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He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent. He should go as soon as the booze cleared from his mind, or maybe earlier, via Uber, but he didn’t actually want to do so. Irrationally, it felt like once he left, his spot would immediately be filled with another man. He didn’t want her alone and miserable, but the idea of her being in love with another man made him miserable.
What did that even mean?
He hadn’t even fucked her, for Christ’s sake.
She wasn’t his. He didn’t want anyone to be his.
And yet…
Obviously, she deserved every happiness in the world. She deserved a man who would stay by her side and love her, and show her she wasn’t as boring as she liked to believe. Someone who would do yoga with her every night, and dance to no music, and wouldn’t leave in the morning because he refused to jeopardize his career. He pulled back, cupping her cheeks but firmly reminding himself that she was not his for the taking. “Can I ask you for a favor?”
She blinked, holding on to his wrist. “Sure. Anything.”
“Promise me you’ll live? That you’ll stop thinking you’re boring and not worth getting to know? Because I can assure you, as a man who spent the night with you…you so are.”
“I promise.” She flicked her tongue over her lips. “You made it so easy to take that first leap of faith, to jump with both feet into new things, and I’m going to keep on doing it. Keep on jumping.”
“No more being afraid?” he asked.
“No more being afraid.” She rested a hand behind his neck. “Can you promise me something?”
“Yes.”
“If you ever need anything—just a person to talk to, or a friend to do yoga with, someone to kiss without strings attached—call me. I’ll be here, and I will never expect more out of you than you’re willing to give me.” She locked eyes with him. “Never.”
It would be so easy to take her up on that offer. To take what she was willing to give him, and give her nothing in return. It was what he did. Who he was. But with her…
He wanted to do better.
To be better.
An unfamiliar emotion swelled within him, choking him. He ached to pull her into her arms, whisper that she didn’t need to date anyone else, that she could just fuck him, and then prove it to her through actions instead of words. He did none of those things. Instead, he said, “I promise.”
With that, she smiled, closed her eyes, and moments later, she was asleep.
Just like that.
He watched her sleep for a little while, and his eyelids grew heavier with each breath she took. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, or when he’d fallen asleep too, but at some point, he must have, because when he opened his eyes, dawn was creeping over the sky and his head was clear of any lingering effects of alcohol, which meant…
It was time to go.
Turning his head slowly, he gazed at her beauty without her noticing. She had her hands folded under her cheek, and her eyes had drifted shut. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, and her cheeks had a rosy hue to them that he’d never forget. She was asleep next to him, wearing her dress from the night before, and he was also still fully clothed.
He didn’t want to move.
Didn’t want to stop holding her against him.
That was his cue to leave.
Still, he didn’t move.
He glanced around the room. Light blue walls. Dresser topped with perfume, jewelry, and one family photo. A couple of romance books. A closet filled with clothes. A chair in front of a makeup mirror, with cups filled to the brim with brushes. Hair products were scattered over the top of the vanity, along with some makeup, too. All the things that he would assume a woman would have in her room were present, yet there was something special about it all. It was as if he saw into her life a little bit and understood her better.
Every shirt hanging in her open closet was prim. Proper. Pretty. Everything was put together with careful c
onsideration. In its place. Properly organized. When she’d shown up on his doorstep and sung that song, she’d been begging for someone to take her out of her carefully constructed shell. She’d been dying to live.
She told him that he’d helped her find that thrill she’d so desperately needed. If that was true, then he could walk away from her happy. He’d helped her change her life.
