Page 61 of Selfless

She sits up and crosses her legs in front of her. “What is it? Do you regret coming here?”

“What?” I sit up quickly. “No! Nothing to do with coming here. I’m glad we came here.”

She reaches out and runs her hand up and down my arm. “Me too. Thank you for this. It means so much to me.”

I grab her hand and bring it to my lips, softly kissing it. “I was serious.”

She tilts her head to the side. “About what?”

“You’re moving in with me,” I say, not wanting to put this conversation off any longer.

She pulls her hand from mine, and her head falls forward as she looks down at her legs. “I don’t think that’s a good idea …”

“We both said we were all in,” I remind her.

She looks up at me. “We did.”

“Then what’s the problem?” I ask.

She sighs and gets out of her bed. She starts pacing as she runs a hand through her blond hair. “Because words and actions are completely different things, Ryder.”

“So I tell you I love you, but you don’t believe I do?” I ask, slowly trying to figure out what she means.

“I believe it,” she growls, getting angry. “But if I give up my freedom …”“Freedom?” I ask, getting out of bed myself. “You feel you’ll be a prisoner if you move in with me?” I cross my arms over my chest.

She stops pacing, and she narrows her eyes at me. “You didn’t let me finish.”

“By all means.”

She looks at me for a few seconds and then turns away from me. “Never mind,” she mutters to herself, heading to her bedroom door.

“Oh, no!” I state and grab her upper arm, spinning her around. “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re gonna tell me.”

She sighs heavily as her eyes meet mine. “You walked out on me. I then found out I will be losing my job.” She brings up the one thing we haven’t talked about since we got back together, and I’m not sure what to tell her. “And now Becca is moving in with Jaycent. If I move in with you, what will I have left?”

I take a step into her. “You’re not losing your job,” I say, and it’s complete bullshit! We both know that, but it sounds good. We can work that out later. “And you’re not losing me.”

“You say that now.” She rolls her eyes.

“And I’ll keep saying it,” I assure her.

“Ryder, I—”

“Please,” I interrupt her. “Please move in with me.” I’m begging her ‘cause I know what will happen once we get back to New York. I’ll be working twenty-four seven and never see her. That company is gonna take all my time, and having her live with me is the only thing I care about right now. I want to know that when I walk in my door, no matter what time it is, she will be in my bed. Not across town or back here in Seattle. I need her, and that is me being selfish, but that’s the truth.

She slowly gives me a soft smile, and I almost fist pump the air. “What about Harry?” she asks.

“I love that little rat,” I say, and she laughs.

I pull her into me. “So ... yes? You’ll move in with me?” I ask, needing to hear her say the words as I run my hand through her hair.

“Yes.” She laughs. “I’ll move in with you.”

I bend down and pick her up before tossing her onto the bed. She laughs as I land on top of her. “This is insane,” she says.

“I know.” I have to agree with her but for different reasons. She thinks we’re moving too fast. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to find the one in a million. A woman who makes me feel like the king of the world. Her world.

**

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