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Back First Comes Love Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. First
  2. Love Connection
  3. Zero
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. One Month Later
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Six Months Later
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-one
  27. Twenty-two
  28. Twenty-three
  29. Twenty-four
  30. Six Months Later
  31. Twenty-five
  32. Twenty-six
  33. Twenty-seven
  34. Twenty-eight
  35. Twenty-nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-one
  38. Thirty-two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. I Have Never
  41. One
  42. Two
  43. Three
  44. Four
  45. Five
  46. Six
  47. Seven
  48. Eight
  49. Nine
  50. Ten
  51. Eleven
  52. Twelve
  53. Thirteen
  54. Fourteen
  55. Fifteen
  56. Sixteen
  57. Seventeen
  58. Eighteen
  59. Nineteen
  60. Twenty
  61. Twenty-one
  62. Twenty-two
  63. A Christmas Date
  64. One
  65. Two
  66. Three
  67. Four
  68. Five
  69. Six
  70. Seven
  71. Eight
  72. Nine
  73. Ten
  74. Eleven
  75. Twelve
  76. Thirteen
  77. Fourteen
  78. Fifteen
  79. Sixteen
  80. Seventeen
  81. Eighteen
  82. Nineteen
  83. Twenty
  84. Twenty-one
  85. Twenty-two
  86. Note from the Author
  87. Sneak Peek – To the Stars and Back
  88. Two
  89. Three
  90. Four
  91. Also by Camilla Isley
  92. About the Author

I scoff. “There’s nothing to be happy about. Do you really think Diego could like me?”

“He spent the night kissing you silly… Seems like a good hint.”

“But he’s so good looking, and we’re so different. Could it ever work between us?”

“Wait, you want this to get serious? So you’re not just having fun?”

I hesitate to answer.

“Oh, gosh, are you falling in love with him?”

That’s too scary a thought to even consider, so I deflect the question. “I’m definitely falling in lust.”

Blair narrows her eyes at me. “And what about Paul?”

“See, the weird thing is, the more time I spend around him the less I see him that way…”

“Seriously? Just like that, you’re not in love with him anymore?”

“Was I ever?”

Blair’s face turns smug.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing.” She shrugs. “You came here to hear my wisdom, and I’m going to give it to you. The thing between you and Diego is great. Don’t you dare go all insecure about it and try to sabotage yourself for no reason. He’s a wonderful guy, and he’s clearly into you. And, no, he’s not too hot for you, because there’s no such thing.”

“You’re forgetting a little detail…”

“Which one?”

“I’m still paying him to be here.”

Blair waves me off. “I’m sure he’ll give you the money back on the first occasion. And once you’re back in the city, you can start dating like two normal people. Who cares how you met? On the record, you two met through work; doesn’t matter if the job setting wasn’t exactly conventional.”

I stare at her still half-unconvinced, but also relieved.

“Have I been persuasive enough?” Blair asks.

I nod.

“Great,” she cheers. “Now that I’ve got you all wised up, you want to open your Christmas present?”

***

Comforted by Blair’s words, I return to the house just in time to shower and get ready for the big day. Alone in my room, with my hair still damp, I pull on the dress I brought for today: black, simple, not a hint of cheer anywhere on it.

Mmm… I stare in the mirror, unsure. My habit of dressing more for a funeral than for Christmas Day doesn’t seem appropriate this year. But I didn’t bring any other dresses elegant enough for the occasion. I could ask to borrow something from Julia, but would her clothes even fit me? And I’d gladly skip the chance to try one on and not be able to close the zipper. Yeah, it’d just give her another opportunity to tell me how I should cut back on carbs. So, black dress it is. Unless…