Page 203 of Power Play

I laughed quietly and wiped beneath one eye before anything could fall. “I’m not crying.”

“You’re thinking about it.”

“I’m emotionally considering my options.”

“That sounds like crying with paperwork.”

A laugh burst out of me, easing some of the pressure inside my chest. I leaned down and kissed him, but Ryan caught me around the waist before I could pull away. He rolled us until I landed beneath him with a surprised squeak.

“Ryan.”

He hovered over me with a smile playing across his mouth. “You do one thing for me Wednesday.”

“What?”

“You don’t go quiet.”

My smile faded.

“If it goes bad, you don’t disappear into your head and decide you need three days to figure out what everybody else thinks before you talk to me.”

“I won’t.”

“I’m serious, Charm.”

“I know.”

His gaze held mine with enough intensity that I understood the promise he was asking me to make. This wasn’t only about answering the phone. He was asking me not to lock him outside while I decided whether everyone else’s judgment mattered more than what we had built.

“No going dark on me,” he continued. “If you’re pissed, call me. If you’re crying, call me. If your father says something shitty and you want to throw a wineglass, call me before you catch a felony.”

I smiled despite the knot tightening in my stomach. “You’ll talk me out of it?”

“Depends how expensive the glass is.”

“Ryan.”

“I’ll talk you out of it.”

I slid my hands around the back of his neck. “What if I panic?”

“You call me.”

“What if I start thinking they might be right?”

His expression changed. “Then you definitely fucking call me.”

I nodded beneath him. “Okay.”

Ryan lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me slowly enough that everything inside me softened again. When he pulled back, his nose brushed mine.

“So, you’re my girlfriend.”

Warmth spread through me so quickly that it was embarrassing. “I am.”

“And I’m your boyfriend.”

“You sound very pleased with yourself.”