I hold her gaze, the air between us thickening.
"And what are you fighting for, Josie?"
But she doesn't answer me.
Instead, her eyes search mine, and I can see the war happening behind them. The walls she's trying to keep up, the vulnerability she's trying to hide.
It's the same look I remember from Breakers on that very first night.
This mystery woman, so confident and amazing, yet somehow shying away from taking the spotlight she truly deserves.
"You know… I haven't stopped thinking about you," I admit, my voice rough. "Not for one fucking second."
Her gaze drops to my mouth, then back up.
"What part? The endless fighting? Or… the night before?"
I inch closer.
"All of it. But mostly the part where you looked like you knew exactly what you wanted when you walked into that bar."
She startles me with a shocked laugh. "I didn't know what I wanted. I was terrified."
"You didn't look terrified."
She swallows hard, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress.
"Because I was pretending. That whole night, I was pretending to be someone I wasn't."
"You want to know what I remember?" My voice drops low. "The way you walked into that bar. The way you kissed me first." I lean in even closer, whispering, "The way you dropped to your knees without me asking."
Her cheeks flush deep red, but she doesn't look away.
"I'd never done that before," she admits, so quiet I almost miss it.
I frown. "Done what?"
"That. Any of it." Her eyes meet mine, vulnerable and raw. "Of course, I've doneit.I'd had sex before.But I'd never… gone down on a guy before that night."
A rush of heat races through my body.
"Josie—"
"You made me feel like I could," she continues, her voice shaking. "Like I wasn't weird. Or wrong. Or too much. You made me feel… confident."
"You were incredible," I say, and I mean every fucking word. "And that night? I don't think it was pretend. That wasyou."
Her eyes flutter closed, and she lets out a shaky breath.
"I've been terrified since I got here," she whispers.
"Well don't be." I take breath, watching her closely. "You did good today. At The Yard. You've already done amazing things since you got here."
She turns, surprise flickering across her face.
"That's… big, coming from you."
"I mean it." I pause, choosing my next words carefully. "You're actually making a difference to the team. I can see it already."
