Page 78 of Bragg's Love

I sit down across from her with my coffee. I’d rather sit next to her where I can smell her lavender scent, but we need to finish this conversation first.

“I want a relationship with you.” I want more. I want everything with her. But I need to start with baby steps. Eden is not merely skittish of a relationship. She’s genuinely terrified.

“As I explained, I don’t do relationships.”

“And I told you I’m not giving up.” I reach across the table to grasp her hand. “You called me your man last night for a reason.”

“Duh. Because Love Hill was being a skank.”

“And you were jealous.”

She scowls. “I wasn’t jealous. If you want to have sex with Love Hill, go ahead.”

She’d cut off my head and put it on a scarecrow in her garden if I fucked Love Hill and we both know it.

“I don’t want Love Hill. I want you.”

“And I don’t want to end up like my mom.” Her eyes widen and she yanks her hand from mine to slap it over her mouth.

I scooch my chair toward her until we’re sitting next to each other and pry her fingers from her mouth. “You’re not giving me a gift and then taking it back. I won’t allow you.”

“I didn’t give you a gift. Is there any wrapping paper?” She scans the room. “Nope. No gift.”

“Stop being cute.”

She grins. “I can’t help it. It’s natural.”

The woman is the queen of distraction. But I refuse to be led astray. Not when she just admitted something big to me.

“Why don’t you want to end up like your mom?”

She studies me. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope. I’m more tenacious than I am grumpy.”

“Shit. You’re already the king of grumpy.”

“And I’m more tenacious,” I repeat since it bears repeating. She needs to get it through her thick skull how I’m not giving up. I’m not giving up on her. I’m not letting her go. Ever.

I frame her face with my hands and lay my forehead against hers. “Whatever you say to me, stays with me. I will never reveal your secrets to anyone.”

She closes her eyes. “I know.”

“Then, tell me what’s holding you back. You know the two of us are dynamite in bed. Don’t you want to explore how great a relationship between us would be?”

Her eyes fly open. “Cocky.”

“Confident.”

“Fine.” She huffs. “I’ll explain myself and then you’ll understand why I can’t be in a relationship with you.”

I nod despite knowing whatever she says isn’t going to stop me from pursuing her.

“My mom was a broken woman who never got over the man she loved deserting her. I don’t want to become her.”

I frown. “Eden Spring, you will never be like your mom.”

“How do you know?”

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