LAUREL
There wasn’t anywhereto go, but I broke free from Jason’s grasp and went into the kitchen, pulling a glass down from a cabinet and filling it with water. He’d told me I might be able to resume performing overseas, and I’d all but shrugged my dream off, like it was nothing and not everything.
Everything.
He’d said that was what had changed between us, but he didn’t know the half of it. The three words itched under my skin, mocking me.
Stop it.It was way too soon to be in love.
The waiting was miserable agony, and when the sun fell below the horizon, I tried to distract myself by cooking dinner. At least I had control over that.
Shawn secluded himself in his home office until dinner was ready, and I was aware Jason had gone in there for a long discussion at one point. I’d heard the German between the Dunns from behind the door, and I’d had to fight back the desire to throw it open and demand English whenever I heard Jason’s nickname for me.
He drank beer with dinner while Shawn sipped on wine and pried into my back story with skilled efficiency. Was he checking to see if I was worthy of his brother? I didn’t mind his examination because it gave me a chance to turn the samequestions back around on him and learn everything I could about the brothers.
Even though their relationship was strained, it was obvious they cared very much about each other.
When dinner was finished, Jason pulled a second beer from the fridge then nodded to me.
“Come on,” he said. “We’re going to let the CEO of Osterhägen Beverage do our dishes.”
Shawn frowned. “I’m letting you stay at my house, and you’ve got me sleeping in the guest bedroom. I am not cleaning up after you.”
That was fair.
I stood, gathered plates, and carried them to the sink, only for him to push back from the table and wave me off.
“Go,” he said lightly. “You made dinner, and I can handle loading a dishwasher.Auf Wiedersehen.”
My gaze went to the man waiting for me by the doorway, who had one hand wrapped around the neck of his beer and the other on his hip, just above the gun holstered there. The sight of him was magnetic, pulling me one foot in front of the other until I reached him.
His attention flicked to his brother for a moment, and his tone was genuine, serious. “Thank you.”
Then he placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me toward the primary bedroom.
It was ridiculous to be nervous. We’d had sex, not once but twice before.
Despite that, my breath turned shallow when he shut the door, turned off the light, and strolled to what had become his side of the bed, setting the beer and his gun on the nightstand.
“Do you want me to start a fire?” he asked.
I stood across from him, the bed between us. “I’m okay.”
His eyes looked black in the low light. “L, you’re shaking.”
I hadn’t noticed. I looked down at my body in disbelief, and, when I discovered it was true, couldn’t contain the words any longer.
“I think I might love you.” My stomach felt like it was upside-down. “I’m sorry.”
Jason flinched like I’d shot him. “What?” But he’d clearly heard me.
“I’m sorry.”
He didn’t know what to do, where to look, or how to respond.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered again.
“Will you stop saying that?”
