“And not do something you’d regret?”She didn’t want to be stuck with you. Nobody wants to be stuck with a needy omega.
“No,” she says sharply. “I’d never regret…” Her eyes find mine, wavering in the starlight. “I know I said I didn’t want to make a permanent decision for you, and that’s… abstractly true. But the real reason is…” She takes a deep breath. “It scares me, how bad I want you. Letting you in would be very… vulnerable.”
I force myself to focus. This is an apology. An explanation of why we can’t be together.
“I should have told you, but I didn’t… I didn’t know how I felt. And I just neededtimeto… sort it all out. I, um… I freed up some time in my schedule. Quit two boards. Transitioned some projects to other execs.”
“That’s good,” I say, shoving my feelings away and keeping my tone measured. “To find some time for yourself. Finally gonna watch TV again?”
Something warms in Morgan’s expression, and she turns a wry grin towards me. “Let’s call that the backup plan. You really don’t know where this is going, do you?”
I swallow hard. “I… I thought I did…”
“You’re such a pretty little idiot.”
She says it just like before. My chest aches, and my eyes sting. My resolve wavers. “Please don’t talk like that and then make me go.”
“Jamie… the time in my schedule is foryou. If you want it.”
“For me? To do… what?” Is this going to be more PR work?
“Oh, for the love of—Maybe this will get through to you.”
Morgan grabs the back of my head and pulls me into a kiss.
My body goes tight with shock, then as her scent surrounds me and I taste the scotch on her tongue, I melt into her. Everything is heat and light and relief and yearning.
I can feel how badly she wants me, how tight her fingers are in my hair, against my back. I push as high as I can onto my toes, pressing into her, locking my arms around her neck.
Morgan reaches down and lifts me against her chest, carrying me over to a deck chair. She sits back, and I settle across her lap. Our kiss turns hungry, urgent. Three months of longingpour out, and I’m never letting go.
Morgan’s breath shakes, and I lean back.
The moonlight reflects in the tears lining her eyes. I pause, and Morgan pulls me tight against her chest, my cheek against her collarbone, my forehead against her neck.
“These were the worst three months of my life,” she murmurs.
I tighten my arms around her neck. “Mine too.”
“Does it make any sense to you?” she asks. “Falling so fast?”
“None whatsoever,” I murmur, nuzzling against her.
“Well, glad it’s not just me.” She kisses my forehead.
“But what does this mean for… How do we… I thought you said you couldn’t… again…”
“I can’t,” she says quietly. “So that’s the… that’s the offer.”
“What’s the offer?”
Morgan’s chest rumbles with a laugh. “Let me try it this way. Jamie ‘Pretty Idiot’ Brennan, will you marry me?”
Chapter 50
MORGAN
God, Jamie is making me work for this. I’ll admit I deserve it.
