Page 79 of Double or Nothing

“I am.” I sigh. “Along with the show this weekend, the Sapphire offered me a residency at House of Cards.”

“You’re staying in Vegas?”

“I haven’t given Jack an answer yet.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t know where things were going with us. Hell, if there was even a chance of there being an ‘us’ again.” She turns her head, her eyes filled with questions. “Kat, I have no desire to be back in Vegas, but if I have a shot with you, then hell yes, I’ll stay.”

“If not?”

I shrug. “I go back to New York, start touring again.”

She lets the bomb I dropped on her settle over her.

“What about your dad?”

Of all the questions she could have asked me, all the things she could have said, that’s not what I was expecting, not at this moment.

“What about him?”

“Your dad is the reason you were so desperate to leave Vegas and a huge part of what tore us apart. What happens if you can’t handle being back? If you can’t handle dealing with him?”

“I can.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?”

She looks at me confused.

“I saw my dad, and it sucked, but I’m still here and I’m not afraid of him anymore,” I tell her, hoping to ease some of her own fears. Legit fears she has every right to have. “More importantly, I realized something. You are way more important than my fear of him ever was. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize, but I have, and I want to make things right.”

“This is a lot to take in.” Pulling her hands out of my hold, she moves to stand before the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the Vegas lights.

“It is, and I don’t need an answer right now.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a but in there?”

“I have to give Jack my decision before I leave town.”

Her shoulders sag. “You’re not giving me a lot of time here, Sutton.”

“We have a week, and you’re supposed to be at my beck and call, right?” I give her a sly smile. “Spend the week with me. We already know how great we are at some things.” I glance back toward the bedroom. “Give me a chance to remind you how great we are at everything else.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course.” I stand behind her, resting my hands on her hips. “We can watch a movie, relax…”

Kat turns in my arms. “Alone, Sutton. I need some time alone to sort through… everything.”

What am I supposed to say? She needs time, deserves it, but fuck if I want to give it to her. A small part of me had hoped she would just say yes. Everything I professed, every apology I made, I thought it meant more than it obviously did. I do my best to shake off the sting of her saying she needs to think about it. Last time, I let it get the best of me, which is what got us here.

Nodding in agreement, I stand patiently in the bedroom doorway while she dresses, keeping my stupid mouth shut, so I don’t say something stupid that will end up making the decision for her. Fighting is a bad habit I picked up from my parents. As much as I hate it, at least I didn’t inherit the violent parts, except if some guy has his hands on Kat. My Kat.

She walks past me to the couch and picks up her purse.

“Sut, you okay?”

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