likes hanging out with me. I saw it yesterday when we rode the train to Brooklyn and I see it again now. He's the most unlikely friend I'm ever going to have. I already know that and I'm also smart enough to know that this friendship may be fleeting and short lived. I'm filling a gap for him. I'm certain that it has to do with the fact that his girlfriend married his best friend. I don't care right now though. All I do care about is that my newest friend wants to go to lunch with me.
"What do you want to eat?" I ask without thinking as he pulls a t-shirt onto his body. "I don't know this area so I can't suggest a place."
"I know the perfect spot for us to have lunch." He grabs my hand as he walks swiftly towards the reception area to where I left my coat. "Put on your coat, I'll grab my stuff and we can head out."
***
I can't do it. My feet are stuck in place. Beck's at least ten feet in front of me now. I can tell by his stride that he hasn't realized I'm not beside him anymore. Why would he? He's busily eating the hot dog that he bought when we exited the taxi. I'm still holding tightly to mine as I stare at the horizon and the man standing not more than twenty feet away from me who resembles Tim.
Even if I never seen his face again, I'll be haunted by his words for the rest of my life. I can't be this happy. I can't enjoy life. It's not fair if I do. That man's face and this place are reminders of that. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't deserve moments like this. This can't be my life.
If I turn back towards the street it won't take me more than a few seconds to hail a taxi. I can be in one and on my way back to my apartment before he even notices that I've left. I'll block his number and ignore his calls and soon he'll realize that I'm not whole in the way he thinks I am. He'll give up because men like him don't waste time being friends with women like me.
"Zoe?" he calls to me from where he's standing on a paved path. "What's wrong?"
Nothing. Everything. All of it is wrong.
I thought I'd have more time to know him before I had to face this. I thought I was stronger. I'm not. The pounding of my heart is telling me I'm a fool for even thinking that.
"Zoe?" He's running now, not at full speed but more of a slow jog. "Are you okay?"
I nod briskly. I can't tell him. I barely know him. We just exchanged phone numbers only a few hours ago.
"I'm fine," I say with a weak smile when he finally reaches me.
"You disappeared." He nods towards the still untouched hot dog in my hand. "Are you not hungry?"
I look down at it. When he bought it for me it felt like one of those New York moments you see in the movies or on one of those detective dramas on television. The vendor had a thick accent and when Beck tipped him well, the man patted him on the back saying he was one of the good ones.
"I'm hungry," I confess. I take a tentative bite of the end of the bun to secure the words in truth.
It doesn't work. Skepticism grips his expression. He doesn't believe me. I don’t blame him.
"Let's go sit in the park." He motions toward the path that he just returned from. "There are a few benches down there. We can see the George Washington Bridge from there."
"The bridge," I repeat back slowly. "I can't see the bridge."
"It's there." He moves his hand towards the path as he smiles down at me. "If we go down close to the water you'll see it better. It's not that far."
"No." I look down at the hotdog still mostly untouched in my hand. "I don't want to see the bridge."
"You're not scared of water are you?" He playfully pushes his hand into my side. "Are you afraid you'll drown if we get too close?"
The hotdog drops from my hand onto the pavement and I gasp as I watch it fall.
"It's okay." He reaches for my shoulder. "I can get you another one."
"I need to go." I turn quickly on my heel towards the
Again, it's the charm but I take something more from the words. I can tell that he likes hanging out with me. I saw it yesterday when we rode the train to Brooklyn and I see it again now. He's the most unlikely friend I'm ever going to have. I already know that and I'm also smart enough to know that this friendship may be fleeting and short lived. I'm filling a gap for him. I'm certain that it has to do with the fact that his girlfriend married his best friend. I don't care right now though. All I do care about is that my newest friend wants to go to lunch with me.
"What do you want to eat?" I ask without thinking as he pulls a t-shirt onto his body. "I don't know this area so I can't suggest a place."
"I know the perfect spot for us to have lunch." He grabs my hand as he walks swiftly towards the reception area to where I left my coat. "Put on your coat, I'll grab my stuff and we can head out."
***
I can't do it. My feet are stuck in place. Beck's at least ten feet in front of me now. I can tell by his stride that he hasn't realized I'm not beside him anymore. Why would he? He's busily eating the hot dog that he bought when we exited the taxi. I'm still holding tightly to mine as I stare at the horizon and the man standing not more than twenty feet away from me who resembles Tim.
Even if I never seen his face again, I'll be haunted by his words for the rest of my life. I can't be this happy. I can't enjoy life. It's not fair if I do. That man's face and this place are reminders of that. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't deserve moments like this. This can't be my life.
If I turn back towards the street it won't take me more than a few seconds to hail a taxi. I can be in one and on my way back to my apartment before he even notices that I've left. I'll block his number and ignore his calls and soon he'll realize that I'm not whole in the way he thinks I am. He'll give up because men like him don't waste time being friends with women like me.
"Zoe?" he calls to me from where he's standing on a paved path. "What's wrong?"
Nothing. Everything. All of it is wrong.
I thought I'd have more time to know him before I had to face this. I thought I was stronger. I'm not. The pounding of my heart is telling me I'm a fool for even thinking that.
"Zoe?" He's running now, not at full speed but more of a slow jog. "Are you okay?"
I nod briskly. I can't tell him. I barely know him. We just exchanged phone numbers only a few hours ago.
"I'm fine," I say with a weak smile when he finally reaches me.
"You disappeared." He nods towards the still untouched hot dog in my hand. "Are you not hungry?"
I look down at it. When he bought it for me it felt like one of those New York moments you see in the movies or on one of those detective dramas on television. The vendor had a thick accent and when Beck tipped him well, the man patted him on the back saying he was one of the good ones.
"I'm hungry," I confess. I take a tentative bite of the end of the bun to secure the words in truth.
It doesn't work. Skepticism grips his expression. He doesn't believe me. I don’t blame him.
"Let's go sit in the park." He motions toward the path that he just returned from. "There are a few benches down there. We can see the George Washington Bridge from there."
"The bridge," I repeat back slowly. "I can't see the bridge."
"It's there." He moves his hand towards the path as he smiles down at me. "If we go down close to the water you'll see it better. It's not that far."
"No." I look down at the hotdog still mostly untouched in my hand. "I don't want to see the bridge."
"You're not scared of water are you?" He playfully pushes his hand into my side. "Are you afraid you'll drown if we get too close?"
The hotdog drops from my hand onto the pavement and I gasp as I watch it fall.
"It's okay." He reaches for my shoulder. "I can get you another one."
"I need to go." I turn quickly on my heel towards the
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