Page 19 of Unraveled

“Not for the one I had, but it will be my full-time gig going forward, yes. I’m not trying to be rude by not telling you, I promise. But I can’t.”

I could see regret on her face and didn’t doubt her sincerity. “Okay. How long are you gone for?”

In my mind, I thought she might be away for a week or two. Her next words floored me.

“One year. At least. Maybe longer.”

Now it was my turn to sit up. I searched her eyes. “You’re serious.”

She inhaled a shaky breath. “Afraid so. I didn’t tell you last night because—”

“You didn’t think you’d be seeing me again,” I finished for her, finding a bitter taste in my mouth. Whether that was due to the reminder she’d gone into this with the intention of only a one-night stand or because of the news she was leaving, I couldn’t be sure.

“I’m sorry. I should go.” She moved to get out of the bed, but I pulled her to me.

“Please don’t. I’m processing. Can you tell me where in the world you’re going?”

She shook her head. “Afraid not. It’s classified.”

“As in government classified?”

Her gaze leveled on mine. “If it was, I couldn’t tell you.”

Right. It shouldn’t bother me. “Do I get to guess?”

“You can try, but even if you got it, I can’t tell you. I know this sounds crazy and, again, I’m sorry.”

It was crazy. “A little, but I guess I need to accept it.” And I needed to lighten the mood. “I don’t suppose you’re off to be on the latest installment of The Bachelor?”

She lifted a brow, her lips twitching. “For an entire year? Seems rather extreme.”

“Perhaps you could leave The Bachelor, heartbroken you didn’t get a rose, and then go straight into Survivor.”

She laughed, the tension in the room finally dissipating.

Making Layla smile or laugh was now my new favorite challenge. She was beautiful normally, but when she relaxed with a dose of humor, she took my breath away.

“First, I wouldn’t do a show like that unless I was the bachelorette and got to make the choices amongst a bevy of handsome guys, and second, I’m not a very roughing-it kind of girl, so no Survivor. Are you a fan of reality television?”

I shook my head. “The only reality TV I watch is football.”

“Spoken like a man who’d never admit to it.”

“True. So, how about dinner tomorrow night instead?” A voice in the back of my mind warned that getting too attached might not be the best plan, but I ignored it.

“I’m leaving Friday, Kellan.”

“I get it. But if you have the time—and you may not as you’re probably trying to get a lot in this week before you go—then I want to spend it with you.”

“Don’t you have work?”

I did. So much of it that I shouldn’t be planning another date so soon. But I wasn’t opposed to working over the weekend to make up for whatever I lost this week. “I’ll get the hours in on another day.”

She reached out to caress my face. “I just don’t want there to be any expectation of it changing things. Our one-night stand already slid into two.”

“I get it. Let’s call it a three-night stand. And I wouldn’t try to change anything about your dream to work on a world cruise for a year and see exotic places.”

She chuckled, a result I’d hoped for with my new game of guesses. I noticed that her entire body seemed to relax, almost as if her telling me about having to leave had lifted a weight.