Page 128 of Reckless

“I’ll buy you a better one.”

I shake my head. “No. This is absolutely a cheap wine kind of catastrophe.” The corner of my mouth twitches.

“Then I’m bringing the cheap wine.”

“You’re missing the point, Ghost.”

“Probably.”

I let the silence sit for a second before speaking again. “I need to sit with this. I need to pull it apart and figure out how I’m going to fix it before I let myself believe it can’t be fixed.”

He sighs down the line. “Then we’ll do that together.”

The offer settles somewhere warm in the middle of everything that’s hurting.

“God!” I laugh quietly, tears still clinging to my lashes. “I love you for saying that.”

He doesn’t miss a beat. “I know.”

I roll my eyes. “That was unbearably smug.”

“It was.”

My smile grows. “See? This is exactly why you can’t come over.”

A soft chuckle rumbles down the line. “Because I agreed with you?”

“Because you are… distracting.”

“Distracting.” I can hear the smile in his tone.

“Mm-hmm…”

“I’m trying to work out whether I should be offended or flattered.”

“Definitely flattered.”

His laugh is quiet, but it’s there. “Go on.”

I groan, knowing exactly what he’s doing. “Ghost…”

“Elaborate.”

“You have one of the best brains I’ve ever come across.” I lean back against the headrest, finally feeling like I can breathe again. “But every time you’re in the same room as me lately, I stop thinking about whatever I’m supposed to be doing.”

He goes suspiciously quiet.

“See?” I say.

“I’m choosing my next words very carefully.”

I finally smile. “Smart man.”

“Because my first answer involved reminding you what happened the last time we were alone together.”

Heat blooms across my cheeks despite everything. “Exactly my point.”

“So, I’m a distraction.” His laugh comes easier this time.