Page 93 of A Dangerous Kind of Love

“If we keep doing this.” I gesture between us. “Are you gonna start talking to me like that?”

He stills and leans down, bringing his face level with mine.

“How I treat you and how I treat them are completely different,” he says. “And that won’t change. You are not my employee.”

His hand tightens slightly on my waist.

“You’re my girl.”

I search his face, not letting him off that easy. “How do I know you won’t change your mind?” I shake my head a little. “Because I don’t like that version of you.”

“Does it scare you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I won’t do it again.”

I study him for a second. “You don’t even have to think about it?”

“No.”

I huff out a breath. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Katie!”

Sarah.

“We should go,” I tell him, but he pulls me closer.

“Doll.”

I stare up at him. “Michael, we’re fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.” He takes both sides of my face in his hands.

“I don’t sugarcoat shit. If I think it, I say it. That’s how this works.”

He exhales.

“I promise. I’m fine. See.” I smile. “Big smiles.”

He grins.

Fuck me.

He leans down and kisses me.

“Okay,” I say pulling away. “Let’s go. You’re making this worse.”

I turn and start across the street. He’s right next to me, and as we walk, his finger hooks into my belt loop.

“My girl!” Sarah screams, throwing her arms around me when we reach the other side.

I laugh and hug her back. “Hey.”

“Michael,” she says.