“He wants us to choose one together.”
A look of disdain crossed his features, and I didn’t know if it was because of what I had just told him, or if he didn’t think much of a man who couldn’t pick out the perfect ring for his fiancée. I knew that if he were my fiancé, Dante would choose just the right one and I would love it. It had bothered me that Sterling had asked without a ring, but I wouldn’t let Dante know it.
Since I was engaged, I had to remember that it didn’t matter what Dante would or would not do. Things between us had ended disastrously, and he would not be in my future.
“You could have mentioned it,” he said, moving my hand off of his chest.
“It was sudden,” I said. “It just happened last night.”
“One day too late,” Dante said. He looked and sounded sad. Which didn’t make sense given that he just wanted to mess around.
“He’s coming to pick me up for graduation,” I whispered. “He’ll be here soon.”
I did not want Dante and Sterling in the same place at the same time. I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
“I should go.”
I didn’t want him to leave, but he was right. He should go.
He leaned in to kiss me good-bye, as he had so many times before, but just as he went to kiss my left cheek, I looked up because I wanted to say something to him, and our lips met.
Accidentally, torturously, wondrously, and it was just as I remembered it. Better. My lips felt like they had caught on fire.
He immediately pulled away, but he didn’t go far. Our lips hovered near each other, just a fraction apart. We were both breathing hard, shallow breaths.
I waited. I was so caught up in the moment I was sure he would kiss me again. I wanted him to kiss me again, make the world fall away and to have the only thing that mattered be the passion between us.
I bit my lower lip in anticipation, and his gaze darted to my mouth, and he sucked in a breath.
Still he didn’t move. Almost touching me, almost kissing me, but not.
The anticipation and want kept building inside me until I was absolutely desperate for him to make a move, do something.
Finally, not able to stand it and wanting him more than anything in the whole word, I broke all of my rules and leaned forward.
He stepped back just as quickly. Out of reach.
“Once is a mistake,” he said, his breathing still just as out of control as mine. “Twice is deliberate.”
Good heavens. I suddenly remembered myself. I was engaged and I had almost—I would have if Dante hadn’t stopped us. I should have been thanking him, but instead I wanted an explanation that would make the feelings go away.
“Why?” was all I could say, which was stupid because I very well knew why.
“You’re not a cheater,” he finally said with a sad smile. “And I won’t make you one.”
I could feel tears, hot and unshed, just behind my eyes, and my throat felt too tight. I’d been cheated on most of my adult life, and I had just nearly cheated on Sterling. I was a terrible person, and it was so awful that Dante had to be the one to remind me of my relationship and the promise that I had made to another man. That he had to be the honorable one while I was ready to betray my fiancé and myself.
How could I ever look Dante in the face again? He must have thought I was the worst fiancée ever. I certainly did. I sat down in a chair at the table, my knees no longer able to support me.
My voice caught when I asked, “Where does that leave us then?”
“Friends. I will always be your friend.”
“And my client.” I still sounded wobbly and like tears would break out at any minute.
He smiled, but it wasn’t sincere. “Yes. That. I will see you in California in a couple of weeks.”
Then he left, closing the door quietly behind him, and I tried to keep the tears from falling since I didn’t want to explain to Sterling why I had been crying, or to let him know the kind of person I really was.
Everybody else had their hometown visits, and finally it was my turn. I was actually excited to have my parents meet Dante. I got to speak briefly with my mother before I left, and she was frantic. The show had brought twenty people to set up the house and prep them, and they were planning on being there for eight hours, even though Dante and I were only scheduled to be filmed for two or three.