“That’s exactly why you should step back from me,” she whispered. “If this turns into a federal investigation?—”
I shook my head. “I told you I’d stand beside you.”
Her gaze lifted.
“And that includes your mom.” I didn’t care about Adriana, but Mila did, and I’d promised her back at the gala that I’d back them both.
“You’re talking about your future,” she insisted softly. “Hockey. Everything you’ve worked for.”
“And you’re talking about your family,” I replied.
My palm brushed lightly along her side. “That choice was never complicated for me.”
I stepped closer. “No, Mila.”
She blinked once, clearly expecting hesitation. “Luke?—”
“I’m not stepping away from you.”
“This could cost you your scholarship.”
“It already is.”
“That’s my point,” she argued.
I closed the remaining distance between us. When she looked up at me, I drew her closer, my arms wrapping around her back until there was no space left between us.
“If someone thinks they can pressure me into leaving you by threatening my future,” I kept my voice steady, “then they don’t understand me at all.”
Her gaze searched my face carefully. “This isn’t small,” she warned quietly. “You’re talking about Michigan. About everything you’ve worked for.”
“I know exactly what they’re trying to do.”
“And?”
“And it won’t work.”
The tension in her shoulders loosened a fraction. Not completely. But enough.
“You’re certain.”
“Yes.” My thumb traced a slow line along her side through the fabric of her shirt. Her breath shifted slightly at the touch.
“Whoever’s behind the tip expects the pressure to build slowly.”
“Who? Logan?”
Possibly. But I thought about Charles Dunn. About the argument I had overheard in my father’s study. About the fractures forming inside my family’s company. Even my father’s expectations weren’t something I could ignore.
“Someone who understands how to destroy reputations.”
Mila studied me for another moment. “That could be a lot of people.”
“Yes.”
The tide crept closer to our feet, colder water soaking into the sand.
I slipped my hand into hers and pulled her gently toward me. She didn’t resist. Her body fit against mine as naturally as breathing.
