Jen McLaughlin - Out of Time

He held a hand to his heart, his other arm still extended to me. “You wound me. What part of my drink invitation said ‘I’m looking to get into your pants’? I must’ve missed it, because I’d swear I simply asked you to keep me company in a dining room—not my bedroom.”

I laughed, then covered my mouth. Mom looked over and smiled, obviously thinking her plan was working. “So you’re not trying to get into my pants?”

“No, of course not.” He skimmed his gaze over me. “Not yet, anyway. I mean, I just met you. Give a guy a little credit, will ya?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, because not knowing a girl has stopped guys before.”

“I’m not just any guy. I’m one of a kind. A Stapleton through and through.” He put a hand on his chest, and for a second I thought he was serious, but he broke out in a grin and dropped his hand. “Was I cocky and serious enough? Did I pull it off?”

“Yeah, you almost had me.” I laughed. “You’re something else.”

“I get that a lot.”

I blinked up at him, fluttering my lashes a little. “From girls you flirt with?”

“I’m not flirting. I’m chatting, darling,” he said, drawing out the syllable to sound snobby. “And while I’m sure you’re quite lovely under that dress, I have a secret, too.” He offered his arm again. “If you want to hear it, you have to follow me.”

This time, I curled my hand into his elbow and let him. “Spill it, Stapleton.”

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Oh, you’re bossy. I like that in a woman.”

I sighed, but inside I felt alive. It had been so long since I’d gotten to relax and be myself. It felt good . “It comes part and parcel with being a Wallington.”

“Ah, yes. I think I saw that in the informational packet your dad gave me about your blood lineage.” As we crossed the foyer, he added, “Did you know my parents want me to marry you and make little trust fund babies? They made it quite clear.”

I stopped walking and looked at him, my jaw dropping. “Uh, okay. That was a sweet proposal and all, but no thank you.”

“Sweetie, that wasn’t a proposal.” He shuddered. “I am not my parents, and I have a feeling you aren’t yours either. I’m betting you don’t like being told what to do. Am I right?”

I bit down on my lip and nodded. “They told me the same thing—that I should marry you for the greater good.”

“I’m shocked.” He snorted and opened the door to the dining room. “Or not. But at least they’re open and honest with us, right? They seem to forget this isn’t the Victorian times, and we’re not—”

“And we’re not children who will do as they’re told,” I finished for him, smiling. I liked this guy. There was something about him that made me relax. “You’re right, I think we’ll get along great.”

He nodded and picked up a glass of pink stuff, handing one to me. “Drink it before they come in.”

“On it.” I tipped it back and took a big gulp. It was fizzy and slightly sweet. And delicious. After I swallowed, I lifted my glass and pointed it at him. “You don’t act like them.”

“Neither do you.” He took a thoughtful sip. “I think it’s why we like each other. I mean, really, why am I in a tux for dinner with friends? How pretentious can we be?”

I giggled and took another sip. This stuff was even better than the wine coolers Finn always got me. I’d have to figure out what it was so we could keep it stashed at his place. “We hired help to replace the help. For one day. Like, what?” I held out my arm. “The house will fall apart in twenty-four hours?”

He rolled his eyes. “My parents are the same. When I’m done with college, I’m going to get a normal-sized house, a normal job, and marry a normal girl.”

“They’ll just die,” I said fluttering my lashes. “Can you imagine the reaction?”

His gaze dropped to my mouth and heated, but then he looked away. “They’d have a heart attack, I’m sure.”

I tried to ignore the look he’d given me. So what if he’d stared at my mouth for a fraction of a second? It didn’t have to mean anything. And honestly, I didn’t want to stop being silly with him. Ever since I came home, I’d been pretending to be something I wasn’t. I wasn’t the girl who left here all those months ago. I was different.

Finn had changed me, and I had no desire to go back to being that girl.

He took another sip of his drink, then grabbed both of us another one, stepping even closer to me. “Let’s go sit over there. They’ll think we’re off flirting and maybe getting a head start on those trust fund babies, and we can drink. Maybe spend some time getting to know one another since we’ll be married soon…”

“You are flirting with me,” I said, narrowing my eyes on him. “The question is: why bother?”

“Dude, I’m respectful of the fact you have a man back in Cali,” he said, his eyes drifting down my body. “But I’m not dead. I see a pretty girl? I flirt. Don’t look too much into it. Although…wait. Scratch that. I did ask you to marry me.”

I laughed and led him into the sitting room. “You’re horrible.”

“If our parents knew we were wandering off together, they’d be cackling with glee. I can picture them now, standing on the sidelines and rooting us on.” He lowered his voice. “No, son, you have to move slower. Make it last. It’s not a rush to the finish line, boy. Conserve your energy for round two. Stapletons always have a round two.”

I choked on my drink and gasped for air. “Oh my God.”

“Too much?” he asked as he sighed and leaned against the wall.

“Nope. It’s just enough,” I said, grinning. “You remind me of…well, my boyfriend.”

He narrowed his eyes. “If you’re going to ask me to stand in for him in a dark bedroom, I’ll have to say… yes. Absolutely yes.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. Totally something he would say.”

“He sounds like a smart guy.” He finished his drink and sat down on the couch. “Come. Sit. Tell me about this paragon of a man.”

“Well…” I took a sip and sat down next to him, setting my full glass down on the table next to his empty one. “He’s a Marine. And he surfs. And rides a bike. And he’s the sweetest guy ever. He treats me so…so great.”

I broke off and played with the sun necklace. There weren’t enough words to encompass all that was Finn.

“Mm.” He tapped his fingers on the side of the couch. “Sounds like Mommy and Daddy will love him.”

I snorted. “You have no idea, but I don’t care.”

“The heart never does,” he said softly.

His words reminded me of Mom’s, and all that “the heart is right or wrong” crap. I considered him. He looked awfully melancholy. “What about you? You have a girl back in San Francisco?”

“I did.” He lifted a shoulder and offered me a twisted smile. “But we broke up when I found her in bed with her professor.”

“Ouch.” I patted his back. “Sorry.”

“Eh, it’s okay.” He leaned his elbows on his knees. “It’s not like she was the one or anything.”

I pursed my lips. “Do you believe in that?” I asked.

“I do.” He turned to me. “Don’t you?”

“I do. I mean, I found him.” I picked up my drink. “So I know it’s real.”

“I’m kind of jealous.” He nodded. “Enough about me. Drink that and we’ll go back in. It’s time to act the part of the spoiled rich kids.”

I finished my half-empty one and picked up the full glass, resting my chin in my hand. “You’re so different from them.”

“You are, too.” He watched me, his green eyes sparkling with life and kindness. “I wonder why?”