Page 134 of Our Chaotic Love Affair

The DJ put on an old school Nelly song. The girls and I screamed and put our asses into it. Dropping it like it was hot and bumping booties while laughing our butts off. I was laughing so hard my face hurt.

Then Cash was there. He moved behind me, his hands going to my hips and swaying with the music.

I did my thing, using my God-given curves to rock his world. What I wasn’t expecting was his own skills on the dance floor.

“You have moves,” I said breathlessly. “You never mentioned you could dance.”

“I have many secrets.”

“Apparently.”

The music shifted into something slower. He adjusted his grip, one hand firm on my waist, the other holding mine against his chest. Our bodies were pressed together. We swayed back and forth.

“I need to tell you something,” he said.

My stomach flipped. “Okay.”

“I was an ass when I gave you the ring back in Rome.”

I blinked. “It’s fine.”

“No it isn’t.” He looked at me, letting me see his regret. “I was impulsive. I thought I was making the right call, protecting you from the mess I’d created. I wanted to keep you out of the media circus and all the bullshit that comes with being associated with my family. I regretted it the second you walked away.”

“Then why didn’t you say something?”

“Pride, mostly. Fear.” He pulled me closer. “I was too proud to admit I’d made a mistake. Too scared to admit that walking away from you felt like cutting off a limb. I convinced myself you’d be better off without me.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

He smiled. “I’m starting to realize that.”

We turned in a slow circle. Around us, other couples danced. The ocean whispered behind us. The tent glowed with a thousand tiny lights.

“There was never any fallout,” I said. “I kept waiting for it.”

“I handled it,” he said.

“Do I even want to know?”

“I know people. I’ve rarely if ever cashed in on any of the multitude of favors owed to me.”

“Thanks for shielding me.”

“It was my fault. There will probably be a stray article or two, but I think we’re far too boring.”

“Yay for being boring.”

“I have a whole year ahead of me,” Cash said quietly. “A sabbatical. No plans. No agenda. Just possibilities.”

“That sounds terrifying for you.”

“It is.” He looked at me. “But there’s one possibility—out of all the millions—that I’m hoping comes to fruition.”

My breath caught. “And what might that be?”

“You,” he said simply.

The word just kind of hung between us. Like I was supposed to reach out and grab it. But I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He had stunned me into complete silence.