Page 41 of Colin (The Doherty Mafia)
If she’d left, I wouldn’t blame her.
Why would a girl like her—who had everything to give and a whole world available and open to her—stay there stuck with me? I could never leave New York. I could never leave my family. I had nothing to give her.
I had to wait a few moments to compose myself before I opened the door.
At first, I thought the apartment was empty. I couldn’t hear a sound and nothing looked out of place.
Then Marley came out of the bedroom, in my shirt and her pair of tight blue jeans. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders. Her blue eyes were wide and beautiful.
She had no idea how relieved I was to see her.
“You’re back!” she exclaimed, half-smiling.
“And you’re still here,” I said, walking towards her.
“I should have left,” she replied.
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her.
“You should have, but you didn’t. I’m glad you didn’t,” I said.
She kissed me back.
I held the bags up for her to see.
Marley crinkled her nose in that cute way of hers. There were small things about her that I noticed now. Things I knew I wouldn’t easily forget about her when she was gone.
“What’s this?” she asked.
She took the bags and looked in them.
“Oh my God!”
I loved the excitement in her voice when I pulled out the dress.
It was a long burgundy silk dress with a very deep neck and an even deeper back. I went into the store I knew Isabelle liked to go to in Manhattan. I told the sales assistant to bring me a selection of clothes and I picked out the dress I thought Marley would look sexiest in.
Who knew a dress would cost this much money?
I didn’t.
But I didn’t care. I wanted to see Marley in it.
Then I took out the shoes. They were even more expensive than the dress.
“Oh, Colin! You didn’t!” she exclaimed, snatching the shoes out of my hands.
Her face flushed and she looked happy and also in disbelief.
“Who picked these out?” she demanded.
“I did.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I shrugged.
“You’re telling me you went into a women’s clothing store and picked out this dress and these shoes for me, all by yourself?”
“Well, let’s just say a helpful sales assistant pointed me in the right direction.”
Marley lunged at me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“Now I see what the other girls were talking about when they said the Doherty men are known for their unusual sweetness at times when you least expect it.”
I grunted and peeled her off me. I didn’t do this for the compliments. I did it because I wanted to see her in them.
“Now, go put these on so we can go out,” I said.
“We’re going out?” She sounded equally excited still.
“We have a dinner reservation in forty-five minutes and I don’t like being late.”
Marley bit down on her lip, trying to suppress the utter joy she felt. Then she grabbed the stuff and ran to the bedroom to get changed.
I sat on the couch with a beer while I waited for her.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt this happy and content because of the joy I brought someone else. I didn’t think I cared about anyone enough for it to matter. But seeing Marley happy, and finding out that she didn’t actually leave, made me want to jump with joy.
Maybe finally, I had done something right.
Everything leading up to this point was worth it.
Because Marley Price stood in front of me in the living room of my apartment looking like she was worth more than a few million dollars.
The dress fit her perfectly and made her look even more beautiful than I’d imagined. It hung off her, accentuating all her curves and angles. She clearly wasn’t wearing a bra because I could see her stiff nipples underneath the silky material.
Did she have panties on? I wanted to know, but I decided not to ask so I could fantasize about it all night.
She had styled her hair in a neat classy bun at the side of her head. She barely even had any makeup on, but the chocolate brown lipstick she wore matched her dress to perfection.
She must have noticed the look on my face because she came up close to me with a smile.
“You said we have to be at the restaurant soon,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll make a call. They’ll hold the table for as long as we want.”
I grabbed her and she chuckled with delight. I was about to lift her and take her to my bed, but she banged her fists playfully on my shoulders.
“No, we have to go. I’ve been looking forward to this dinner. Come on, we have to get you dressed first!”
But I kissed her deeply before letting her go and she sank in my arms. I didn’t want to let her go.
