Page 272 of Power Play

The old version of me reacted before I could stop her.

What would my father see? Who would tell my mother? What if somebody posted it? What if people talked?

Then I looked at Ryan.

He had spent weeks refusing to let me hide behind what everybody else might think. He had given me his home, books, history, and far too much of his heart for me to keep pretending I didn’t understand what he was asking.

“You want me there publicly as your girlfriend.”

Ryan went still. “Yeah.”

The answer was quiet.

“I want you there as my girl. I don’t want you sitting with everybody and pretending you’re merely part of the group because a camera might catch you.”

My pulse jumped, but the panic didn’t take control.

“I’ll be there as your girlfriend.”

Ryan searched my face as if he expected me to take it back.

“If somebody takes a picture of me with you, they take a picture.”

His expression changed.

“If Frost posts us, they post us.”

“And if somebody asks who you are?”

I touched the ink over his chest. “You tell them.”

Something in his face nearly broke me.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Charm.”

“I’m sure.”

His arm tightened and pulled me closer. I kissed his chest before looking up again.

“We can leave Thanksgiving early.”

Ryan’s eyebrows lifted. “What?”

“I told my mother we would come. I didn’t agree to surrender the entire night.”

His mouth started to curve.

“We go to dinner, and we behave.”

“That sounds ambitious.”

“You behave.”

“That sounds less realistic.”