“Oh, I’m sure. But you stood your ground. It was… hot.”
Grinning, I pulled her closer.“So, what you’re saying is, you like it when I’m bossy?”
Elise tilted her head, her eyes glinting with mischief.“Depends. Are you planning to boss me around now?”
“That depends on if you plan on listening.”
“Hate to break it to you, but those days are behind us now.”
“Oh, really?”
Her breath hitched, and then she closed the gap between us, her lips finding mine in a kiss that was both desperate and tender.
We started moving. Elise guided me toward the bed, my hands never leaving her, her skin warm beneath mine.
Her hands trembled slightly as she pushed me onto the bed, her gaze never leaving mine. It wasn’t just desire in her eyes; it was vulnerability, hope, and maybe even something else. The weight of her trust hit me harder than I could have anticipated.
“Elise,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion as I brushed a strand of hair from her face. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
Her gaze softened, her lips still swollen from our kiss, as she looked up at me. “What is it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The words hovered on the tip of my tongue, the truth threatening to spill out.Tell her now,a voice in my head urged. She deserved to know about the stipulation, the original reason I had chased her so relentlessly. If I didn’t tell her now, the weight of it would crush everything between us later, but the look in her eyes silenced the confession burning in my chest. I hated myself for it, but I couldn’t deny her. Not now. Not when she looked at me with so much trust and so much hope.
I kissed her again, pouring everything I couldn’t say into that moment. My hands cradled her as if she might slip away, and I vowed silently that when the time was right I would tell her the truth. For now, I let myself get lost in her, in the way she clung to me as though I was her lifeline, even as I felt the weight of the secret threatening to pull me under.
As we sank into each other, the world fell away, leaving only us.
I might have chased her for the wrong reasons initially, but there was nothing fake about this. About us. No matter what happened next, I would fight to keep her.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
ELISE
“GIVE ME ONEhint. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” I whipped out my best puppy dog eyes.
Nathan glanced at me, one hand on the steering wheel, his other hand on my thigh as he drove, firm and claiming, like even behind the wheel, he needed to keep a part of me close.
I watched his lips twitch in amusement, though he tried to suppress it. “You’ll find out soon enough, Cupcake.”
“That’s not an answer!” I flopped back against my seat, crossing my arms in mock frustration. “This is cruel and unusual punishment.”
Nathan’s chuckle was low and warm, the sound settling deep in my chest. “You’re dramatic.”
“You like me dramatic.”
“That I do,” he admitted, shooting me a sidelong glance. His smirk deepened, but when his eyes lingered on me a second too long, I knew what he was doing.
Nathan Edge never missed a thing, and he wasn’t fooled by my easy laughter or casual teasing. Last night’s dinner with my parents had left a bitter taste, and no amount of beach days or shopping trips at the Galleria Mall could completely erase it.
I winced, remembering the heated argument that had erupted during my mom’s birthday dinner. Nathan had boldly called them out for how dismissively they’d treated me. It had been surreal watching him stand up for me with so much conviction.
“They’ll come around,” he said, as if sensing my train of thought. “And if they don’t, it’s their loss. I won’t let anyone make you feel less than you are, Elise.”
I blinked back a sudden rush of emotion. How did he always do that? How did he find the exact words to make me feel like I mattered? “Thank you,” I murmured, squeezing his hand.
His gaze softened. “Always.”
Before I could press him for more details about our destination, the car slowed, and Nathan pulled into a gated entrance. My breath hitched as I caught sight of the unmistakable archway with its bright, iconic letters:Walt Disney World.
