Page 94 of Say You Remember Me
My heart gave a little flutter. “That’s really sweet of you to watch out for us,” I said, softly.
With his gaze steady on mine, he sincerely said, “I can’t really help it now.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest, spreading to my toes. There was something so deeply comforting about knowing someone was looking out for me—really looking out for me—not because they had to, but because they wanted to. It was a feeling I wasn’t used to, and I didn’t quite know what to do with it.
I peeked my head into his room, eyeing the modest layout. “How does it feel to be in a regular room? Must be quite the downsize from the suites you’re used to.”
He chuckled. “It’s just fine,” he said, crossing his arms in a way that emphasized his muscular forearms. “I’m really not as high maintenance as you think.”
“Good to know.” I turned toward the open door that connected our rooms, gesturing toward mine. “I should probably head back,” I said reluctantly. “It’s late, and I should get some sleep.”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice low and steady. “You probably should.” But his eyes lingered on me, a glimmer of something unspoken making it clear he wasn’t quite ready to let me go.
So, needing to fill the silence—and maybe delay leaving—I asked, “Do you really think those fancy dresses will be okay in your trunk tonight?”
“Yeah,” he murmured as he stepped closer, his gaze flicking to my lips before returning to my eyes. “I think they’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” I pressed, my pulse quickening from the way he was looking at me, the way the air seemed to thrum between us. “I mean, what if someone sees your fancy car in the parking lot and gets the idea that there might be some really fancy things inside to steal?”
“I’m not worried about it.” He sounded calm, sure.
“You’re positive?” I asked, my voice wavering slightly as his nearness sent a rush of heat through me.
“The most precious cargo is already safe inside the hotel, staying in the room next to me tonight.”
For a moment, I was speechless. My breath hitched, and my mind raced for a response, but before I could find one, he winked. “And his mom is pretty cute, too.”
It took me a second to catch on, and when I did, I swatted his arm, laughing despite myself. “And here I was thinking you were talking about me!”
“Of course I was talking about you.” He chuckled. “But yeah, your son seems pretty awesome, too.”
I smiled, warmth spreading through me. “Glad you think so.”
He nodded, his expression softening. “I do.”
He leaned in closer, and for a heartbeat, I thought he might kiss me. But instead of pressing his lips to mine like I hoped, he brushed a featherlight kiss against my cheek.
Then, resting his forehead against mine, his breath warm and minty against my nose, he mumbled, “This is probably breaking some sort of rule we didn’t talk about when we started this whole thing, but…I like you, Maddie.” He sighed as he lifted a hand to brush his thumb over my cheek. “Probably way more than I should.”
And despite all the misgivings I’d had last night and this morning—the worries that I might just be another fleeting chapter in his long history of conquests…I believed him. I really did.
The sincerity in his tone, the look in his deep brown eyes—it made my heart ache in a way I couldn’t explain.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” I admitted, my voice trembling as I let out a shaky breath. “Just this morning, I was so determined to stop all the…flirty vibes between us. To keep things professional. To forget everything that happened this week because I didn’t want any messiness or drama in my life. But…” My breath caught, and I shook my head. “I’m not sure I actually want to forget everything.”
The air between us thickened, charged with an electricity that felt almost tangible. His lips brushed my cheek again, featherlight and gentle, and then my forehead, lingering just long enough to make my heart constrict. The tenderness of histouch unraveled me, thread by thread, making me feel cherished in a way I hadn’t in years. When his lips moved to my temple and then to my other cheek, each kiss was deliberate, reverent, leaving me breathless and trembling.
“You make it impossible not to fall for you,” he murmured roughly, the words grazing my skin like a promise.
The sincerity in his tone, the way his deep brown eyes held mine as though I was the only thing he saw—it sent a deep pang through my chest. I felt like I was standing on the edge of something monumental, something I wasn’t sure I was ready for but desperately wanted to leap into anyway.
How was it possible that he was even real? That this man, who had once been infamous for his fleeting romances and trail of broken hearts, now held me as though I was the most precious thing in the world.
Logic told me it was too good to be true, that I should guard my heart because once he’d had his fill, he’d move on like he always had.
But the way he was looking at me, the way he touched me—it didn’t feel like the man from the headlines. It felt like someone entirely different. Someone who wanted more than just a fleeting moment.
Someone who maybe, just maybe, might even wantforever.
