“Is that another word forboring?”
She laughs again, and I realize I love that sound.
“You think I’m boring,” she says.
“I think you’re careful. There’s a difference.”
“Careful is probably smart, given my track record.”
“Or maybe careful is why you ended up with someone like Logan.” I pause. “Sorry. That was?—”
“True?” She doesn’t look offended. “You’re probably right. I played it safe with him. Stayed in a relationship that wasn’t working and now I’m snowed in at a mountain estate with three men who terrify me in completely different ways.” She says it lightly, but I hear the truth underneath.
“How do I terrify you?”
She meets my eyes. “You don’t play by anyone’s rules. You do exactly what you want, consequences be damned. That kind of freedom is terrifying to someone like me.”
“Someone who overthinks everything.”
“Exactly.”
“What if you didn’t?” I shift closer. “What if you just did what you wanted for once? No overthinking. No playing it safe.”
“I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Start by admitting you want to.”
The air between us shifts. Gets heavier.
“Want to what?” Her voice is quieter now.
“Stop being careful.” I hold her gaze. “Stop overthinking. Stop pretending you don’t want things you think you shouldn’t want.”
“That’s very presumptuous of you.”
“Is it wrong?”
She doesn’t answer.
“You’re different from the other women who come through here,” I tell her. “They usually want to fix me. Tame the reckless youngest son. Make me settle down.”
“I don’t want to fix you.”
“I know. That’s what makes you dangerous.”
She tilts her head. “How am I dangerous?”
“Because you make me want things I don’t usually want.” The confession surprises me even as I say it. “You make me want to know what you’re thinking. What you’re hiding. What it would take to make you lose control.”
Her breath catches. “Kai?—”
“My dad sees it too.” I lean back, giving her space. “That potential for wildness underneath all that careful control. That’s why he’s interested.”
Her face goes carefully blank. “What are you talking about?”
“Come on, Samantha. I’m not blind.” I keep my tone light. “Something shifted between you two. I noticed.”
“We’re just…he’s been kind to me. That’s all.”
