Page 38 of Tempt Me-

“You’re just predictable to me.”

We step over rocks and crunchy leaves.“Your favorite music?”

I bite down on my lower lip though I don’t need to think long.“Pop music.Like Taylor Swift and Summer Michelle,” I say of the up-and-coming pop star who won the television showStar Power.

He tugs on my hand, and I meet his gaze.“Ben, who works for Alpha Security, is engaged to Summer.My bet is you’ll be meeting her when her tour comes to New York.”

“Oh my God!That’s amazing!”

He grins at my enthusiasm.

“Okay, let’s keep going.Favorite drink?”I ask.

“Alcoholic or not?”

I shrug.“Both.”

“Beer… and water.I’m not fussy.You?”

“White Russian and a chai latte.”

He laughs.“Okay… favorite holiday?”he asks, picking the next question.

I swallow hard.“You go first,” I say.No matter my sunny outlook on life, holidays were always hard for me.They always will be.

“Thanksgiving,” he says.

“Why?”

“Because it’s about family.I like the traditions.You’ll see this year.”He squeezes my hand more tightly, and a little pang hits me in the heart.

Because they are his family traditions, and I’ll be the outsider looking in.Just as I’ve always been.The nanny to his daughter, not his girlfriend or someone with meaning to him beyond my paid role.Of course, I am sleeping with him, but that doesn’t count.

I bite my lip hard to distract myself.

“Mia?I asked your favorite holiday.”

“Oh.It’s too hard for me to choose,” I lie.

I do my best to get through them all.I don’t love any one in particular, because I don’t have wonderful memories associated with them like he does.

He comes to a halt, pulling me to a stop when I keep going.I take a few steps back toward him.

“What’s wrong?Why are we stopping?”

He smooths back the hair the breeze blew onto my cheek, and I tremble at his touch.“I’m an insensitive ass.”

I blink up at him, not understanding.“Why would you say that?”

He shakes his head.“You go through life so happy.You insist you had such a good childhood that it’s easy to believe you and forget… you were in foster care.No matter what you tell the world, it couldn’t have been easy.Holidays had to have been hard.And I’m an idiot for not realizing that before I asked that question.”

A sudden lump rises to my throat, one I’m not used to feeling, because like he said, I do go through life happy and mostly grateful.Grateful my life wasn’t worse.That good people took care of me.But they weren’t my parents, and nothing can make up for that fact.I just rarely let myself think about it… or remember.

“How did you figure me out?”I ask.

A sad smile lifts his lips.“Oh, I caught your tone of voice.And I know your heart and how hard you try to convince people everything is always great.”

“It usually is,” I mutter, not wanting to fall apart in front of him.“And that wasn’t an insensitive question.And to be honest, I guess it would be Thanksgiving, too.Because it’s the season of giving thanks.I’m grateful for the ability to always look on the bright side.”