The Woman He Wanted…(excerpt)

Bailey tossed up her hands and looked to the sky. “Why are you being so persistent?”

“Why are you pretending to be so difficult? Look, if you’re really that convinced, why don’t you just walk away from me? Right now? Why are you giving me the choice?” She began to respond, but Kellen cut her off. “I’ll tell you why. It’s because that, even if someone told you that something about you isn’t good enough, or maybe if they even did something to you that convinced you of it, there’s still a bit of hope inside that knows you deserve someone like me. Someone who will take his time. That’s all we’re doing—getting to know each other. Taking our time. But if that’s not what you want, I’m telling you to walk away because I haven’t seen anything to convince me that I should.”

Her eyes fell back to his and she glared at him, but he knew that she was thinking over his words. He was hooked. He couldn’t walk away. He no longer wanted to know—he needed to know what it was she was hiding. He could help her through it; she just needed to see that. He could be there for her. He had to be.

She shrugged. “Fine.”

Then, she pivoted on her heels and began walking away from him. She’d taken him up on his offer.

“Shit.” His feet moved after her. “Bailey, wait.”

“You gave me a choice, Kellen,” she tossed over her shoulder.

“You weren’t actually supposed to take it.”

“Then you shouldn’t have offered.”

“Dammit woman, would you stop for a second?”

Her short legs stopped moving and she faced him again. He stopped a couple feet in front of her, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a quarter.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he mumbled, then tossed the coin into the air and slapped it against his covered palm. “Heads, we do things my way. Tails, your way. I’d like to get to know you better, Bailey. You’re not what you think you are. But, I also believe in being fair.”

She took a few steps closer as he lifted his palm to reveal which side of the coin was facing up.

Tails.