Page 60 of Waiting for You

"I'm aware you aren't obedient," he countered. "And I'm not trying to force it. I just want to hear you admit it."

I stared down at him.

"Sure," I whispered, reckless. "What do you want to know?"

"Did it," he breathed, his voice rough. "Earlier today. When I touched you. Did it⁠—"

I held his burning gaze.

"Yes," I confessed. "It felt like my body still remembers yours."

I watched the color drain from his face.

"Okay," he exhaled, shaky. "That's more than enough for me."

"I'm not going to take it a step further than that," I warned, stepping back. "We agreed we aren't supposed to. I'm just reminding us both."

He let out a breathless laugh. "Sure," he agreed. "We aren't supposed to."

I stood. "I'm going to go find Andrew."

"Wait." He reached out, his fingers closing around my bare wrist, the grip light but enough to anchor me. "I won the match. Don't I get my reward?"

I stared at his grip. I leaned down and pressed my lips against his warm cheek. The contact lasted one agonizing second, and my legs were unsteady when I straightened.

I turned and walked away.

A huge smile was already spreading across my face before I cleared the terrace steps. I pressed my lips into a thin line, screaming at myself to stop the delusion, and kept smiling anyway. My whole body radiated heat. I'd convinced myself I was stronger than this. I'd built a business, formulated an exit plan, constructed a whole psychological architecture to help me move on, and apparently every brick of it dissolved the second his cheek rested under my mouth.

The truth was I was still weak for him. I'd convinced myself I was cured.

I found Andrew at the far edge of the grounds near the botanical garden, his call finished, his phone back in his pocket.

"What happened back there?" he asked.

"Nothing," I lied. "We bantered. I came to find you."

He smiled. "Okay." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "I wanted to tell you something. I was thinking about what we were debating earlier. About love."

"You just got off a corporate call."

"It crossed my mind during the negotiations," he admitted, turning to face me. "My goal for this arrangement is clear. And yours is to find love."

I stared at him, caught off guard.

"Yes," I confirmed. "I believe love is a human necessity."

"Then it would be unfair," he reasoned, "if this fake-dating-to-marriage pipeline only grants me my heart's desire and starves yours." He took a slow breath. "Maybe we should try. Actually try falling in love. Both of us. On purpose."

I stared up at his earnest blue eyes.

"I don't know if that's even possible for me," I whispered. "I don't know if I have the bandwidth to try right now."

"Just think about it," he offered. "We have all the time in the world."

FOURTEEN

XAVIER