After one feverish night with Tyler Evans, Rory is never supposed to see the man draped in enigmas and devilish charms again.
Six months later, she's deep into a summer fling with Chace. As their fling becomes a committed relationship, she's adamant...
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An enigma I once fantasized about meeting again has assumed the form of a nuisance.What are the odds? Running into previous lovers is nothing new for me. Grocery stores, malls, bars, and clubs are hot spots for these encounters. Not your first boyfriend's family dinner. What was that interaction we had? Was he flirting or teasing me? Does he really want to be my friend? From the little I know about him, it's hard to gauge what his true intentions are.
Turning to face the full-length mirror, I observe my figure spilling out of the amber bikini I chose for this weekend. Had I known Chace's brother was a previous lover of mine, I would have rethought it. The fabric might as well be a second layer of skin. I bite my thumbnail and pull the straps to the top together. Useless. Every curve and dimple are on display for the world to see, including the beige stretch marks clawing up my brown skin. Like Vicky said, big girls shouldn't have to cover up.
The ugly stares and snide remarks made by strangers hardly affect me anymore, but sometimes unwarranted hostility still brings forth a bit of pain. I mean, Chace's father made it clear that my mere existence is an annoyance to him. 'You didn't wait for her to leave the nest, did you?' Similar comments have floated from the mouths of my friends and associates—Victoria being the biggest culprit. Since the afternoon she witnessed him leaving my room after our one night, she's expressed how creepy she finds it that Chace is dating such a young girl. As if being twenty-four makes him so much older than me. As if I hadn't been the one to approach him at a bar I shouldn't have been at anyway.
If anything, it's my fault for seducing him. Just like David.
Talons wrap around my mind, and I nearly lose my breath. Don't! Not now. You're safe. My chest shakes as I force my mouth open to take in the air. Come home. Come home, mija. The talons become weak and with a push, I belong to myself again.
The bedroom door cracks open. Through the reflection of the mirror, I catch Chace peeking in. His eyes land on me and a grin takes his handsome face. I smile into the mirror before turning around. "Hi!"
"Hey, gorgeous. I think this is my favorite color on you."
"You don't think it's a bit much?" I primp my breasts and poke out my bottom lip.
Chace closes the space between us. Warm hands slip between the spaces of my palms and breasts. "They feel perfect to me."
"Idiot." With a nervous laugh, I push his hands aside and lean into his frame. I pout while arching my neck to capture his eyes. "Won't your guests think I'm a little scandalous? I don't want to offend anyone."
"First, who cares?" He pecks my puckered lips. "Second, they're not even joining us. Dad talked them into playing a few holes of golf on the other side of the mansion. It's just you and me."
Relief sweeps through me. That means Tyler won't be there. I turn back to the mirror. "Thank goodness. That means they don't have to see my pudgy stomach." I run my hands over my stomach and scrunch my lips.
