I want more than tonight. I don’t want to miss another night falling asleep to the smell of her hair just because I’m scared I might be more like my father than Connor will ever be.
Because even if I think Liz belongs with me, not him, I know he’s the better guy.
I know why he was at the strip club tonight, and he’ll let Della believe the worst just to protect her from the truth—to protect me. Connor’s a better hero than I’ll ever be, but he can’t have Liz.
“Mine.” Then I close my eyes.
I wake up to the sound of someone knocking softly on the bedroom door, and for a minute I’m disoriented and expect to find myself in my own bed.
“Liz?” Connor calls from the other side.
Liz shifts in my arms, and I climb out of bed. “She’s sleeping,” I say through a crack in the door.
Connor’s eyes widen and he blinks at me. “Oh. I didn’t know . . .”
I arch a brow. “Let her sleep, okay? I’ll be out in a minute.” I shut the door on his startled face, then pull on my clothes. And, yeah, I just broke one of her rules. Maybe even intentionally. I know Connor’s with Della now, but I also know how he’s always looked at Liz.
When I return to the hallway, Connor is waiting with a mug of coffee in each hand. He shoves one at me.
“So, you and Liz?”
My jaw tightens without my permission. When it comes to Liz, I have no poker face. “None of your business.”
He nods and sips his coffee, then he meets my eyes and his body stiffens. “Don’t hurt her again.”
“Again?”
“She had it bad for you . . . back in the day.”
“And you stepped right in to take advantage of that, didn’t you?”
Connor pulls back as if I’ve struck him.
Fuck. I shouldn’t have said anything. For one, it’s not my business. For another, I don’t want Connor knowing how I feel about his history with Liz.
“She told you about that?” he asks.
“She was seventeen,” I say, sidestepping his question.
Connor looks away. He knows it was a dick move. “Don’t tell Della,” he says. “She doesn’t know, and it would change things between her and Liz.”
“I won’t tell.” My shoulders sag, some of the fight draining out of me. It’s a relief just to know that he cares how Della would feel. “You were at the club last night snooping into my business, weren’t you?
Connor drags a hand through his hair and nods. “Your dad saw the money gone from your account. He asked me to look into it, and someone said they’d seen you spending time with one of the girls there.”
Fuck. I drop my gaze to the floor, doing my best to calm the surge of anger I feel at the thought of Asia. Oddly, my anger isn’t as hot or volatile as it was yesterday. A night with Liz was like a balm to my soul. “Tell my father there’s nothing going on that’s a danger to his precious campaign, so he can relax.”
“You know, I’m not the enemy.”
I sigh. He’s not. As much as I hated Liz defending Connor last night, she was right. He is the best kind of good guy, even if it sometimes feels like he stole my life. “I’m sorry I was shitty with you last night. I didn’t like you coming here. Didn’t like the idea of you just showing up at her bedroom door in the middle of the night.”
“We’re friends. Liz is honestly one of the best people I know.”
Yeah, that’s the problem. “Think about it from Della’s point of view before you come running here next time.”
“Say what you mean, Bradshaw.”
I roll back my shoulders. “I mean, you still have a thing for Liz. It was all over your face when you two were cuddled on the couch last night.”
“Is this about me, or is it about you?”
“If Della knew you’d come here, she’d be pissed.”
He grimaces. “Yeah, I guess. Are you two . . .?” He nods to Lizzy’s bedroom door. “Are you going to be spending time together?”
“Are you asking me if I’m going to make an honest woman out of her?”
He grunts. “You should. I don’t
Because even if I think Liz belongs with me, not him, I know he’s the better guy.
I know why he was at the strip club tonight, and he’ll let Della believe the worst just to protect her from the truth—to protect me. Connor’s a better hero than I’ll ever be, but he can’t have Liz.
“Mine.” Then I close my eyes.
I wake up to the sound of someone knocking softly on the bedroom door, and for a minute I’m disoriented and expect to find myself in my own bed.
“Liz?” Connor calls from the other side.
Liz shifts in my arms, and I climb out of bed. “She’s sleeping,” I say through a crack in the door.
Connor’s eyes widen and he blinks at me. “Oh. I didn’t know . . .”
I arch a brow. “Let her sleep, okay? I’ll be out in a minute.” I shut the door on his startled face, then pull on my clothes. And, yeah, I just broke one of her rules. Maybe even intentionally. I know Connor’s with Della now, but I also know how he’s always looked at Liz.
When I return to the hallway, Connor is waiting with a mug of coffee in each hand. He shoves one at me.
“So, you and Liz?”
My jaw tightens without my permission. When it comes to Liz, I have no poker face. “None of your business.”
He nods and sips his coffee, then he meets my eyes and his body stiffens. “Don’t hurt her again.”
“Again?”
“She had it bad for you . . . back in the day.”
“And you stepped right in to take advantage of that, didn’t you?”
Connor pulls back as if I’ve struck him.
Fuck. I shouldn’t have said anything. For one, it’s not my business. For another, I don’t want Connor knowing how I feel about his history with Liz.
“She told you about that?” he asks.
“She was seventeen,” I say, sidestepping his question.
Connor looks away. He knows it was a dick move. “Don’t tell Della,” he says. “She doesn’t know, and it would change things between her and Liz.”
“I won’t tell.” My shoulders sag, some of the fight draining out of me. It’s a relief just to know that he cares how Della would feel. “You were at the club last night snooping into my business, weren’t you?
Connor drags a hand through his hair and nods. “Your dad saw the money gone from your account. He asked me to look into it, and someone said they’d seen you spending time with one of the girls there.”
Fuck. I drop my gaze to the floor, doing my best to calm the surge of anger I feel at the thought of Asia. Oddly, my anger isn’t as hot or volatile as it was yesterday. A night with Liz was like a balm to my soul. “Tell my father there’s nothing going on that’s a danger to his precious campaign, so he can relax.”
“You know, I’m not the enemy.”
I sigh. He’s not. As much as I hated Liz defending Connor last night, she was right. He is the best kind of good guy, even if it sometimes feels like he stole my life. “I’m sorry I was shitty with you last night. I didn’t like you coming here. Didn’t like the idea of you just showing up at her bedroom door in the middle of the night.”
“We’re friends. Liz is honestly one of the best people I know.”
Yeah, that’s the problem. “Think about it from Della’s point of view before you come running here next time.”
“Say what you mean, Bradshaw.”
I roll back my shoulders. “I mean, you still have a thing for Liz. It was all over your face when you two were cuddled on the couch last night.”
“Is this about me, or is it about you?”
“If Della knew you’d come here, she’d be pissed.”
He grimaces. “Yeah, I guess. Are you two . . .?” He nods to Lizzy’s bedroom door. “Are you going to be spending time together?”
“Are you asking me if I’m going to make an honest woman out of her?”
He grunts. “You should. I don’t
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