Page 26 of Saved from Obsession

“I pushed her away,” I admitted. “I thought I was doing the right thing, but I hurt her. And I want to see if she’ll give me another chance. But I’m loyal to you, and Blade and Arrow—I don’t want to do anything to compromise our team, either.”

Cole went silent for a few seconds, his brow furrowing as he looked at me. Even after all the years of knowing him, I couldn’t tell what his reaction would be. Would I be forced to decide between pursuing the woman I think I’m falling for or letting her go for the good of the team?

Then he smiled, and I knew what his answer would be. “Leo, I’ve known you for a long time, and I trust you implicitly. If you say you can protect Georgia to the same standard while you’re dating her, I believe you.”

“I can.” My words vibrated with feeling. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“Then you have my blessing. Rules don’t have to be black or white. Sometimes we have to live in shades of gray.” His eyes crinkled, smile broadening. “And I’m happy for you, Leo. Georgia’s a special woman, and I think she’s just what you need.”

I dipped my head at him. “I hope she thinks so, too.”

“Maybe she’s still awake,” Cole suggested. “There’s no time like the present to beg for forgiveness.”

Which is how I ended up here, standing in the doorway of Georgia’s bedroom, desperately hoping she’ll listen to me.

She’s staring at me from the bed, her brows arching into a confused little V. “Leo?”

Right. I’ve been hovering here while I debate what to say, letting the silence drag on much longer than I intended. I glance at the end of the bed and lift my eyebrows at her. “Can I?”

“Um.” Georgia’s gaze slides to the bed and then back at me, pressing her lips together tightly. “Okay.”

The vise around my chest loosens by a twist. I still have a long way to go, but this is at least the first step. Crossing the room, I sit on the opposite end of the bed from Georgia. Now that I’m closer to her, I can’t miss the wounded look on her face, no matter how hard she tries to disguise it.

As I inspect her face, the dark smudges under her eyes have me asking, “Did you get any sleep?”

She pauses, then admits in a quiet voice, “No. I kept having nightmares.”

My hand twitches, wanting to reach out and comfort her. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Georgia blinks at me. “It’s not your fault.”

I can’t help feeling like it kind of is. Any other night, we would have had dinner together, played a game, talked until she was nodding off to sleep. She would have gone to bed relaxed and comfortable, instead of sitting up here for hours on her own.

Did she even eat? Not likely, since I would have seen her come down to the kitchen. Dammit. Another reason to be angry with myself.

“Georgia.” I lean forward and capture her gaze. “I’m sorry. About earlier.”

She flinches, her jaw tightening. After a second, she says, “No. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. If anyone should apologize, it’s me.”

I’m shaking my head before she stops speaking. “No, I handled it all wrong. I—”

“Please, Leo.” Her gaze skitters away, skipping across the room but refusing to land on me. “We don’t need to go through this again. I made a mistake, and I… I put you in an uncomfortable situation. I’m hoping… maybe we can forget it happened?”

Ouch. Each word is another punch to the chest. “I don’twantto forget it.“ My voice comes out rough and urgent. All my thoughts of giving Georgia space disappear as I move up the bed to sit next to her. I tip her chin toward me with a finger, meeting her miserable gaze.

“Listen to me. That kiss was—it was incredible. I haven’t stopped thinking about it all night. You definitely didnotmake a mistake. I’m the one who screwed up.”

Georgia’s face pinches in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” I explain, holding her gaze with mine. “We have a rule, no relationships with clients—it’s supposed to ensure that we don’t get distracted and compromise the level of protection.”

“I’m sorry—“ Georgia starts, but I touch my finger gently to her lips.

“Stop apologizing.” My finger traces along her soft lower lip. “You were showing me what you wanted, and I wanted it, too. I want you, Georgia. I have since the moment I saw you.”

“I’ve been denying the truth to myself because I thought following the rules would keep you safe. And I didn’t want to take advantage of you when you’ve been through so much. But I realized some things tonight, and I don’t want to deny how I feel about you anymore.”

“Howdoyou feel?“ It’s barely a whisper.

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