Halfway There (7 page)

At least he wasn’t running, she told herself. So maybe she hadn’t scared him too much. His arms felt good around her. Warm and strong and safe.

He eased her toward the living room, then settled her on the sofa. He sat next to her, her hand in his, his gaze locked on her face.

“Let’s take your concerns one at a time,” he said.

“Oh, let’s not.” She touched her cheek with her free fingers. “I shouldn’t have said all that.”

He shook his head. “One of the things I admire most about you is how determined you are and how honest. You say what you think. I
want
you to be honest.”

He gave her a gentle smile. “I know your goals are important to you. I understand you need to be successful and I’m impressed you’re self-aware enough to know why. We’re both young, so there’s no reason to move fast in this relationship.”

“Are you talking emotionally or about sex?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “Because I’m open to...”

Another blush flared.

His eyebrows rose. “Sex, huh?”

She thought about the back part of the thong digging into her butt. “You have no idea,” she muttered.

“Good. We’ll get to that in a second. But let’s finish up with my job offer. Do you love me?”

She bit her lip and gathered all her courage, then nodded slowly. Admitting it while calm was much scarier than announcing it in the heat of a rant.

“I love you, too. I think you’re the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met. But you need to focus on your business, and I need to get settled with Ethan. Why don’t we do this—we’ll date exclusively for the next three years. Then I’ll propose. We’ll be engaged for a year and get married when you’re twenty-eight.”

Emotions flooded her. Warm, happy feelings that had her blinking to hold back tears. “You’d do that for me?”

“I’d do anything for you, Fayrene. I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”

She flung herself at him. He caught her and held her close. His mouth claimed hers with a kiss that promised her his heart. He slipped his hand to her knee and moved his fingers up the back of her thigh.

“Now about this sex thing,” he said, his voice teasing.

Then he reached the top of her thigh and the absence of panties. His whole body stiffened. She opened her eyes and found him staring at her. He swore under his breath.

“What are you wearing under that?”

She smiled. “I’m not sure I should tell you.”

“You could show me instead.”

“I suppose I could. But what about dinner?”

He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Dinner can wait,” he muttered as he guided her into the tiny hall and toward the only bedroom.

Later, when they’d made love and eaten the only slightly ruined dinner and had the wine, he took her in his arms again. “I don’t know how I got so lucky,” he told her. “Finding you like this.”

She smiled, bubbling with happiness. “It was all part of a plan.”

* * * * *

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Halfway There
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About the Author

New York Times
bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women and the relationships that move them.
Publishers Weekly
calls Susan’s prose “luscious and provocative,” and
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says “Novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.”

While Susan appreciates the critical praise, she is most honored by the enthusiastic readers who write to tell her that her books made them laugh, made them cry, and made the world a happier place to live.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband and her tiny but intrepid toy poodle. She’s there for the coffee, not the weather.

* * *

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ISBN: 9781460311998

Halfway There

Copyright © 2013 by Susan Macias Redmond

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