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I shook my head and kept walking.

For another minute, neither of us said anything.

Then I stopped.

Lachlan took another step before realizing I was no longer beside him and turned back.

This was the part I needed him to understand.

“The reason I told you any of that is because I know the difference between something being taken from me and something I choose to give.”

His brows drew together, his attention sharpening on me.

“I was choosing you.”

Lachlan went still. For several seconds, he said nothing. His gaze held mine, then drifted back up the slope toward the boulder we could no longer see.

When he looked at me again, his shoulders had lowered, and the hard line of his mouth was gone.

“I understand that now.” He came a little closer. “I was so determined not to use your situation against you that I did the other thing men have been doing to you your whole life. I decided I knew what was best and made the choice for you.”

“Yes.”

“I fucked up.”

“Yes, you did.”

One corner of his mouth moved. “I appreciate how graciously you’re accepting my apology.”

“I thought I was being remarkably restrained.”

A quiet huff of laughter escaped him, but the humor disappeared quickly.

“It won’t happen again.”

I believed him.

Then his eyes dropped to my mouth.

The remorse disappeared, and the man who had kissed me senseless against that boulder was suddenly back.

“But understand something, Mouse.”

My pulse quickened.

“Next time I kiss you, I’m not stopping because I’ve suddenly decided to be noble.” His gaze stayed on mine. “I’m going to kiss you until you’re holding on to me to stay upright, put my hands everywhere I’ve been thinking about putting them since that dungeon, and find out how many of those pretty little sounds I can drag out of you before you’re begging me for more.”

Heat shot straight between my legs.

Next time.

Sweet Jesus.

I’d wanted him to stop second-guessing whether I knew what I wanted. I hadn’t considered what would happen once he did.

Lachlan watched my face, and the slow satisfaction in his eyes told me he knew exactly what he had done.

I cleared my throat.