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My hands ball into fists.
“He told you that to your face?”
“Yeah. At least he had the courtesy to be honest, I guess.” She nods. “I should have seen it coming. His family owns PackRat Post.” Her eyes are bright and glassy as she takes another sip of wine and places her glass on the table. “They’re successful people. They’re doing well for themselves. They’re not struggling. So, yeah, why would he want to be tied down with someone like me?”
“Because that’s bullshit,” I throw back, waiting for her to look at me.
“…is it?” She links her fingers together. “He was nice enough and understanding when I first took over the Sugar Bowl. But he realized fast that I didn’t know what I was doing. I was always tight on cash and… and he’s older than me, Dex. He wanted someone at his level or maybe just a trophy wife—who knows—but it’s all the same. The point is, he didn’t wantme.”
Shit.
The roughness in her voice, the way she almost breaks when she says it, cuts me open.
I make a mental note to blacklist this company from ever working with Higher Ends. I don’t care what kind of bullshit excuse my brothers need.
“Listen,” I say, taking her hands and pulling them to my lips. Fuck the lobster—it can wait. I need her to know what I see right now. “Youaresuccessful. You’re a brilliant young woman with an established business. You’re running in the red. You manage with a skeleton crew and your own wits.”
“Thanks, I think.” She smiles weakly. “You just seem so capable, and I—”
“I’m thirty-two, sweetheart. I’ve been doing this shit for years with two and a half times the brainpower because Patton’s a half-wit.” She giggles at that, never mind the fact that I’m not joking. I squeeze her hands, wishing like hell I could find the right words to tell her what she means to me. “Last I checked, the Sugar Bowl isn’t a flaming wreck.”
“Not yet, anyway. Mostly thanks to you.”
“Thanks toyou.” I stand up, circle the table, and pull her into my arms. “Do you really think I could convince Forrest Haute by myself? Without you, my name would be fucking mud in this industry.”
With a heavy sigh, she rests her head against my shoulder and spears my heart.
“I don’t know,” she whispers. “You might have been able to do it with another bakery.”
“Like hell. I’ve never heard Haute rave about anything like he does your stuff. Did I tell you he thanked me for twenty minutes for sending a box down to him in Florida?” I tighten my arms around her. “You’re the reason this whole thing is possible.”
She finally looks up with a warmth that tells me my words are getting through.
“Yeah? Well, thanks, Dex.”
I hold her for a few heartbeats longer, sorting through everything she said, letting my body settle down without a prayer of really settling.
I can’t decide if I want to kiss her or run downstairs and beat my arms numb, but right now I need control.
“Is this why you fought my proposal so hard?” I ease her back, tipping her chin up so she meets my gaze.
Those jade-green eyes sparkle like a summer day, but her eyelashes are wet. The rage in the pit of my stomach flares, but I don’t let her see any of it on my face.
I don’t let her see anything except how precious she is.
“Part of the reason, when you first asked,” she says softly. “I just… I didn’t want to be anybody’s backup or a big disappointment to Nana. Not until I had time to process.”
“Fucking hell, Junie. Is that what you think you are?” I smooth my thumb across her cheeks, erasing the tears and hating every poison memory that’s made her feel less worthy and beautiful than she truly is. “I’m only going to say this once—you arenota fucking backup.”
Her nostrils flare.
She presses her lips together, shaking her head like she doesn’t have any words left.
Hell, neither do I, not when I have a broken angel in my arms and I’ll spend all night holding her wings together if I need to.
So I let temptation lead the way.
I push my forehead to hers, inhale her, and kiss her like a man possessed.
