Page 141 of Doughn't Let Me Go

I hate that he does it.

It reminds me of the first night we met.

The night that was just supposed to be one night. The one that started all this heartache.

“Mel isn’t here to help me move back to California, Dory.”

“But I heard her—I heard Fran. They mentioned a move several times.”

He drops his hand, piercing me with those eyes again. “The move, as in the company moving over to different hands.”

I pull my brows together. “I don’t get it. I’m not understanding what you’re trying to say here.”

“I’m not going back to California. Mel is here to take control of the company.”

My mouth drops open, stunned.

“She… She’s… What? Since when?”

“Since I fell for you. I couldn’t leave you. I couldn’t walk away from this, fromus.I don’t want to go back to California. I want to stay here, with you.”

With me?

Oh god.He’s giving up his company for me.

Forthis.

“Are you insane?”

“Possibly.”

“No.” I shake my head. “No, Porter. No. You can’t give your company up for me.”

“It’s not just for you. It’s for me too. I’ve been running myself ragged for years. I didn’t even realize how out of control my need for control was until I met you, didn’t get how much I was pushing away, how much I was retreating. I came out here to find a new life…and I did.” He steps toward me again, grasping my chin between his forefinger and thumb. “I found you.”

His eyes fall to my lips as his thumb traces over the bottom one.

“You can’t do this, Porter.”

“I already did.”

“You didn’t even think this through.”

“If you believe I didn’t sit down and make a pros and cons list, you’re nuts.”

“Porter…”

“Pro: You’re here. Pro: I’m happy here. Pro: Kyrie’s happy here. Pro: My friends are here. Pro: The cost of living is cheaper here.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re a billionaire. That’s not a real pro.”

“Multimillionaire, and it is too.” His thumb grazes my lip again, his eyes holding steady with my own, a fire churning in them. “I made an extensive list. I was very thorough. There was only one thing wrong with it.”

“What.” It comes out a pant, not a question.

“I couldn’t find a single con.”

His thumb presses into my lip gently, and I couldn’t look away from him right now if I tried.

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