“Wait. What?” I ask her dumbly.
“I’m heading to bed. You can show yourself out.” She heads for the hallway, and I stand there, frozen.
What is happening? I didn’t expect her to drop to her knees and beg me to marry her, but I never imagined she’d think I was joking. I stare at her closed bedroom door, contemplating doing what she asked, and showing myself out. But I know exactly how that will go. She’ll act like nothing happened, and I’ll go right in that friend box she has me in.
I can’t fucking do it. Not for one minute more.
My feet are carrying me to her door before my brain registers it, and I’m through it, closing it quietly behind me so I don’t wake Mia. I lean back against it, meeting Evie’s startled brown eyes.
She’s standing at the head of the bed, hurriedly wiping her wet cheeks. “What are you doing? I asked you to leave.”
“I heard you. But I can’t. I just can’t. I don’t want to pretend like I was joking, or worse, fucking ignore it. You asked me a question, and I answered it honestly.”
She snorts in disbelief. “Really?”
“Really.” Let her stew on that.
Her eyes dart around the room, glancing off me before drifting away. Her doubts, her fears, her lingering disbelief are plain to see. “Oh. I see.” She says finally, eyes locked on my forehead, body stiff. “I apologize for my reaction.”
She doesn’t believe me, not really. ’“Ok. Anything else you want to say? Cause I have a lot.”
She looks at me finally, mouth open. “I’m a little lost.” She admits in a small voice.
“I know you are, love. Just stick with me for a minute.”
She crosses her arms under her breasts, the tight V-neck slipping lower, exposing some very distracting cleavage. I get lost in there for a minute, but pull my attention back, hoping that she didn’t catch me staring. I glance at her face, her raised eyebrows make it clear she did.
Shit, I should probably apologize, but I’m not going to. Hiding what she does to me, my reactions to her, is not something I’m willing to do anymore.
“I told you, you’re my type.” I remind her. “I mean it. I don’t mean just physically. I like everything about you, Evie. And for a while, I thought it would be best if I just kept that to myself and ignored what I was feeling, just stayed your friend. I thought that was the best way to give you what you needed.”
She hums, looking down at the cream carpet she’s standing on. She wiggles her painted red toes. “What is it you think I need?”
“Thought. I thought you needed us. To be part of this family. I didn’t want to risk telling you how I felt and driving you away. Or worse, fucking it up and making you feel you couldn’t stay. I wanted you to have my family.”
“And now?” Her voice is wobbly.
“Now, I realize we’re going to lose you no matter what. Other men are going to ask you out. Guaranteed. Fuckface tonight was an anomaly. The next guy is going to see how great you are and do anything he can to woo you.” Her lips quirk at the word ‘woo.’ “Eventually you’re going to fall for some guy, and you’ll be gone. Micah actually pointed that out to me a couple of days ago. But I still wasn’t convinced. But tonight? Tonight, you gave me the missing piece to the puzzle.”
She drops her arms, tilting her head and taking a small step towards me. “A missing piece?”
“The missing piece.” I correct gently. “I had it all wrong, Evie. So fucking wrong. I somehow had myself convinced that you’d be better off without me. That someone like Jeremiah, someone normal, would be better for you. But I was wrong.” I pound my fist against the tightness in my chest. “No fucking way will anyone treat you better than I will. I don’t have much relationship experience, but I am a persistent motherfucker. And I will figure it out. I will be the best damn … boyfriend on the planet, I promise you, Evie.”
Almost slipped and said husband. I may be a steamroller, but I’m not a complete idiot. Hearing the word husband come out of my mouth right now would send her packing.
“I have no idea what’s happening right now.” She mutters, eyeing me with a frown. “Are you seriously telling me you want to…date me? Me?”
“Yes.” Date, marry, make babies with. Yep.
“That doesn’t compute Colt.” She’s frowning, shaking her head. “As much as I wish it weren’t true, men like you and women like me don’t date.”
I push away from the door, taking a big step towards her. “Why the fuck not?”
“B….Because you’re you! You’re rich, have a perfect body, and have this…presence that draws people to you. You’ve got to have women coming onto you all the time. Thin, perfect, designer dress and heels wearing women.”
I groan. This fucking woman. “I can’t figure out if I should be offended or flattered?”
“Offended? Seriously?” She wrinkles her nose.