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“You’re still not going back to work at the bar.”
“Why not? I’ve been working there for a long time and nothing like that’s ever happened to me before.”
“If you’re not working there, nothing bad can happen,” he says.
“I’m not quitting and you can’t make me. I do what I want.”
Rising from a chair, he drops down on the couch beside me. “I don’t want to make you do anything except think clearly and logically. I’m hoping once you hear where I’m coming from, you’ll agree with me.”
“Not likely,” I say, crossing my arms. The cast is rough against the underside of my other forearm, so I settle for clasping my hands in my lap.
“The thought of you going back to the bar makes me physically sick. I don’t think I can bear it if you do. Every shift you work would be fear inducing for me. I’d feel obligated to be there with you and walk you out to your car when you’re done.”
“I’m not your responsibility, Kaiden.”
“But you are. And I let you down that night. I went out with Tiago instead of coming to see you. If I hadn’t done that, you never would’ve been hurt.”
“Who’s to say he wouldn’t have waited for another night? You can’t take on that responsibility. What happened was the result of nothing more than a bad man doing bad things. You’re not some superhero who has to be hyper vigilant twenty-four seven. That’s not how relationships work.”
“But I’m supposed to protect you and keep you safe,” he says, looking forlorn.
“And when I’m with you, you do. But even you can’t keep an accident from happening. I don’t want you to worry about me every time I leave the house.”
“But I do. Especially after what happened. If you go back to work at the bar, you’ll be surrounded by people you don’t know, and some of them may be bad.”
“And I’d also be surrounded by plenty of people I do know who are good,” I remind him, but he doesn’t look reassured at all. He looks sad and I don’t like it. It’s an emotion I’m not used to seeing from him, and I want to do anything to make it go away. “You don’t want me working at the bar, but I need a job of some sort. I can’t sit at home and have no purpose.”
He nods. “I understand that.”
“In a perfect world, what would be your solution to this problem?” I ask.
Lifting my hand from my lap, he threads our fingers together. “I know you’ve made it clear that you don’t want me to get you a job with my agent, but I’d at least like to get you an interview. Would that be okay?”
An interview is merely an opportunity being presented to me. I’d still have to make a good impression. Ultimately, it would be on me whether I got the job offer or not.
“Okay,” I agree. He opens his mouth to speak and I shake my head. “I have a condition, though.”
“What is it?”
“You can only get me the interview. I don’t want you interfering in the hiring process. If she doesn’t think I’m a good fit, I’ll keep looking for something else, something that’s sports management related.”
He beams the widest smile I’ve ever seen at me. “I agree with all of that. You just made me so fucking happy, baby.” He pulls me across his lap, cradling me in his arms. “I know you’ve had a lot of big changes in your life in a short period of time, and that can’t be easy. But you’ve handled it all amazingly well.”
“Thank you. You’ve been a big help for me.”
“I’m glad. I’ll put in a call to Nadia tomorrow, but for now, all I want is to hold the woman I love in my arms.”
“And all I want is to be held by you.”
* * *
Be careful what you wish for.
That’s a popular saying I’ve heard all my life and never really paid much attention to—until now. Since I was a young girl, I’ve dreamed of the man I’d marry and all the wonderful things he’d be. Like most, the first thing I thought about is what he’d look like. He’d be tall and handsome with bulging arm muscles. He’d walk into a room with confidence oozing out of his every pore and instantly own the room. His smile would light up his face and have the ability to make others feel happy too.
Beyond his appearance, I also gave a lot of thought to what qualities I felt were most important in a man. I wished he’d be protective and treat me like the most precious thing in the world. I wanted to be as vital to him as the air he breathes for his survival. I also wished he’d be possessive and puff his chest out when any other man came near me, then pull me over and stake his claim by wrapping his arms around me and laying a sizzling kiss on my lips.
Congratulations, Rori. You successfully manifested everything you wanted in a man.
