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“What?!” I feigned shock. “You don’t? Damn. There go all my plans to corrupt you.”

"Damon.” She managed to pack an impressive amount of disapproval into two syllables.

"Sorry. Continue."

She took a deep breath before exhaling. "I like knowing what's going to happen. I like being prepared. I like having a plan.”

"And I'm guessing I'm not part of your five-year plan."

She gave me a look. "You're not even part of my five-day plan."

"Harsh."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

That got her attention. I brushed another loose strand of hair away from her cheek. "Look, I know I'm not exactly what you'd call a safe bet."

"That's an understatement."

"Wow. You really know how to make a guy feel special."

Her lips curved.

"But I need you to know something."

"What?" she breathed.

"Tonight wasn't an act for me."

Her smile disappeared. I held her gaze. "The dancing. The laughing. The part where I almost got into a fistfight with your ex-boyfriend and put a hit out on your ex-bestie."

"A hit out on my bestie?"

"I considered it."

She smiled, and I relaxed, just a little.

"But seriously," I cupped her face, my thumb tracing her jaw. "I wasn't pretending tonight." I hadn’t pretended since day one, but I wasn’t sure she was ready to hear that.

Her eyes searched mine.

"Neither was I," she whispered.

Three words. That was all it took to make my heart do something embarrassingly close to a cartwheel.

I wanted to kiss her. Badly. But there was something fragile about the way she was looking at me, and for once in my life, I didn't want to rush in with a joke or a kiss or some grand romantic gesture that would give her an excuse to retreat.

So I stayed where I was. Letting her decide what happened next.

She leaned into my palm. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why haven't you tried to kiss me tonight?"

Well. That was unexpected. I blinked. "Sorry. Could you repeat that? I couldn’t hear you over the angels singing."