Free The Best Man by Ana Blaze

time and it shan’t be an issue again. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions.
    Mrs. Elliot Smith
     
    Beth read it twice, then printed it out.
    She held it up to him when she got home. “Why am I getting emails from your landlady?”
    Colin smiled. “Oh, good. Mrs. Smith is always very prompt.”
    “Colin?”
    “References. You should be hearing from one of my colleagues, and a former student later this afternoon. I tried calling the prep school I attended and found them rather unhelpful. In fact, I’m beginning to suspect that the whole permanent record story is nothing more than a myth. Very disappointing.”
    “Right, but why am I getting references?”
    “I’m simply making certain that you have all the information you need to make your decision. I’ll have my accountant write something up as well. Would you be interested in seeing my transcripts from university?”
    “No, what? Your … Don’t have your accountant send things, that’s … creepy. I don’t decide who I date based on their credit history. I’m actually -- Damn it, Colin; I can’t believe you’d think that.”
    “I’m not only asking you to date me, Beth. You know what I want. It seemed fair that you know I don’t rely on bad poetry to support myself.”
    “Good.  I’ll take your word on it.”
    “I didn’t mean to insult you. I merely -- You must see that you have me at a bit of a disadvantage. You know that I need you. I’m still quite unsure about where you stand on this.”
    “You can’t … need me. We only just met. That’s crazy.”
    “Love is crazy. You cannot tell me that you work with love all the time and don’t know that love is utterly without rules.” He pulled the sheet of paper from her hand and held it up. “You like statistics and sure things, I get that, and I’m trying to give it to you. The truth is, none of that matters to me. I’m in love with you; desperately, shockingly, maddeningly in love with you.” He pulled her into a hard kiss. “Marry me.”
    Beth nearly gave into the kiss despite the alarm bells clanging in her head. “No!” She pushed at his chest. “This is really not cute anymore. You’re acting crazy.”
    “Have you truly never read Nietzsche? There is always some madness in love. You must know that. It’s always a leap of insane and unsupportable faith. We could date for a decade before getting married and you’d still have to take that leap. Why not take it now? Jump. I’ll catch you and spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy.”
    Beth stared at him for a moment, trying to figure him out. “I’m sorry, but …”
    Colin followed her, snatched her hand and spun her around so her back was pressed against the wall near her bedroom door. He kissed her again, one of his magic kisses that left her weak in the knees and nearly distracted from the matter at hand.
    “You can’t just get all sexy every time I disagree with you.”
    His teeth teased her earlobe. “Quite right,” he murmured.
    “I’m trying to have a serious conversation here.”
    “We’re amazing together. Tell me you don’t feel it too?”
    “Of course I feel something, but it can’t be love.”
    “Why not?”
    “It takes more than a couple days to know if you’re compatible enough to share your life with someone.”
    Colin touched her temple. “You’re talking about something that comes from here instead of the thing that comes from here.” He placed his hand over her heart. 
    “Yeah, well I’m pretty sure the body part you’re thinking with is a bit lower.”
    Shaking his head, he pulled her hand up and placed it on his chest. “You’re under my skin, Beth. There isn’t a part of me that doesn’t want you.” He brushed her hair off her forehead.
    “You took a pretty hard hit to the head the other day.”
    “It started before that. You floored me the moment we met.”
    “You’re claiming love at first sight?”
    “Is it so hard to believe?’ Colin skimmed