Page 52 of Lush

My heart pounded; I inched closer, watching him.

Reese’s eyes glinted dangerously as he offered me cake. He fed me, his fingers brushing my lips. The sweetness of the cake exploded on my tongue, with the tingle of his touch left behind.

“See? Not so bad, right?” he murmured, his voice smooth and rich, almost a purr. I felt challenged by his words, my pulse racing.

“Not bad at all.”

It was actually fun tasting cakes. I reached for another cake, vanilla this time, and cautiously took a bite, trying to get rid of butterflies in my belly. It wasn’t the same as when he fed me.

“It’s good,” I murmured.

He nodded, his lips twisting. “Yeah, not bad.”

I caught the look on his face and shook my head, a small laugh slipping out before I could stop it.

“You hate vanilla.”

Reese paused. “I didn’t think you’d remembered that.”

“I didn’t forget. Don’t just settle for the first one.” I pulled the plate away from him.

He couldn’t hide the smile. “I figure if we settle on the first one, we can avoid trying all the flavors and get the hell out of here.”

“And what? Have this cake stuck in our freezer forever?”

I almost forgot we wouldn’t have a real marriage.

We weren’t gonna spendyearstogether. I was focused on getting my money. And leaving Reese behind. But it was nice to have a light moment, forget about life or death, or that blackmailer maybe watching.

“Now that you put it like that…this shit is awful.” Reese chuckled warmly and genuinely.

We moved on to the next cake—a rich chocolate ganache. He gave me another bite, and his fingers lingered on my face a bit too long. We tried a few more flavors—lemon chiffon with blueberry compote, red velvet with cream cheese frosting—each one delicious, and slowly I found myself relaxing as conversation between us flowed.

The planner returned with her clipboard. “So, which was your fav?”

Reese was lost in thought, slowly licking the lingering cake off his spoon. That sight gave me goosebumps in a good way.

“Can you give us a moment?” I waited till she left, but Reese spoke before I could.

“I need to apologize for everything I said at the yacht club,” he began. “You were right. It’s not something to just rush into without a plan. I’m sorry.”

“You must be really terrified Erik’s gonna kick your ass.”

Reese snorted. “I think he’s the only one in town who could.”

“I’m sorry too,” I said softly, my fingers tracing the edge of my glass. The words felt strange in my mouth, foreign. “I shouldn’t have said…what I said before. It wasn’t fair.”

I peeked at him. For a second, Reese didn’t say a word; his face gave nothing away. The silence stretched between us, and I almost wished he’d interrupt, save me from the rawness of the moment.

But he didn’t.

I had to say this.

“I know we used to talk about leaving it all behind, but I lied to you. I lied about wanting to start over. Deep down, I liked how safe I was, how everything made sense. I thought it would be easy—letting you handle telling Mama I wouldn’t marry Conrad.” Though my voice shook, I continued. This was the truth. I’d avoided it too long.

“It wasn’t easy. I didn’t want to give all that up. When she stared me down in that room, I caved. I gave in so fucking easy. I wasn’t as brave as you.” I swallowed hard, the weight of it pressing down. “I didn’t realize until Paris what it truly means to stand on your own. I thought leaving was easier, but it wasn’t. Not for me. And certainly not for you.”

I breathed shakily. “You deserved so much more and someone who stayed. I’m sorry I caused you to suffer because I only cared about saving myself. I know we have to do this arranged marriage, but I hope you find someone who helps you carry the weight. I’ll make sure you’re vindicated after. I’ll tell the truth.”

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