by Sam Mariano
“Oh, my God, I want to see that,” I tell her, grinning.
“If I could play the memory for you… no, actually, I wouldn’t share it.”
“R. Kelly, huh? My life will be meaningless if I never get to see you drunkenly bumping to R. Kelly.”
“Then I apologize in advance for the meaninglessness of your life,” she says solemnly.
“You should, it’s entirely your fault.” Closing my eyes, I start to hum the music, a helpless smile creeping across my face as I envision Virginia standing on the table at the restaurant, drunkenly belting it out. “You know what? Never mind, I can see it.”
“No,” she says, reaching over and covering my closed eyes. “Stop looking. Stop imagining it. It’s terrible.”
I shove her hand away. “Wait, it’s getting good.”
“Rafe,” she whines.
“Did you spread your arms like wings? I bet you did, didn’t you? Yep, you are now, I can see it. Oh, shit, you stumbled. That’s okay, no one noticed.”
Growling at me, she swats me in the stomach. “I’m glad you’re drunk. You won’t remember this. That’s the only good thing I can take away from this right now.”
“Oh, I’ll remember. I’ll let you think I don’t, and just when you think you’re safe, I’m going to walk up behind you while you’re making a salad for your table and start singing it in your ear.”
She covers her face, trying to hide her grin. “Oh, God. I’ll die.”
“I’ve got you now,” I tell her, smugly.
I’m caught completely off guard, and somehow it hits me in the gut, but she giggles. Actually giggles. Then she peeks over at me, affection in her eyes, and all of a sudden my chest feels really fucking weird. That’s the cutest fucking sound I’ve ever heard in my life. I’ve heard lots of giggles, most of them fake, but that’s the purest sound of enjoyment I’ve ever triggered in another person, I know that for a fact.
Since she doesn’t know that, and I’ve finally stopped harassing her long enough for her to have an opening, she curls up on her side of the bed, on top of the covers. Her body placement seems deliberate to keep me from trying to grab her and drag her close, but I wouldn’t now anyway. I made her almost cry, and I made her laugh, and I like the last one a whole lot better. I’ll keep my hands to myself and let her keep looking at me like I’m the funniest man she’s ever met.
“Want me to go get you that water?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Nah. I’m good.”
“Okay.” With one more fond smile, she says, “Good night, Rafe.”
“Good night, Virginia.”
Stay tuned for the conclusion of the Vegas Morelli trilogy—Submitting in Vegas, available for pre-order now!
Amazon ⇢ https://amzn.to/2IfitDu
Amazon UK ⇢ My Book
Amazon CA ⇢ My Book
Amazon AU ⇢ My Book
If you haven’t read the original Morelli family series yet…
What are you waiting for? Pick up Accidental Witness now!
About the Author
Sam Mariano loves to write edgy, twisty reads with complicated characters you’re left thinking about long after you turn the last page. Her favorite thing about indie publishing is the ability to play by your own rules! If she isn’t reading one of the thousands of books on her to-read list, writing her next book, or playing with her adorable preschooler… actually, that’s about all she has time for these days.
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