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“Marcus is stuck with a client. Flooding. We can’t do much without any helpers,” she says mournfully.

“Gabe’s stuck, too. Busted skylight.” I pause. Give her a slow grin, showing my canines. “You can frost the black roses.”

She stiffens. “You’re thinking of my wish at a time like this?”

I shrug. “It’ll take your mind off things.”

Margo bites her lip and I smile wider, knowing she’s considering it.

“I promise it’ll be good for stress relief.”

She keeps looking up at me and I can’t help but take a few steps forward. I thumb her bottom lip from between her teeth.

“What do you say, princess?”

Margo looks unsure and I frown.

“Tell me something,” she rasps.

I blink at her. “What?”

“Tell me something real. Something true.”

The words tumble out of my mouth.

“I can’t stop thinking about you.”

She frowns. “That’s not enough.”

Margo takes a step back and I run a hand through my hair, frustrated.

“I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I want to know you,” she says softly. “I want to know things about you that no one else does. I want to know how you grew up. Why you got divorced.”

My eyes shoot to hers. “You want to talk about Belle?”

She looks away and then back at me, face flushed.

“You brought her up first. In the kitchen, the other day.”

I swallow hard. “Okay.”

“How long were you married?”

“Five years.”

“What happened?”

I run my hand through my hair again.

“Do we really have to talk about this?”

“I told you. I want to know you.”

I don’t look at her. Can’t.

“She left me,” I admit in a near-whisper. “We dated for five years before we were married. A whole decade of my life, just gone.”