Page 80 of Sweet Trouble
The words didn’t make any sense, but they actually did sound sort of familiar for some reason.
“Oh,” Tripp said as the pieces clicked into place for him. “Oh, wow. Okay, I see how you got there. I did say all that. But you weren’t there for the first part of the conversation.”
“What do you mean?” Jillian asked.
“He was asking if I wanted a tux instead of a suit,” Tripp said simply.
“Okay?” Jillian said, clearly not getting it.
“He offered me a tux instead of a suit,” Tripp said. “And I said definitely a suit. And he asked if you would be okay with that.”
“And you said we were keeping it casual,” Jillian finished for him, dropping her headinto her hands.
“I knew it was what you wanted because you told me the day you got your dress,” Tripp said.
She nodded, not lifting her head from her hands.
“It’s okay,” he told her. “I know what that sounded like now. I get it.”
“I was so afraid to be foolish that I made an even bigger fool of myself,” she wailed into her hands.
Tripp couldn’t help chuckling.
“You’re adorable,” he said. “Did you know that?”
She shook her head, still not lifting her face.
“I like that you want something serious,” he told her, moving closer and gently placing his hands on her shoulders. “I want something serious too. Very, very much.”
She finally looked up, her beautiful green eyes meeting his.
“Really?” she whispered.
“Really,” he told her. “Do you want to hear a secret?”
She nodded.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” he admitted. “And I think the reason I didn’t want a girlfriend all these years was because the only person I ever wanted to get serious with was you.”
Her eyes widened, and then she went up on her toes.
One moment, he was mesmerized by the trust and sweetness in her gaze.
The next, her soft lips were pressed to his, and the world around them was melting away as a surge of love rose up in his chest, so passionate that all the kisses in the world wouldn’t be enough to satisfy it.
22
JILLIAN
Afew hours later, Jillian stood on the edge of the dance floor with Tripp by her side, wondering how such a sad day had turned into such a happy night.
The Lawrence kids were all out there dancing and having a wonderful time. Of course, Jillian had insisted that the kids come along in the limo with them, and she’d thoroughly enjoyed their complete delight in the fancy ride. She hadn’t been sure it was worth springing for the limo, but it turned out to be just the right way to break the ice with the rest of the family.
She only hoped they would come to understand her actions over the last week.
“What are you thinking about?” Tripp asked, his azure eyes filled with concern.
“Whether or not your family will ever forgive me for how I behaved,” she admitted.
