Page 58 of Caught Stealing

I take a deep breath and head back into the lounge. Lottie is staring down at the field, watching them begin the cleanup process.

“Ready, sweetness?” I ask while holding the door open. She turns around and gives me that beautiful, sunny smile of hers.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” She extends her hand as she approaches, so I take it and lead her toward the employee parking lot.

“I brought my bike. Did you want to ride or take your car?”

“Mmm, do you have another helmet? You said you didn’t the last time.” There’s a little flicker of hope in her eyes. I don’t feel too bad admitting that I got another helmet the day after the beach trip.

“I have another, yes.”

She chews her bottom lip and I have to look away or risk throwing all caution to the wind and kissing her again. Self control, Rossi. You used to have that in spades, so now is a good time to remember to use it.

“I guess I trust you,” she admits.

“You guess?” I quirk an eyebrow up and slow at the exit.

“I’ve never seen you ride, so I don’t have much information with which to develop an opinion, but going from what I have seen of your character, I think I can trust you, yes.”

Well, that’s something. Maybe it’s enough for her to agree to hanging out with the team. “By the way, Koa invited us to the after party at The Salty Dog, but it’s up to you. I’m completely content to go find ice cream and relax with you if you’d rather do that.”

And the light in her eyes dies a tragic and painful death. It’s just…gone. I’ve put her in a hard spot, and I’m not sure if I can backpedal enough to right the ship I have so gallantly tossed into a hurricane.

“Lottie, we don’t have to if you’d rather not.” I brush my thumb over her knuckles. “I promise you, I will not be upset or offended if you don’t want to hang out with my friends right now.”

“Do you want me to go?” Her gaze locks on mine and I realize that question runs so much deeper than it first seems. Yes, I want her to go, but why does it feel as if the answer to this simple question will make or break that trust she handed over to me? What is the right answer here? I think I know, and if I’m right, it has a lot to do with whether or not I want her there with other women around.

“I want to spend time with you, wherever you want to go. I’m not ashamed to admit I’d like to show you to the world, but I’m also content as can be to keep you to myself.” This sounds as if I’ve already claimed her as my girlfriend when all we are is friends with a tentative agreement to see what happens. I judge by her frown this was the wrong answer, but I’m in a game without a rule book here. I don’t know what she wants or how to navigate this situation.

And I can’t help feeling like I’m paying for someone else’s mistake.

And that maybe that’s the right thing to say…with some adjustments for tact, of course.

She’s struggling with her decision, chewing her lip with a level of frustration that’s going to leave a mark if she doesn’t let it go. Despite my slight annoyance—because let’s be honest, no one wants to pay the price for another man’s misstep—I recommit to proving that she can trust me. I’m as worthy of it as she is of my patience.

I slide my hand up her arm and cup her cheek, forcing her closer to me. “Lottie, I want to introduce you to all of my friends because I care about you. It might make you uncomfortable at first, but I’ll be right with you. Most importantly, I need you to hear me when I say I am not him. I will never be him. I hate men like him, and what he did to you makes me sick to think about. Whether we work out as a couple or not has no bearing on my morals that begin and end with absolute faithfulness to the person I am in a relationship with, and make no mistake, Lottie, whether it is official or not, I am committed to you now and for as long as you want.”

She swallows and blinks back tears. “But I’m not your girlfriend. We’re not official, so you can technically do whatever you want.”

“Technically, so can you, but I trust you when you say you want to see how this goes. To me, seeing how it goes means we put full effort into every stage, even if it is only a baby step. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

She blinks again. “Uh…” Her breathy response is a stall. “That…you don’t want to see anyone else while we’re seeing how it goes?”

I snicker and cup her other cheek, drawing her nearer. “Darling, I don’t want to see anyone else, period. I want you, and I’m willing to wait for you as long as the reason we’re on pause is for your healing heart and not because you’re waiting to see if I fail you the way he did.”

She nods slightly. “Okay.” A few of those tears slip free and instinct kicks in. I brush them away and lean in to kiss her forehead. She melts against me and we fall into a hug, one she seems to sorely need. “We can go,” she mumbles against my shirt.

“For ice cream or with the team?”

“With the team.” Another mumble.

I initiate a break in our hug so I can be sure she’s truly comfortable. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. You’re right in what you said. I have been comparing too many things when, for the most part, people are all different. There’s no reason to believe this will turn out the same way my last relationship did.”

“Still up for a ride?” I raise my eyebrow once more.

She pops out that sunny smile again and I know things might be all right. “I am.”

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