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His face looked like he couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard. “You forgive me.”
“Yes,” I said.
His gaze roamed my face before he said, “You forgive me.”
“I’ll keep saying yes, no matter how many times you ask, Mr. Cross,” I laughed.
He crushed me against his chest before kissing me hard on the mouth. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said. “I’m sorry for what Eloise did to you and that it looked like I was doing the same thing.”
“It didn’t,” he said. “You were perfect and did nothing wrong. This was all me and my stupid past trauma. And I was the one who fell into the same pattern. I pushed you to break the rules by giving me your cell number, and I didn’t object when you didn’t want to book through the agency. I knew I was doing what I’d done before, but,” he paused, “it didn’t feel the same. You’re different from Eloise, and I’ve always known that, but I let my emotions get the best of me on Friday night.”
“What she did to you was awful.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed him hard. “I understand why you felt the way you did, honey. I would have been suspicious, too. I want you to know that the reason I asked if you would do an overnight booking is because my mom is in the hospital and my dad had to quit his job, so they needed more money from me. That’s why I -”
“You don’t have to explain, baby,” he said.
I rested my head on his chest. “I want a real relationship with you, Deacon. No more agency bookings.”
“I want that too,” he said.
“Thank God because I quit the agency two weeks ago,” I said with a small grin.
“And now you work at the Lobster Shack,” Deacon said.
“I did,” I said. “I got laid off tonight.”
“I can’t even pretend to be sad about that. Not because I’m judging you,” he said hastily, “but because I want you all to myself on the evenings and weekends.”
I smoothed my hand over his broad chest. “I want that, too, but I have to find another part-time job. Hopefully, this one won’t be six nights a week like the Lobster Shack, but if it is, I’ll figure out how to make it work. I’m sure we’ll have a few hours on the weekend, and I could meet you for lunch once or twice during the week.”
He stared silently at me, and I said, “I know it’s not ideal, but my parents need my help.”
“You could get a second job,” he said, “or you could let me pay for your mother’s medical bills.”
“What? No,” I said. “No, absolutely not, Deacon.”
He brushed his mouth against mine, flicking his tongue against my tender bottom lip. I parted my mouth, moaning happily when he deepened the kiss. I clutched the front of his suit jacket, dragging him closer until I could press my breasts against his chest. “Let’s go to bed, Deacon.”
“Soon,” he said. “But first, I want you to be my good girl and say yes to me helping your parents.”
My urge to please him, earn his praise, and know that I was his good girl nearly made me say yes. I pushed away from him, giving him a scowl. “Don’t use my kink against me, Deacon.”
He grinned shamelessly at me. “Is it working?”
“No,” I lied.
“It almost worked, right?” he said with another cocky grin.
“You are the worst,” I said.
He reached out and tugged me close, cupping my ass and giving it a hard squeeze. “You love me even if I am the worst.”
“I do love you and want to be your good girl, but I don’t want to remind you of Eloise or make you think that I’m only with you because of your money.”
“I want to do this for you, baby,” he said, that cocky grin fading. “I want to do this for us. Truthfully, this offer is motivated by selfishness. If I’m helping with your mother’s medical bills, then I get to have you in my arms every night. I don’t like to share, baby, not even with the Lobster Shack.”
“Fired from the Lobster Shack, remember?” I said.
