I find him twenty minutes later in the small office Boris assigned him for reviewing security. He’s hunched over a laptop, frowning at something on the screen, and he looks exhausted. Dark circles shadow his eyes, and I wonder how much sleep he got last night after I finally went back inside.
“You should be resting,” I tell him from the doorway.
He looks up, and his face softens when he sees me. “I’ll rest when Adrian’s not a threat anymore.”
I step inside and close the door behind me. “I read your note.”
“And?”
“And I don’t know what to say.”
He leans back in his chair and studies me. “You don’t have to say anything. I just thought the information might be useful. I couldn’t sleep after you went back inside.” He shrugs like it’s nothing. “Seemed like a better use of my time than staring at the ceiling.”
“So instead of resting, you compiled a list of potential clients for a business I haven’t even started yet.”
“Someone should be thinking about your future, Sasha. Might as well be me.”
I don’t know what to do with the warmth spreading through my chest. Part of me wants to dismiss it, to remind myself that he lied to me for weeks and that I’d be foolish to trust him completely. But another part of me recognizes what this gesture means.
He’s not trying to make me forget what he did. He’s trying to show me who he wants to be.
“You know this doesn’t fix everything,” I say quietly.
“I know.”
“I still have questions. Doubts. Moments when I wonder if any of this is real.”
“I know that, too.” He reaches out and takes my hand. “I’m not asking you to forget, Sasha. I’m just asking you to let me prove myself. One day at a time.”
“And if I can’t? If the doubts never go away?”
“Then at least you’ll have a really thorough list of potential clients for your consultancy.” The corner of his mouth twitches. “Consider it a parting gift.”
I laugh despite myself. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny.”
I look down at our joined hands. His thumb traces circles on my palm, and the simple touch grounds me in ways I don’t fully understand.
I should pull back. Protect myself. Remember all the reasons this man is dangerous to my heart.
Instead, I lean forward and press a kiss to his forehead. Just a brief brush of my lips against his skin.
“One day at a time,” I whisper.
“One day at a time,” he agrees.
I stand and smooth my shirt, trying to regain some composure. “You should still get some rest. Boris has another briefing scheduled for this evening, and you look like death warmed over.”
“Such flattery. How will I survive?”
“I’m serious, Tony.”
“I know you are.” He releases my hand with obvious reluctance. “I’ll try to sleep. Happy?”
“Getting there.”
I pause at the door and look back at him. He’s already turning back to his laptop, but I catch the small smile on his face before he hides it.
