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“Hang on,” he interrupted. “I have something to say too.”
She frowned. “Okay.”
“If I’d realized how you would feel waking up alone like that, I never would have left. I know you don’t trust easily, and I realize that you like being in control and believe me,” he said sincerely. “Getting you to let go and let me close like that was…” He blew out a breath, finding it difficult to pick the right words. “Humbling,” he finally said. “I didnottake that for granted and I’m sorry I left you that morning. For lots of reasons. For making you feel anxious and like I didn’t listen. But also because I wanted to wake up with you and spend the day with you. I am sorry for not waking you up andtalkingto you. Because even though these past two months have been like they used to be between us, I haven’t liked not talking to you and being closer to you.”
She was staring at him, her mouth open.
So he went on. “I need to know what you want from me with this trip. If you just need a friend so you’re not alone with this Mark, I can do that. If you need me to pretend to be more than that so he’llreallyback off, I can do that. If you want me to just drop you off for work and then pick you up after, I can also do that. But, considering…everything, I thought it would be good to put it out there how this is going to go.”
She had been back to Autre five times since their night together. He’d seen her every time and he’d wanted to talk to her, touch her, ask her how she was. But he’d held back. Given her space. Let her decide how things would be between them.
But in spite of basically leaving her alone he was completely twisted up over her.
He’d finally had to admit it to himself on Thanksgiving.
That was one of the times he’d expected to see her in Autre, and she hadn’t been here.
And it had killed him not knowing where she was and if she was in New York with her family, and if so, was she happy? Were they being good to her? Or was she alone somewhere? And if so, was shelonely? And the idea that she might be lonely and sad had gutted him.
So when Becca had mentioned Savannah spending Christmas alone at a B&B in North Carolina, he’d known immediately that he was going. Whatever that meant, and however Savannah wanted that to play out.
Now she was squeezing her arms against her stomach. She nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”
Theo tucked his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “Okay. So…you’re calling the shots.” She should like that. She did like being in control.
Which was what made getting her to turn that control over to him so fucking hot and so much fun…
Theo shut those thoughts down and made himself focus on her and just wait for her response.
Savannah wet her lips and he made himself tear his gaze from them and meet her eyes.
“I don’t want to be alone with Mark,” she said. “So, if you don’t mind staying around for things like the tour of the property and dinner and things like that, I’d appreciate it. I’ll pay for your room and your plane ticket and everything.”
He felt relief rush through him. “I’ll definitely stay,” he said. “But you don’t have to pay.”
“Of course, I do,” she said with a little frown. “You wouldn’t be staying at the inn orflyingto North Carolina if it wasn’t for this.”
Theo thought about his next move and next words for about one second. Part of his brain tried to tell him it was a bad idea, but turned out, he was getting better and better at shutting off the practical part of his brain.
“We don’t need a second room though,” he said. “We’ll need to be in the same one.”
Her eyes went wide.
“I mean, if you want Mark to back off, you’ll want to sell him on the idea that you’re taken.” He took a step forward. “And if I’m traveling with my girlfriend, we’re definitely sharing a bed.”
She swallowed hard. “You don’t have to play my boyfriend. I just need youaroundso he can’t get me alone.”
Theo wanted to getMarkalone. He needed to make Mark understand a couple of things about how he treated women. Savannah in particular, but all women.
“So what’s our story? I’m your friend and we’re on our way to my parents’ house for Christmas after this stop?” Obviously they could go with that. That was kind of the truth. “Or I’m your brother? Cousin? Intern?”
She rolled her eyes. “I suppose we could do the friend thing…” Then she sighed. “Yeah, I guess boyfriend is the easiest. It’s to the point and doesn’t need a big backstory or explanation of why I’m spending the holiday with your family if I’m just a friend.” She nodded. “A boyfriend should keep Mark focused on business only.”
“It will definitely make it easier to explain why your nipples get hard whenever I’m around.”
It was kind of a dick move, but his eyes dropped to her chest. Where her nipples had been prominent this entire time.
She didn’t move to cover them. Theo fought a smile. He loved her fuck-off energy so damned much.Thiswas how to get them back on the right foot.
