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“I hate it too,” I reply, wondering if I’m right. “Once somebody commits, that should be it. I’d never cheat on my boyfriend.”
“I’d never cheat either,” he says fiercely.
“But how can you know? You haven’t dated for years. Maybe when you find somebody, she’ll be so annoying, you won’t be able to stop looking elsewhere.”
“Never,” he says.
“Was that true? About not dating?”
“I’m not a liar, Layla.”
“It’s just… when traveling all over the world, opening all those amazing buildings, working on your business, you must’ve had options.”
We turn the corner that leads to the long stretch, the restaurant at the end. We’ve got minutes left. It shouldn’t, but the thought of leaving him hurts me.
“I’ve had options,” he says, nodding, “but that doesn’t mean I ever wanted toacton them. I meant what I said. Until I find a woman…”
He trails off, and I know why. I should let him move on to something else. This doesn’t help my wholebe goodthing, but I have to know.
“You really care about. Who makes youfeelsomething.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
“Doesn’t that mean…”
He smirks, glancing at me. “It means you’re the first woman in over fifteen years who’s made me want to take a chance, but clearly, it’s a chance wecan’ttake.”
My heartbeat picks up. This could be perfect. Something we reflect on in the future—the moment he tells me how much I mean to him.
I can’t let myself feel that. I shouldn’t have asked.
“That sounds like a line,” I snap unfairly since I don’t believe it is.
Amazingly, I believe he means it. He knew I was his the second he saw me, just like I knewhewasmine.
“It’s not a line,” he growls. “I wouldn’t even know how touselines, Layla, but I get it. We shouldn’t be talking about this.”
He pulls up outside my workplace, finding a spot on the side of the road.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think you’re a liar.”
“I didn’t know who you were at first. I saw you at the party and thought, damn, I want to learn more about her. I want to spend the entire night with her. I want to ask her on a date. I want her number. All this stuff, and then I saw you across the aisle, how Elena smiled at you before she spoke the vows, and I knew.”
“It was the same for me,” I murmur. “Then, yeah, I realized you were my step-uncle-to-be, and I knew it could never work.”
“What about now? Do you still think that?”
He leans toward me, and I know where this is going. I can already taste his lips. I can already sense the lust and affection that will blaze between us. I should get a medal for leaning away, my head butting the window.
“We’re in public,” I say with a shaky voice.
“I know,” He sighs darkly. “I can’t help myself, but you’re right. I have to try. From now on, we’ll be good. How does that sound?”
It sounds horrible, but it’s what I asked for. It’s what we should do.
“We have to try,” I tell him. “Thanks for the ride.”
I climb from the car, hurrying toward the restaurant. When I reach the door, I can’t resist the urge to turn and look at him to see if he’s still watching me.
