Page 118 of Never To Be Mine

“I know it’s fast,” I continued, my voice rough with emotion. “I know we’ve only been together a few weeks. But I’ve never felt this way about anyone. You challenge me, you make me better, you make me want to be better. And when you told me we needed space, it felt like the world was ending.”

“Hollis.” Her voice came out as barely a whisper.

“I don’t expect you to say it back. I just needed you to know. I needed you to understand why I did what I did. It wasn’t just about saving the business. It was about proving to you that I’m serious. That you can count on me. I’m not going to bail when things get hard.”

She reached up and covered my hands with hers. “You really love me?”

“Yeah.” I smiled. It was the most vulnerable I’d ever been in my life. “I really do.”

“Good.” She sat forward and turned until her knees bumped mine. She leaned forward and kissed me softly. “Because I love you too.”

I pulled back just enough to look at her, my eyes searching hers. “You do?”

“I do. I think I have for a while, actually. I just didn’t want to admit it because it scared the hell out of me.” She laughed, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “I’ve spent so long putting business first, convincing myself that relationships were a distraction. But then you came along and turned everything upside down.”

“In a good way, obviously.”

Juno grinned. “In the best way.”

She kissed me again, deeper this time. I reached out and pulled her out of her chair and into my lap. It felt right. Perfect. Like coming home after a long journey.

When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing hard. I rested my forehead against hers, my heart pounding so fast it made me dizzy. “Stay tonight,” I murmured. “Stay every night.”

She smiled against my lips. “That’s a big ask after only three weeks.”

“I know. But I’m done pretending I don’t want everything with you.”

I melted into her, one arm wrapping around her waist to hold her steady in my lap, the other sliding up her back. For the first time in days, the knot in my chest finally loosened.

When we broke apart, I kept my eyes closed for a second, just breathing her in.

“I was so afraid I’d lost you,” I admitted, the words coming out quiet. “I kept thinking—what if she never looks at me the same way again? What if I actually broke this?”

She winced. “I’m sorry about that. About the way I said it.” She brushed her thumb along my jaw. I leaned into it like a man starved. “I was scared too. Everything was falling apart and I went into survival mode. Business mode. It’s my default when things get hard. I shut everything else out and just work the problem.”

“I know. I figured that out somewhere around hour six of wallowing.” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “For the record, you being willing to torch us to protect your company? That’s part of why I love you. You don’t do anything halfway.”

“Even when it hurts you?”

“Especially then. It means you’ll fight just as hard for me someday, if it ever comes to that.” I kissed the corner of her mouth. “I just hope it never does.”

She was quiet for a moment, her forehead resting against mine. “Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life,” she said softly. “I cried on my desk. Mascara-everywhere crying. Kari brought me a burrito.”

I laughed, the sound surprising both of us. “A burrito?”

“A very unhealthy burrito. It was my small act of rebellion.” She pulled back enough to look at me, and her smile turned sheepish. “And then I kept thinking about how I’d just thrown away the best thing that’s happened to me in years. Over a burger. A burger I also wanted to eat, by the way. All those memes made me crave one.”

“It wasn’t terrible,” I said with a laugh.

“I hated how I handled it,” she continued. “I should have told you what I was feeling instead of just pushing you out the door. I’m going to be bad at this sometimes. The relationship part. The vulnerability part.”

“Good thing you’re dating a guy who’s also bad at it. We can be terrible together.” I ran my hand up and down her back. “We’ll figure it out. No more running when things get hard. Deal?”

“Deal.” She kissed me again, lingering this time.

This was it. This was what I’d been so terrified of losing. Not just the sex or the partnership or the chemistry everyone kept talking about. This. Her in my lap on my deck with me.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, catching me staring.