“What does that mean?”
“My guess is they caught wind of our relationship, and they’re going to fight back to get those shares.”
“What are we going to do?” I asked, worried for him.
His lips twitched slightly before he leaned in to kiss me. “We are going to sleep together in this bed tonight and enjoy the weekend with my family. The team is on damage control. We can worry about it Monday.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. I could tell he was stressed, even if his words said otherwise. That made me nervous too. Would he still want to marry me if the shares weren’t up for grabs anymore?
He kissed my forehead and lay down, his arms open for me. “Come here, baby. It’s time to get some rest.”
I wanted to argue, to do something to help, but soon after I lay in his arms, I fell fast asleep.
51.Jada
“Jada,”someone whispered. “Jada.”
My eyes flared open, my gaze darting around the dark, unfamiliar room.
“Jada, it’s me,” Bryce whispered, and my mind started coming back online. We were in his family bedroom. But he wasn’t lying next to me; he knelt on the floor on my side of the bed.
My eyes strained to see the old-fashioned alarm clock on the nightstand, but it was too dark. “What time is it? Did you fall out of bed?”
“It’s about three,” he whispered. That’s when I realized he was fully dressed in a black pair of sweatpants and a matching hoodie. “Come on, I have a surprise.”
“Can it wait until nine?” I mumbled.
He grinned, perfect teeth catching moonlight. “It could, but it won’t be the same. Trust me.”
I let out a little groan, even though I was becoming more alert with each second that passed. “Okay, I guess so.”
“Great, I have an outfit for you at the foot of the bed. I’ll be waiting in the hallway.”
“An outfit?” I asked through my hazy thoughts, but Bryce was already going out the door, giving me privacy to change. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I got up and looked at the black pile amongst the blankets.
It was another pair of sweats, almost identical to his. But he’d gone as far as including a pair of fuzzy socks and slip-on sneakers.
Had he been this thoughtful?I wondered.Or was that Maya?
And what wasthisexactly? The clothes were appropriate for some kind of late-night heist and not much else.
Fortunately, they fit perfectly—something I wasn’t used to experiencing in my big and tall body. A small flutter of gratitude went through me for that.
When I opened the bedroom door, I found Bryce leaning against the wall in the hallway just as he promised. Then, he whispered, “Follow me.”
I did as he asked, noting the steps he took on the way downstairs. It seemed like he knew how to avoid all the creaks in this old house, which was so at odds with his Boy Scout persona. Bryce Madigan sneaking out at night? Breaking the rules set by his seemingly strict father? The thought intrigued me more than it should have.
We quietly made our way outside, and he led me to his truck under the glow of a buzzing floodlight. Finally, not worried about anyone hearing us, I asked, “Bryce Madigan, why are you so good at sneaking out?”
He held the passenger door open for me with a gleam in his midnight eyes. “I was young once.”
My lips twitched because this was the first time I felt young in a long time.
I got in the truck, and he shut the door for me. As he walked along the front of the cab, I admired his profile catching all thepale light of the moon—strong jaw, statuesque nose, a head full of short, thick hair. He was incredibly handsome, and it struck me that he was mine.
He got in and put the truck in drive. I was tired still, so I sank back in the seat, watching his headlights pan over dirt roads. The truck was already blissfully warm, hot air pouring from the vents. The warmth and the subtle bounce of the road were helping me fall back asleep. But when he started to turn off the road onto nothing but grass, I sat bolt upright. “Bryce, the road isthatway.”
With a low chuckle, he said, “I know where I’m going.”
