"They loved you. Claire asked for your number. I think she wants to be friends."
"Really?"
"Really." His hands begin massaging my feet, and I groan with pleasure. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired. Happy. Proud of myself, actually."
"As you should be." His fingers work magic on my aching arches. "You exceeded every expectation."
"Thank you for trusting me with something so important."
"Thank you for caring enough to make it perfect." He's quiet for a moment. "Lily, can we talk about something?"
My heart rate picks up. "Of course."
"The job is done. Technically, our business arrangement is complete."
Oh God. Here it comes. The part where he thanks me and sends me on my way.
"Right," I say carefully.
"Which means we need to establish new terms."
I sit up. "New terms?"
"For us. Because I meant what I said last night. I want to explore this. Build something real." His gaze holds mine. "But only if you want the same thing."
Relief floods through me. "I do. I absolutely do."
"Good. Then here's what I'm proposing." He shifts so we're facing each other. "We start by officially dating. No more pretending this is just about work. We're honest about what we are."
"Which is?"
"Two people who are falling for each other." His hand cups my cheek. "Two people who want to explore a dynamic that's unconventional but right for them."
My breath catches. "You're falling for me?"
"Completely. Terrifyingly. Wonderfully." His thumb brushes across my lips. "Are you falling for me?"
"Yes," I whisper. "So much it scares me."
"Then let's be scared together." He leans closer. "Let's build something that's ours. With rules we create. Boundaries we respect. Trust we earn, mutually together."
"What kind of rules?"
"That's what we figure out. Together. I want us to start now." He pulls back slightly. "I want to take care of you, Lily. In all the ways that matter. I want to guide you when you need direction. Support you when you need strength and give you space to surrender when you need to let go."
My heart is racing. "And what do you need from me?"
"I need you to give me your honesty along with your trust. I need your willingness to tell me when something doesn't feel right." His eyes search mine. "Can you do that? Honesty, integrity and communication. If we have those three things between us, everything else will fall into place."
"I can try."
"That's all I ask." He stands, offering his hand. "Now come on. It's late, and you're exhausted."
I let him pull me up. "I should go home."
"Why?"
