Page 43 of Let Me Love You

How do I tell him it’s not him that makes me uneasy but the fact that my brain has slowly started to accept that he’s not the horrible man I thought he was?

“There’s something I really want to talk to you about.” A tentative hand touches my arm and gently turns me around. Victor lifts my chin, and I look directly into his soft blue eyes. There’s vulnerability in them that I’ll never be able to unsee. “I know it has only been a couple of weeks, but can you give me a chance?”

I jolt backward, giving us much needed space. This is exactly why I said we should get each other out of our systems last night. If we gave in, he’d forget all about me and move on.

He steps in so that we’re touching again, and my heart pounds so hard I feel faint. “Give me a chance to truly win you. If I haven’t before our contract is up, I’ll stay in the city, and you can come back here. I’ll sign the divorce papers without a fight.”

My chest tightens. “I—”

“Don’t give me a response now,” he says before I can protest. “Please, just think on it. After your girls’ night with Lana, we can talk again.”

I find myself nodding. Victor wraps his arms around me before turning and heading for the front door. I don’t move a muscle, not even when the door opens and closes.

I can understand why he asked me to marry him for the sake of his father, but there are so many women he could date for real after we divorce.

“Do you want me to dig into him? I can find out if he has skeletons in his closet,” Sully says, and I jump.

I turn to face him. “Why do you always sneak up on me?”

He shrugs. “I’ve always been light on my feet. So, do you want me to have my men look into him?”

Should I take a chance and not have Sully do a background check? After everything Paul put me through? “Actually, that would be great.”

Sully nods seriously. “I’ll get it to you within the week.” Then he turns and goes back to the kitchen where I’m sure Summer has made even more of a mess.

***

Summer went to bed thirty minutes ago with a sleepy goodnight.

The doorbell rings, and Sully pushes off his sofa to open the front door before I can even think about getting up. I’d laugh if Victor’s request wasn’t running on repeat in my head. What’s with his sudden request for giving us a real shot?

We were only supposed to be temporary.

Sully swings the door open, and Lana stands on his porch with a duffel bag so big you’d think she was going away for the weekend.

“Hey, thanks for letting us do our girls’ night here,” Lana says as Sully motions her inside. A chilly gust of wind comes in with her, and she shrieks. “Why does it feel like it’s winter out there? I hate nighttime in the spring.”

I chuckle. “You were born and raised in New England, and you still aren’t used to it?”

“Hell, no. I’ll never get used to mother nature trying to kill me.”

Another knock sounds, and Lana looks over at me with a confused expression. Sully’s copper eyes narrow on the door, and I say, “It’s okay. It’s just Harmony.”

Lana crosses her arms over her chest and pouts. “Your little sister is crashing our girls’ night?”

I give her an apologetic smile before heading over to the door. “I invited her.”

Opening it, Harmony and Abigail rush inside. Their cheeks are rosy. My sister brings me in for a hug, and her sweater is so cold I have to pull away. I take in Abigail, Harmony’s best friend, and grind my molars. Even though that girl is trouble, she came to Harmony’s aid when she needed it most. I guess I’ll give her a pass this one time.

“It’s so chilly,” Harmony says through chattering teeth. “Good thing I brought my warm sleeping bag.”

“I think I’ll be sleeping in my jacket,” Abigail says on a shiver.

“Why is everyone being so dramatic?” I ask, about to check outside to see if winter has reappeared.

I take Abigail’s light coat and hang it in the closet.

When I turn back around, I spot Sully off to the side, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. “I’m glad you girls can get together. I’ll head upstairs so you can have privacy.”