Page 265 of Power Play

I studied him. “I hated when you said you had lost worse.”

His face changed. “I know.”

“That really hurt.”

“I know that too.”

“Are you sorry?”

Ryan’s thumb moved across my cheek. “I’m sorry I used the worst shit that ever happened to me to make my point hurt badly enough that you couldn’t ignore it.”

That was more of an apology than I expected.

I leaned into his palm. “But you meant it.”

“Yeah, mi hada. Losing you would hurt like fuck, but it wouldn’t kill me. I meant what I said.”

“I knew you did.”

His mouth twitched. “You done fighting with me?”

“For tonight.”

“Good.”

I climbed onto the bed, and Ryan stared at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Going to bed.”

“You live here now?”

“You gave me a key.”

“That key created a monster.”

I pulled back the blankets and slid beneath them. Ryan remained standing beside the bed, looking at me as though he was still deciding whether to be annoyed.

I rolled onto my side and studied him. “Ven aquí.”

“That’s my line.”

“I’m borrowing it.”

Ryan finally climbed into bed and switched off the overhead light, leaving the room dark except for the faint glow from the hallway. I moved closer and ran my fingers over the rough edge of his jaw.

His eyes closed briefly beneath my touch.

“I’m sorry tonight got ruined.”

“It didn’t.”

“We spent half of it fighting.”

“We needed the fight.”

“That sounds suspiciously emotionally mature.”