In the Crease
Page 33
Jensen: Yes. I’m pathetic.
Wren: You are. Meet me at the restaurant? I’m starving.
Jensen: Leaving now.
She sent him a kissy face emoji and then stood up. Nerves were running wild through her. Wells would be the last person she’d be calling or writing back, but she wasn’t worried about her mom and dad. They would just want facts and to know what was going on. She knew for a fact they adored Jensen, so there was no worry there. But she was worried about Wells. She was also hurt that he accused her of thinking the money was more important than her friendship with Jensen. That wasn’t the truth at all.
And now she was getting way more than she expected.
But telling her brother that would ruin everything, and no matter how much she wanted to confide in him, she couldn’t. He’d not only blab it to their mother, he’d try to talk her out of it. Hell, he’d probably come at her hard because no one was allowed to hurt Jensen. Everyone had this pathetic notion that Jensen was fragile. She’d admit at one time she thought it too, until he stood in front of her with a list of what would happen if he were to help her. No, Jensen Monroe was not weak or fragile. He was actually pretty damn impressive.
When she glanced at her computer, she noticed in the reflection that she was grinning. She almost didn’t recognize herself. For most of the last six months, she’d hardly smiled, not truly. But now, after that soul-shattering kiss, Wren was smiling. Radiantly.
And that worried her.
Damn it. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want to fall for him or anything like that. She just wanted to get through this because she knew she wasn’t worthy of someone like Jensen. Supermodel, sweetheart Jensen Monroe belonged with someone like Taylor Swift or Emma Watson, or even Emma Stone. Pretty girls with banging bodies and shit like that. Not frumpy, fat, and pregnant Wren Lemiere. As much as she hated thinking of herself like that, she couldn’t help it.
And that was a problem because she was about to marry Jensen for real, and she was going to have to keep her heart in check the whole time.
It was a very hard road ahead of her, but she didn’t have a choice.
As Wren parked, she knew she probably should have answered the phone when her mom called four times on her way to the restaurant, but she was hangry and didn’t want to yell at her mom. Tucking her phone into her purse, she started to gather all her stuff when her door opened suddenly. Reaching for her pepper spray, she held it up, ready to shoot, but paused when she saw it was Jensen looking down at her.
“Well, that would have put me in a world of suck.”
She laughed as she shook her head, throwing it into the cup holder. “I thought you were going to rape and kill me.”
“Kill you, no. And rape, I mean, I’m not down with it any other time, but if you wanna do some role-playing, I guess I can get with that if it’s your thing.”
She sputtered with laughter. “I’m pretty sure you can’t role-play as a rapist. You would ask me if it’s okay and then ask if you’re hurting me as you’re supposed to be choking me.”
A grin played at his lips as he held his hand out for her. “Probably.”
Taking it, she got out as he shut the door, and she put her purse on her arm. “Good try, though,” she said, patting his bicep, and he smiled. “I’m not into that stuff anyway. I just like it a little rough. Smack my ass, call me your dirty girl, good stuff like that.” His grin grew as his expression turned to delectable. “Why did I admit that?”
“’Cause you’re actually letting yourself be you instead of this closed-up Wren who, let me point out, is very frustrating.”
She set him with a look. “Or I’m hungry and not thinking clearly.”
A smirk pulled at his lips. “Or that. Let’s get you and baby fed,” he said, placing his hand on the small of her back as they headed toward the restaurant. They were seated quickly and ordered just as fast, both of them knowing what they wanted.
“I really like eating with you,” she said, sitting back and exhaling loudly. “Like, for real. No waiting, no chitchat, just order, and get the food.”
He smiled back at her. “I know food.”
“Right? Me too. I love food.”
Folding his hands on the table, he licked his lips, and she found it hard to concentrate when he did that. “So, how was your day?”
Swallowing hard, she looked away as she shrugged. “Busy. So many clients, but it’s good. They need it, and I love it.”
“Yeah, you’re great at it from what I hear.”
She smiled with a shrug. “I’m okay.”
“Plus, I don’t know many pregnant women who can go through a whole day of emotional work and still look at gorgeous as they did when they started.”
Her cheeks filled with color as she waved him off. “Stop.”
“Never.”
He said it as a promise, one she realized he meant to keep as soon as she met his gaze. His lips were tipped at the sides, and for a moment, she almost didn’t recognize him. He looked so damn hot, not in the supermodel way, but in a different, explode her world kind of way. She almost couldn’t handle it. It was too much, and soon she looked away, shaking her head. “Anyway, did you make the appointment to get married?”
“Yeah, two tomorrow works well for everyone. I called and made sure you didn’t have clients.”
Her breath caught. “Oh, cool. Did Leah block me out for that time?”
“Yeah.”
“So tomorrow?”
Breathless, she watched as he nodded. “Tomorrow. That’s okay, right?”
“Yeah, fine. Wow. Okay.”
She clapped her hands, and he laughed, shaking his head. “It’s gonna be fine.”
“Yeah. Totally.”
Thankfully, their food arrived, and Wren dug in as soon as the waitress set her plate down, in an effort to hide the fact that she was having a mild panic attack. Since Jensen was the only one without his mouth full, as well as the one with manners, he thanked the waitress before glancing over at Wren. “How many bedrooms does your apartment have?”
“One,” she said around a bite. “Yours has two?”
“Yeah. So you wanna move in to mine?”
“Yeah, I guess. I’ll pack a bag.”
His fork stopped just above his food as he looked over at her. “Or I can get the truck and trailer from Vaughn, come over with some boxes, and pack you up.”
Wren: You are. Meet me at the restaurant? I’m starving.
Jensen: Leaving now.
She sent him a kissy face emoji and then stood up. Nerves were running wild through her. Wells would be the last person she’d be calling or writing back, but she wasn’t worried about her mom and dad. They would just want facts and to know what was going on. She knew for a fact they adored Jensen, so there was no worry there. But she was worried about Wells. She was also hurt that he accused her of thinking the money was more important than her friendship with Jensen. That wasn’t the truth at all.
And now she was getting way more than she expected.
But telling her brother that would ruin everything, and no matter how much she wanted to confide in him, she couldn’t. He’d not only blab it to their mother, he’d try to talk her out of it. Hell, he’d probably come at her hard because no one was allowed to hurt Jensen. Everyone had this pathetic notion that Jensen was fragile. She’d admit at one time she thought it too, until he stood in front of her with a list of what would happen if he were to help her. No, Jensen Monroe was not weak or fragile. He was actually pretty damn impressive.
When she glanced at her computer, she noticed in the reflection that she was grinning. She almost didn’t recognize herself. For most of the last six months, she’d hardly smiled, not truly. But now, after that soul-shattering kiss, Wren was smiling. Radiantly.
And that worried her.
Damn it. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want to fall for him or anything like that. She just wanted to get through this because she knew she wasn’t worthy of someone like Jensen. Supermodel, sweetheart Jensen Monroe belonged with someone like Taylor Swift or Emma Watson, or even Emma Stone. Pretty girls with banging bodies and shit like that. Not frumpy, fat, and pregnant Wren Lemiere. As much as she hated thinking of herself like that, she couldn’t help it.
And that was a problem because she was about to marry Jensen for real, and she was going to have to keep her heart in check the whole time.
It was a very hard road ahead of her, but she didn’t have a choice.
As Wren parked, she knew she probably should have answered the phone when her mom called four times on her way to the restaurant, but she was hangry and didn’t want to yell at her mom. Tucking her phone into her purse, she started to gather all her stuff when her door opened suddenly. Reaching for her pepper spray, she held it up, ready to shoot, but paused when she saw it was Jensen looking down at her.
“Well, that would have put me in a world of suck.”
She laughed as she shook her head, throwing it into the cup holder. “I thought you were going to rape and kill me.”
“Kill you, no. And rape, I mean, I’m not down with it any other time, but if you wanna do some role-playing, I guess I can get with that if it’s your thing.”
She sputtered with laughter. “I’m pretty sure you can’t role-play as a rapist. You would ask me if it’s okay and then ask if you’re hurting me as you’re supposed to be choking me.”
A grin played at his lips as he held his hand out for her. “Probably.”
Taking it, she got out as he shut the door, and she put her purse on her arm. “Good try, though,” she said, patting his bicep, and he smiled. “I’m not into that stuff anyway. I just like it a little rough. Smack my ass, call me your dirty girl, good stuff like that.” His grin grew as his expression turned to delectable. “Why did I admit that?”
“’Cause you’re actually letting yourself be you instead of this closed-up Wren who, let me point out, is very frustrating.”
She set him with a look. “Or I’m hungry and not thinking clearly.”
A smirk pulled at his lips. “Or that. Let’s get you and baby fed,” he said, placing his hand on the small of her back as they headed toward the restaurant. They were seated quickly and ordered just as fast, both of them knowing what they wanted.
“I really like eating with you,” she said, sitting back and exhaling loudly. “Like, for real. No waiting, no chitchat, just order, and get the food.”
He smiled back at her. “I know food.”
“Right? Me too. I love food.”
Folding his hands on the table, he licked his lips, and she found it hard to concentrate when he did that. “So, how was your day?”
Swallowing hard, she looked away as she shrugged. “Busy. So many clients, but it’s good. They need it, and I love it.”
“Yeah, you’re great at it from what I hear.”
She smiled with a shrug. “I’m okay.”
“Plus, I don’t know many pregnant women who can go through a whole day of emotional work and still look at gorgeous as they did when they started.”
Her cheeks filled with color as she waved him off. “Stop.”
“Never.”
He said it as a promise, one she realized he meant to keep as soon as she met his gaze. His lips were tipped at the sides, and for a moment, she almost didn’t recognize him. He looked so damn hot, not in the supermodel way, but in a different, explode her world kind of way. She almost couldn’t handle it. It was too much, and soon she looked away, shaking her head. “Anyway, did you make the appointment to get married?”
“Yeah, two tomorrow works well for everyone. I called and made sure you didn’t have clients.”
Her breath caught. “Oh, cool. Did Leah block me out for that time?”
“Yeah.”
“So tomorrow?”
Breathless, she watched as he nodded. “Tomorrow. That’s okay, right?”
“Yeah, fine. Wow. Okay.”
She clapped her hands, and he laughed, shaking his head. “It’s gonna be fine.”
“Yeah. Totally.”
Thankfully, their food arrived, and Wren dug in as soon as the waitress set her plate down, in an effort to hide the fact that she was having a mild panic attack. Since Jensen was the only one without his mouth full, as well as the one with manners, he thanked the waitress before glancing over at Wren. “How many bedrooms does your apartment have?”
“One,” she said around a bite. “Yours has two?”
“Yeah. So you wanna move in to mine?”
“Yeah, I guess. I’ll pack a bag.”
His fork stopped just above his food as he looked over at her. “Or I can get the truck and trailer from Vaughn, come over with some boxes, and pack you up.”
