“Still can be.”
I shake my head. “No, it can’t.”
Because now there’s a ring, and a night I can’t pretend didn’t matter.
Andhim. Sitting across from me like he belongs in my life. Which he absolutely does not.
Right?
Tell that to those gorgeous dark blue eyes that perceive everything without speaking… or judging. That square-cut face, sharp jawline, thick neck, broad shoulders, and chiseled body.
That last part makes me feel all warm and gooey inside like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. Because I may not remember it all, but I still clocked enough muscular angles to populate my dreams for the next decade.
“You said you wanted proof, something we couldn’t walk away from,” he says.
“I did.”
“And now?”
My throat tightens. Now I don’t know. That’s the problem.
“I still do,” I say, even though the words don’t land right. “It’s just… a lot of proof.”
He watches my face, his expression unreadable. I can’t tell if he’s measuring my words… or this whole situation. Or maybe, just maybe he’s not nearly as freaked out about all of this as I am.
No matter what he’s thinking, he’s too quiet. Just like his reputation.
And God, that silence makes it worse. Because it would be easier if he didn’t care.
“If this is too much—” he starts.
“It is,” I cut in quickly, then stop myself. I take a deep breath and repeat softer, “It is.”
He nods once like my words don’t surprise him. Like he’s already adjusting.
Something in my chest twists. “I have a life,” I say, forcing the words out. “Or… I’m trying to build one.”
I don’t tell him that everything I’ve built could be destroyed in an instant. One snap of one man’s fingers, and I’ll be right where I started all over again.
From zero.
New life. New identity.
New everything.
Knowing that, not being able to tell him as much makes all of this so much worse. So doeswantinghim. Not just his strength or his power. I crave hissafety, how I can relax around him, stop looking over my shoulder. Stop having to explain myself, too.
It’s been too long since I felt this way. And saying goodbye to it… tohim—stranger or not—feels worse than anything this hangover could inflict on me.
He leans back slightly, giving me space. “Okay.”
“That doesn’t include—” I glance down at the ring again. “This.”
“That’s a shame,” he says quietly.
My eyes snap up. “Why?”
His gaze meets mine. “Because I don’t think this was nothing.”
