He huffed a quiet laugh against her skin. “I don’t. I’m flawed, Evie. But with you, I feel a little less flawed.”
She turned her face toward his, and their foreheads almost touched. The kiss hovered there and she wanted to feel his lips on hers more than anything.
But then, somewhere behind them, a child loudly asked, “Is he going to turn human now?”
Evie startled, breath breaking into a soft laugh. The moment was gone, but not entirely.
Slater smiled against her temple. “Timing’s off,” he murmured.
“For now,” she replied. But she didn’t let go of his hand.
The movie carried on, but Evie couldn’t have told anyone what was happening anymore. All she could feel was Slater’s thumb slowly tracing the inside of her wrist. She wasn’t sure if it was intentional or absentminded, but it was wreaking havoc on her senses.
“Stop that,” she breathed, barely moving her lips.
“Stop what?”
“You know what.”
His mouth brushed close to her ear again. “You’re the one holding my hand.”
Her pulse jumped. “You started it.” A quiet hum of amusement vibrated in his chest. She felt it where their shoulders pressed together.
On screen, the Beast lay wounded. Evie’s throat tightened—although she wasn’t sure whether it was the movie or the way Slater’s fingers had tightened around hers when Belle whispered that she loved him.
He leaned closer. “Do you really believe what you said?” he asked softly.
For a moment, she wasn’t sure what he was referring to. “Which…?”
“How we were never destined for anything deeper?”
Oh. Her stomach twisted. “I believe,” she whispered back, “we were kidding ourselves when we thought that this was supposed to be easy.”
“And it’s not?”
“No.”
A beat of silence stretched between them. His lips brushed her hair—not quite a kiss. Just a graze.
“Maybe I don’t want easy,” he murmured.
Her breath caught. “You say that now, but in a few weeks…”
“I’ve said it to myself for years.” His voice had lost its teasing edge entirely. It was rougher now. Honest. “I told myself I don’t want more because I know who I am and who I take after. I’ve lived my life refusing to be like my old man, and so I just told myself I was okay with keeping everything light and casual.”
Her heart pounded so loudly that she was sure someone would hear it. “And now…?” She turned toward him fully this time.
The light flickered over his face—gold, shadow, and then gold again.
“Now I’m not so sure,” he said quietly. “I’m being selfish; I know that. It’s part of my flaws, Evie. But I can’t stop wanting you. Tell me you want this to end and I’ll walk out of here.”
Her throat closed. He was so close now that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her mouth.
“I don’t want it to end,” she admitted.
His exhale was slow and relieved. “Good.”
The word settled between them like a promise.
