Read Online Undercover Engagement by Lucy McConnell - Free Book Online
Authors: Lucy McConnell
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you.”
“Sweets, these aren’t normal circumstance.”
“I get that. It’s just that, I feel ... confused. I need some time to sort this all out.” I slumped into my chair with my arms folded, staring at the ground.
He sniffed; not a going-to-cry sniff, more of a suck-it-up-man sniff. “If that’s the way you feel.”
Not being able to swallow past the mixed-up lump of fear and heartache lodged in my throat, I nodded.
Jason stood. “Call me when you’re ready to talk.”
He quickly kissed my forehead and disappeared into the dark just beyond the ding of the doorbell. I stared at my ice cream until it started to drip into a sticky puddle on the table.
Chapter 13
I didn’t hang out at the ice cream shop for long. The girl behind the counter had heard everything and kept giving me you-are-an-idiot looks. It's hard to wallow when a teenager is grunting her disapproval in your general direction.
All the way home I indulged in my pet sin: 80’s hard rock. Bon Jovi and Aerosmith blasted my senses until I felt nothing inside but the pounding beat of the big bass drum. My ears rang with the screech of a lead guitar as I walked to my apartment. Dropping my purse on the table, I locked the door behind me. I took my engagement ring off and set it on the coffee table. The darn thing winked at me as I stared, stuffing my guilty face with the now goopy ice cream. One question rolled over in my head: How do you know if you really love someone ?
Forget the money, the vacations, the lifestyle and, yep, even the car. Focus on the man.
The man who outgunned my dad.
I laughed a little.
The man who lied to me about his job.
Shrug. He sort of had to.
A secret identity is not something you tell a person on a first date. I couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to tell me about his alter-ego or if he would have let me spend a lifetime in blissful ignorance.
The man who gives me goose bumps just by being near.
I shook my head. That’s not love, that’s physical attraction .
It’s a part of love.
Shrug.
Jason loved me . That much I was sure of. He was willing to quit a job he excelled at, a job he loved, in order to be with me. That was a big deal. But I couldn't love a person just because they loved me.
I thought of his laugh and the way he made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman on the planet. I'd had boyfriends before who did nice things for me and made me feel special, but Jason took it one step further. When I was with him, I felt complete in several ways. Most of all, when I was with him, I was a better person not because I wanted to please him, but because he brought out the best in me. He couldn't fake that, could he ?
I pressed my hands to either side of my head. I wasn’t any closer to figuring this out than I was when I sat down. I looked at my now empty cup sitting on the table in front of me. I was a lot closer to a chocolate overdose.
Popping two regular strength Tylenol, I pulled on my pajamas and climbed into bed. My love life would have to wait until morning.
Maybe, with enough sleep, I could clear my head.
Chapter 14
B ang! Bang! Bang!
What the ... what? I lifted my head off the pillow to check the alarm clock – 4:37 a.m.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Who? Struggling against slumber’s pull, I staggered to the door; pausing just long enough to make sure I was fully covered.
In that moment of modesty, last night’s caper filled my mind and I hesitated, my hand on the knob. I peeked through the peep hole. There was a guy. He had black hair with a blue cast; wore a studded dog collar and black eyeliner; and he was still pounding on my door. Was he high? I contemplated going back to bed when I saw him reach for the door handle. I jumped back as he jiggled it.
“Come on, Alyssa!” he called.
Jason ?
I jumped back to the peep hole and took a closer look. Beneath the black-attack wrapping, I saw Jason’s strong shoulders and defined features. The guy had totally
“Sweets, these aren’t normal circumstance.”
“I get that. It’s just that, I feel ... confused. I need some time to sort this all out.” I slumped into my chair with my arms folded, staring at the ground.
He sniffed; not a going-to-cry sniff, more of a suck-it-up-man sniff. “If that’s the way you feel.”
Not being able to swallow past the mixed-up lump of fear and heartache lodged in my throat, I nodded.
Jason stood. “Call me when you’re ready to talk.”
He quickly kissed my forehead and disappeared into the dark just beyond the ding of the doorbell. I stared at my ice cream until it started to drip into a sticky puddle on the table.
Chapter 13
I didn’t hang out at the ice cream shop for long. The girl behind the counter had heard everything and kept giving me you-are-an-idiot looks. It's hard to wallow when a teenager is grunting her disapproval in your general direction.
All the way home I indulged in my pet sin: 80’s hard rock. Bon Jovi and Aerosmith blasted my senses until I felt nothing inside but the pounding beat of the big bass drum. My ears rang with the screech of a lead guitar as I walked to my apartment. Dropping my purse on the table, I locked the door behind me. I took my engagement ring off and set it on the coffee table. The darn thing winked at me as I stared, stuffing my guilty face with the now goopy ice cream. One question rolled over in my head: How do you know if you really love someone ?
Forget the money, the vacations, the lifestyle and, yep, even the car. Focus on the man.
The man who outgunned my dad.
I laughed a little.
The man who lied to me about his job.
Shrug. He sort of had to.
A secret identity is not something you tell a person on a first date. I couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to tell me about his alter-ego or if he would have let me spend a lifetime in blissful ignorance.
The man who gives me goose bumps just by being near.
I shook my head. That’s not love, that’s physical attraction .
It’s a part of love.
Shrug.
Jason loved me . That much I was sure of. He was willing to quit a job he excelled at, a job he loved, in order to be with me. That was a big deal. But I couldn't love a person just because they loved me.
I thought of his laugh and the way he made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman on the planet. I'd had boyfriends before who did nice things for me and made me feel special, but Jason took it one step further. When I was with him, I felt complete in several ways. Most of all, when I was with him, I was a better person not because I wanted to please him, but because he brought out the best in me. He couldn't fake that, could he ?
I pressed my hands to either side of my head. I wasn’t any closer to figuring this out than I was when I sat down. I looked at my now empty cup sitting on the table in front of me. I was a lot closer to a chocolate overdose.
Popping two regular strength Tylenol, I pulled on my pajamas and climbed into bed. My love life would have to wait until morning.
Maybe, with enough sleep, I could clear my head.
Chapter 14
B ang! Bang! Bang!
What the ... what? I lifted my head off the pillow to check the alarm clock – 4:37 a.m.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Who? Struggling against slumber’s pull, I staggered to the door; pausing just long enough to make sure I was fully covered.
In that moment of modesty, last night’s caper filled my mind and I hesitated, my hand on the knob. I peeked through the peep hole. There was a guy. He had black hair with a blue cast; wore a studded dog collar and black eyeliner; and he was still pounding on my door. Was he high? I contemplated going back to bed when I saw him reach for the door handle. I jumped back as he jiggled it.
“Come on, Alyssa!” he called.
Jason ?
I jumped back to the peep hole and took a closer look. Beneath the black-attack wrapping, I saw Jason’s strong shoulders and defined features. The guy had totally
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