Page 112 of Miss Trust

His hand grasped mine. “Dammit. I didn’t do anything with them. I didn’t even want to. And telling you about the women is just one of the ways I’m terrible at this.”

“At what?”

“A relationship.”

I struggled for words. “We don’t have a relationship, Chance. Hell, you didn’t even want to take your trip without first ensuring you called off our exclusivity.”

“I didn’t call it off. You did.”

“You brought it up, so I asked if you wanted out. You didn’t exactly say no.”

“Neither did you. I even told you I missed you, and you had no reply. I was trying to see how you felt about me.”

Anger clouded my vision. “So what? You were testing me?”

“In a way, yes.”

“Terrific. Guess I failed without even knowing.” I turned to leave, but his words stopped me in my tracks.

“I’m in love with you.”

I swung around to face him. “Wh-at?”

“I expected you to put it on the line the other night, but I wasn’t willing to do the same. But I am now. I love you, Victoria, probably from the first time I met you when you basically told me to fuck right off. And I could give you some lame promise about how I’ll change my ways, but I won’t ever lie to you. It’s probably my single redeeming quality, which means I won’t ever deserve you. You or Penny. I’ve been selfish most of my life, and clearly, my communication skills need work. In my defense, though, I’ve never done a relationship, which is why I fucked things up the other night and probably will again. But what I do promise is there will never be a day you don’t know how much I fiercely love you and your daughter. How important you both are to my life. How I’d give up every other thing if it means your happiness. You said you had me in Vegas, and it’s the first time I’ve ever wanted that. Realized how much I needed it.”

I wasn’t a crier, and yet the hot tears tracking down my face said otherwise.

“Say something,” he beseeched.

“You’re an asshole.” There was absolutely no heat to my words. If anything, I’d made the word asshole a term of endearment.

He proved as much by grinning at my words. Stepping closer, he put his hand at my waist. “If you’ll have me, I’ll gladly be your asshole for life.”

Were there sweeter words? Probably. But we weren’t a sweet couple, and this wasn’t a fairy tale. Instead this was raw, real, and incredibly us.

“It’s not only me.” Which was the crux of my fear. My decisions affected my daughter. My relationships impacted her.

“No, it’s not. Which is why I’ve decided to dissolve all of my ties to the clubs in the Middle East. Hell, I’ll sell off all my strip clubs and nightclubs if it’s what you want. I’ll focus on real estate and be the most upstanding citizen and role model.”