All my walls came tumbling down.
“I love you, Emma.” He came up on his knees and brushed his free hand over my cheek. “I started falling for you in the stupid diner and then spent the whole next day worrying about what you’d think of me when you found out who I really was. But I still ended up screwing it up. It fucking broke my heart to watch you run away.”
My lower lip quivered as I fought against the tears threatening to fall. The pained, urgent tone in his voice ripped at my conscience. I hated that I’d hurt him.
But he’d hurt me, too.
“Is there any way you’d be willing to give us another chance? I swear it’ll only be the truth between us going forward—no lies, ever. And I’ll be that person in your corner, always holding you up and looking out for you. And maybe you’d be interested in being that person for me?”
I took a shuddering breath. “Did you really fire your dad?”
He nodded. “He’s gone. I was actually going to talk to Monica’s manager, see if he’s interested in representing me.”
“Ben, seriously? You can’t make business decisions based on if it’ll give me a leg up or not.”
“Why not? Two birds or whatever. I need a manager, and you need a tour to dance for. Sounds like a perfect arrangement to me.”
“It sounds ridiculous to me.” I reached out and brushed the hair off his face. “Promise me you won’t do that. I want to get a job because I earned it. Not because my boyfriend arranged it for me.”
“All I heard was that I’m your boyfriend now.”
I laughed. “That would be the only part you’d hear.”
“So it’s official? We’re back together?”
I nodded slowly. “Consider yourself on probation.”
“I’ll take it!” He scooped me up in his arms and kissed me like a soldier returning from war. All passionate and every inch a welcome home embrace that quickly led to wandering hands and lips.
“Any chance you have a bigger bed than that tiny twin bed over there? Does the sofa pull out maybe?”
I shook my head as a giggle bubbled out of me. “No. There’s no room.”
“I guess we’ll just have to get creative.”
“Or there’s always the floor…” I waggled my eyebrows.
Bruno barked from the couch just before someone knocked on my door again.
“Seriously?” I groaned, resting my forehead against Ben’s chest. “This place is Grand Central Station all the sudden.”
“Maybe if we’re quiet they’ll go away,” Ben muttered softly from the corner of his mouth.
But the knock came again, followed by Gwen’s hollered, “You okay, Emma? I know about Lydia tossing you out. Open the door and let me in, kiddo.”
“Well, that’s one way to kill the moment,” Ben muttered.
“Better than Bruno interrupting us with an inopportune tongue.”
“Touché.” Ben laughed. “I didn’t even think of that.”
“I can hear you in there, Emma!” Gwen yelled. “Let me in, already. It’s hot out here.”
I stomped over to the door and ripped it open. “It’s never hot this early. Come right in, Gwen,” I muttered as she blew past me and into my apartment.
“Oh.” Suddenly she stopped short.
Peeking over her shoulder, I saw the scene Ben made with his naked torso and rumpled jeans, standing over by the sofa. I grinned at him and waggled my eyebrows.
