“Possibly, but it’s unlikely,” Drew reluctantly said.
“You said professionally,” Bethany watched him carefully. “What about your personal opinion?”
“I’d worry,” he admitted. Drew tried to ignore the fact that he wanted her to stay even as he said the words. “Ramesly doesn’t seem like the type to let things go. He’s spiteful and mean. If you weren’t somewhere safe, I’d worry over you.”
“Can I keep staying here, with you?” Bethany brought her hands up along his shoulders.
“Beth,” Drew cautioned. “I’ll let you stay as long as you want but at some point, you’ve got to go back to your world. You don’t belong here.”
“What if I want to belong here?” she asked quietly.
Drew leaned his forehead against hers. He didn’t want to hurt her. “You and I both know that’s not true. You just feel safe here with everything that’s been happening.”
“I wish everyone would stop telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. What I should or shouldn’t want,” Bethany said angrily. “I think I should get to decide for myself.”
Drew pulled back a little to look at her face. “Then tell me what you want.”
Bethany took a breath for courage. “You. I want to have a future with you.”
“It won’t work,” he said dully.
“How do you know?” she rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “How do you know unless we try?”
Drew gave into the temptation to kiss her, just once. It was like a slice of heaven. He broke off the kiss. “People from your social status don’t date or marry people from my social status.”
“Where did you learn that?” Bethany said breathlessly.
“From my parents,” Drew said dryly. “You have to know that my father is David Ramesly. He had an affair with my mother, while he was married.”
“Did you know that Michael married his secretary?” Bethany questioned him. “Max and Piaget aren’t really an exception, but Noah and Elle are. She’s a dietician and the daughter of immigrant parents who run a restaurant. He loves her madly. Her social status doesn’t matter.”
“I’d really rather not talk about your ex-fiancé,” Drew grimaced. He had no liking for Noah Ramesly and Drew knew the feeling was mutual.
Bethany smiled, her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt. “I think I win that argument.”
“We’re not keeping score,” Drew pulled her closer.
“But if we were, I would be winning,” she sobered, losing her smile. “Do you love me? Could you love me perhaps, if you gave yourself the chance to?”
Max was right, Drew thought without rancor. When you knew that she was the one, there was nobody else. “I already do.”
She gave him a tremulous smile, her heart in her eyes. “Then I’m staying.”
“Good,” Drew kissed her again. He didn’t want to fight her. He didn’t want her to go. He vowed to himself to do everything possible to keep her happy so that she would stay.
