Best Dating Rules, Tamie Dearen [literature books to read txt] 📗

“Has he told her that?”

“I hope not. She’s definitely not ready to hear that from Josh.”

Spencer swallowed hard. “Why wouldn’t she want to hear it? You’d think she’d like knowing Josh loved her.”

“She won’t believe it because they haven’t known each other very long. She’ll think it’s a line.” So much for his plan to declare his love to Emily today. She might not be ready for it. How long had they been together? It had only been a couple of months since Emily arrived in New York. But if he counted the time since they first met, it could total eight months. On the other hand, they’d only been officially dating for about four weeks.

“I don’t think there’s a set length of time you have to know someone before you can love them,” he argued. “If it’s the right person, it doesn’t take long before you know.”

“Maybe. But she might think he was saying those words to get her to... to behave in a certain way.”

“Behave in what certain way?”

Emily’s face turned beet red. “You know. Guys who are experienced, like you and Josh, might say they love a girl just to get her to sleep with them.”

So now she was putting him and Josh in the same category. “That’s not true... Well, it’s not true for me. I’d never do something like that. A guy who did that would be a real slime-ball.”

“But how could she know for sure one way or the other?”

“Maybe she doesn’t know Josh well enough to know. But you know I’m not like that. Right?”

Spencer held his breath as Emily hesitated. “Even if a guy wasn’t purposely trying to manipulate a girl, he might do it subconsciously. Especially, a guy like... like Josh, who’s been with so many girls. He’s kissed Charlie now, and maybe he thinks he’s in love, but it’s really only a physical attraction.”

Spencer frowned. She hadn’t actually answered his question. And now... Was she really talking about Josh, or was she talking about him? “Well, I don’t know about Josh, but I’ve found when you’re really attracted to a girl on the inside, you’re really attracted to her physically as well. At least, that’s how I am with you.”

He waited an eternity for her response. “But Josh has been with so many girls. Why would Charlie think she was any different from the others? Even if he thinks so right now, he could change his mind. How would she know if she could trust him?”

“Maybe Josh hasn’t been with as many girls as you think.”

“Oh, he has. He admits it. But he says he’s changed.”

“Well, I can’t speak for Josh. But as for me, I’m only interested in you. I don’t even look at other girls any more.”

“Yeah… That sounds exactly like what Josh said about Charlie.”

“I think I really hate that guy,” he muttered.

“Well, he did try to defend you, if that makes you feel any better. He said you’d be stupid to want to be with anyone else.”

“You talked to him about me?” he asked, a little louder than he intended.

Emily’s guilty face spoke volumes. “I... I didn’t mean to. I was asking general questions about things like how long a guy could go without sex—”

“You talked to him about sex?” This time his voice was loud enough the couple walking in front of them turned to gawk.

Why hadn’t he killed Josh that first Sunday morning when he was so tempted?

Emily turned her face to the side to hide her blush. Somehow, her evening with Josh sounded much worse in the retelling. She didn’t want him to be on the defensive today. It would make it that much harder to talk to him—to find out the truth. Had he really been helping his dad last night? Why would he lie to her? She could really only think of one reason—he was getting bored and frustrated with her.

She shouldn’t have let him kiss her at the pool. But he’d been so tempting, with his arm draped around her, sans shirt, his sinuous muscles flexing in his chest, his hand playing havoc with the nerve endings in her arm, which were evidently connected to every other nerve in her body.

Originally she thought if she didn’t kiss him anymore, she wouldn’t fall any harder for him. But in reality it was too late. If she was honest with herself, she knew it was true. She was in love with him. It was a tragedy, because she knew it was only a matter of time before he broke her heart.

Then a wonderful thought occurred. There was a bright side to this realization. She might as well kiss him as much as she wanted. Why deprive herself? At least she could enjoy him while she had him. But she had to be careful—she had to hide her feelings. After all, he never claimed to be in love with her. Grace claimed it was true four weeks ago, yet Spencer had never said it. Surely he would have told her by now if it were true.

And at least she could enjoy kissing him until they broke up—as long as they were in a semi-public and safe place where they couldn’t get carried away. One thing was certain… When they kissed, her iron willpower turned to jelly, along with her mind and her muscles.

Stopping on a large green lawn area, he spread out the contents of his backpack. They had a blanket to lie on and all the makings for a great picnic, including grapes, cheese, bread, and summer sausage. He’d even included some brownies for dessert.

“Why are you smiling?” Spencer asked.

“I... uhmm… I was thinking how perfect this is. A great picnic on the grass and a book to read. This is such a cool park, up in the air on an old railroad track. It’s genius.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He leaned over her on his elbows as she stretched out gazing up at the