“I’ll say what I want until you find a way to shut me up. And you haven’t yet.” He searched my eyes. “You’re looking for more. You tell me to slow down while keeping your foot on the gas. If you want me to save you, Olivia, I can. I will. But you can’t put all of this on me all of the time.”
My throat dried as my mouth hung open. “All ofwhat?”
“You act like there’s nothing between us, and I warned you, I’m not buying that shit anymore when we’re alone. Tell me you haven’t fantasized about leaving him for me, and I’ll walk away now. For good.”
Two words needed to leave my mouth that instant.
I don’t.
I don’t fantasize about you.
About what our life together would be.
About what would’ve happened if I’d met you first.
How hard could it be to say all of that, even if it was a lie? My hands shook in my lap. Nobody had spoken this way to me in . . . maybe ever. Nobody had questioned me like this, pushed me, demanded more.
“See? You can’t deny it,” he said, sitting back. “And that’s enough reason for me to stay and try.”
“Try what?” I rasped, the words scraping from my throat.
Try to steal me away?I wanted him to say it as I simultaneously wished he’d keep his mouth shut.
He looked through the windshield. “I can tell you right now what’s going to happen tonight. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you go home alone. So you’d better find a goddamn place to sleep or you’re coming back to my place again.”
“What do you want from me?” I exploded. “I’m a married woman. I can’t spend the night in another man’s apartment. I—”
“You already did.” His eyes gleamed. “And I warned you what would happen a second time.”
“Next time I get you willingly alone in my apartment, even the gentleman in me will step aside.”
I ignored the ache his words inspired between my legs and cleared the grit from my throat. “You heard what Cooper said. There’s no danger. Mark’s in custody. Bill will be home tomorrow night.” I crossed my arms over my seatbelt. “I’ll be fine.”
“I have to say, I’m sick and tired of this ‘fine’ bullshit. Does he really accept that from you?”
I widened my eyes at David. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re always saying everything isfine, even though it’s not. It’sfinethat you were attacked last night? It’sfinethat you’re obviously experiencing some heavy, traumatic shit? Doesanyonecare enough to question whether or not you’reactuallyfine?”
“Excuse me?” I asked. “What are you saying? That Bill doesn’t care?”
“How can anyone in your presence not care about you? I’m sure he does. What I’m saying is, I don’t think that he, or your friends for that matter, know you as well as they think.”
“And what,youdo after knowing me for a minute?”
“It didn’t take me weeks to understand you better than them,” he snapped. “And I saw everything I needed to in that moment at the theater.”
It was the first time either of us had ever mentioned the intensity that’d passed between us, and the atmosphere thickened with tension.
“You are impossible to read if you’re not paying attention, but I am. And I may not know the details yet, butI know you.”
I reeled back. “Does that line seriously work for you?”
With a grunt, he sat back, unruffled. “All right, Olivia. If that’s how you want to play it. Call me a fucking playboy again because it’s safer than the truth.”
“What do youthinkthe truth is?” I asked.
“If you want a satisfactory marriage with someone who’s incapable of loving you the way you deserve, then get out of my car and let’s end this for good.” He shrugged. “I can’t help you unless you meet me at leastpartof the way.”
