Page 119 of His Surrender

Dean disappears to the restroom while I wait near the bar.

I order sparkling water and lean against the railing, taking in the view.

“It’s even prettier from up here.”

I glance over. A man about my age smiles warmly.

“It is,” I admit.

“You from New York?”

I nod my head.

He extends his hand. “I’m Evan.”

Before I can answer, another voice cuts in, “You ready to go, baby?”

My heart immediately recognizes it.

Dean.

He steps beside me, one hand settling lightly against the small of my back.

Evan glances between us. “Oh.”

Dean smiles politely. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“I was actually just leaving.”

Evan offers me one last smile before disappearing back into the crowd.

I look up at Dean. “You were gone for two minutes.”

“So it would seem.” His tone is calm, but there’s something mixed with it.

“You okay?” I ask.

“I’m fine.” He flags down the bartender. “Can we get the check?”

I blink. “We’re leaving?”

“I think we’ve had a nice night.”

There’s something different in his voice. It’s not angry, but something tighter.

The bartender hands him the bill. Dean signs it without even looking at the total before pulling out his phone.

“My driver’s downstairs.”

“You already called him?”

He nods. “I just texted him.”

I slip my hand into his as we walk toward the elevator. The entire ride downstairs, he’s unusually quiet.

The car is already waiting at the curb.

The moment we’re inside, Dean presses the privacy partition button. The glass rises smoothly between us and the driver.