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“You did no such thing.”
“Yes, I did. My father was right about one thing. Keeping secrets only sets off a chain reaction, and that’s affected you and caused this shitstorm.”
“Let’s not give your father too much credit here. Do you think I hadn’t thought through all the possible outcomes when I decided I wanted you?”
Preston didn’t say anything, just bit down into his lip.
I lifted his chin, forcing him to look at me. “I didn’t care. About any of it. I knew something like this would probably happen, and I did it anyway. Because you’re worth it. Because I love you.”
Preston’s eyes welled, the love I’d just spoken of swirling in them, reflecting back at me.“I love you too. So much.” He turned on the couch and scooted up on his knees beside me, taking myface in his hands. “I can’t believe it’s actually real. It just… It just feels too perfect.”
“Perfect?” I chuckled. “I was firedtwicetoday. So, yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s real.”
He leaned into the back of the couch, moving his hand down to rest it over my heart. “So Archer Carrington is really mine?”
I covered the top of his hand and squeezed. “For as long as you want him.”
Preston’s lips crooked, and the mischievous grin had me narrowing my eyes.
“What?” I said.
“What if I want you forever?”
“Then that sounds like a pretty good plan to me.” I grabbed hold of him and leaned back into the arm of the couch, drawing him over the top of me. As he nestled between my legs, I wrapped my arms around him, loving the feel of him there.
“That’s the one thing I’m absolutely certain about,” he said.
“Meaning?”
Preston rested his chin on my chest, his eyes turning serious as they found mine. “Meaning I have no idea what I want to do in my life. Besidesyou, that is.”
I laughed and ran a hand down to his ass, swatting him there. “Be serious.”
“Oh, I’m always serious about that.”
“Preston…”
“I just mean… Now that I’ve told my parents I don’t want to pursue politics, what the hell do I want?”
It was a legitimate question. His whole life, Preston had been tailored for a world where he’d follow in his father’s footsteps. But now he had the opportunity to do anything he wanted. The world was his proverbial oyster, and sometimes that was more stressful—trying to figure out who you were outside of the mold someone else had created for you.
“I don’t know.” I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his nose. “Only you can answer that. But you know what?”
“What?”
“You don’t have to figure it all out tonight. Enjoy the newfound freedom you just granted yourself. You have plenty of time to figure all that out later.”
“Ah, you’re right. I mean, I’m only twenty-one and all…”
“Oh God.” I groaned. “You really don’t have to remind me. You sure you’re okay being with an old man?”
“I told you, I don’t see any old men here.”
“You might if I break a hip and you have to carry me up those stairs.”
“Nah, we’d just get one of those chairs that hauls you up. Or we could call Raul. He’s got arms the size of tree trunks. He could carry you.”
I busted out laughing. “Really? You’d pass me off to that guy?”
