Page 43 of The Image of You

“No, it’s none of his business.”

I liked the no-nonsense tone of her answer. I wished she’d use it on her parents, but I knew that would take time.

“He dropped it but asked me a favor.”

“What?”

“There’s a benefit on Thursday. His father and my parents are going to be there. He asked me to go with him, so I switched my shifts and go to work tomorrow and have that night off.”

I tamped down my irrational possessiveness. “I see.”

“I’m going to tell my parents tomorrow that we’ve decided to be only friends, but I’m going on Thursday to show my support—as his friend.”

She smiled. “Besides, Elena will be back from her latest trip. I haven’t seen her in a month.”

“Will she sit at your table?”

“No. She doesn’t like Bradley. She’ll sit at another table.” She chuckled. “Or, I should say, hold court at another table. She’s very, um, entertaining.”

I liked that woman more and more with everything I heard about her.

“Brunch won’t be pleasant, but I have to do it.”

“Will you let them change your mind?”

“No,” she stated firmly. “I’ve thought about this the whole time you were gone. You were right. They’re going to be disappointed no matter what.”

“Then what?”

She looked at me, her gaze all at once tender and determined. “Then I start living my life—for me.”

“Can I be a part of that life, Nightingale?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “I missed you so much while you were gone. It felt like a part of me was missing.”

“I felt the same.”

“I’m glad you’re home.”

I gathered her close, wrapping myself around her as I slid down in the bed. Our mouths met in a series of long, deep kisses. My tongue sought out her sweetness, reveling in her taste. My cock hardened as she arched against me. A long shudder racked her small frame, and I pulled back from her mouth, dragging my lips over her skin to her ear. “I’ll always come home to you.”

“Adam,” she whimpered.

“You’re mine now.”

“Yes, I am.”

Her admission exhilarated me, and as much as I wanted to have her, I could feel her exhaustion in the heaviness of her limbs. “Sleep now.”

“I want to know all about what happened when you were gone.”

“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.”

“Even where you got those bruises?”

I brushed a kiss to her head. “Yes.”

“Were you in danger?”