Page 94 of Manhattan Kiss

He shakes his head and we start to sway to the music. Everyone else is dancing to the beat, but we’re here in our own separate bubble, and the New York City skyline is lit up like it was on our first date.

It’s perfect.

And I want it to last forever.

“I think you’re about the least devious person I know,” he says. “But I like that you save that tiny part of you for me.”

I smile at him and think of how much of me he gets that no one else does. How much he sees parts of me that no one else does. I smooth my hand up his chest in a way that’s now familiar. It feels like he’s mine. No one else gets to do this. No one else gets to stand in a New York City ballroom held by the most handsome man in the city.

“How do you know Ryder?” I ask.

“We’ve crossed paths a few times over the years. He was involved in the Anglo-American trade board for a while. That’s where I first met him. I admire his business acumen. He’s a straight shooter.” His eyes dim as he talks. “He’s protective of you.”

I frown. “Really?”

“Very,” he says.

“We’ve known each other a long time. He’s like a brother to me.”

He doesn’t respond. He glances over his shoulder and then back at my face. “Why didn’t you tell me about your promotion?”

A heaviness gathers in my chest. That’s a complicated question. “I suppose I haven’t had a chance to consider it yet.”

“What’s the job?” he asks.

I’m not going to lie to the man. He knows now, I might as well come clean. “Avril and Poppy want me to be the general manager of Hotel on Ninth Street.”

I watch carefully, but Deacon has absolutely no reaction on his face at all.

“They’re going to be busy with the new Boston project and would like me to be responsible for the running of the New York hotel,” I continue.

“Are you going to take it?” he asks. “You don’t sound overenthusiastic.”

“I have no idea,” I say. “My plan was always to go back home. New York was meant to be a three-month adventure.”

He glances away. What’s he thinking?

“Do you want me to stay?” I whisper.

We stop swaying and the room seems to fall silent. All I can do is focus on Deacon’s expression. He doesn’t look excited or hopeful.

He looks pained.

I’d like to think I’ve got a good grip on reality most of the time, but tonight, a part of me wishes he’d say yes, that he wants me to stay in New York.

Even though we’ve only been seeing each other for a few weeks, even though the last thing he wants to do is disrupt his daughter’s life any more than it is already. Even though I know it’s impossible for him to have all the feelings for me that I have for him, I still want him to pull me close and urge me to take the promotion and stay in New York.

“It’s complicated,” he finally says.

I look away so he can’t see my disappointment. “You’re right. It is.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says.

I frown. “I know. You’d never try and hurt me.”

He sighs, and this time he pulls me close. I lay my head on his chest. “I wish I could freeze time and stay here forever,” he says. “But the world keeps turning and we’re forced to make decisions, take steps that lead us down one path or another.”

“Right,” I whisper. I’m not quite sure what he’s thinking, but by his tone, it’s not anything positive about where he sees our future going.