Page 94 of The Publicity Stunt

"I can't believe they did that."

Looking to her left, she stares at the side of his face. "I have to ask you something," she says. "I don't want you to get mad, but I have to know-"

"I never slept with anyone else. I never even looked at them. Puck bunnies have never been my thing, but have you seen you? There's no one who can even hold a candle to you. Rudy made all that up to add validity to his claim everything wasn't what it seemed. As if what he said wasn't damaging enough."

Relief washes over her. Everyone has said the same thing, and it feels like a weight off her shoulders. "Okay."

"Do you believe me?"

"Yes."

His arm reaches over and moves her to stand in front of him. "Really?"

Her eyes look into his, and she nods. With him leaning like he is, they're almost eye level and making it easier. "Yes."

"The moment my feelings got sorted out, the moment I knew I wanted something more with you, was the night you missed the game in Florida. I played like shit because I kept looking for you, and you weren't there. On top of that, I knew everyone was talking about us. But then you posted those pictures, shutting everyone up. I knew then that you were the person I cared about, not Sasha."

"Do you still want something more with me?"

"I want you, Bri. I want all of you. Real and just us. I want what we were building before. Tell me it's possible. That you can give me another chance to prove how serious I am."

Bri feels her lip tremble, but she doesn't care. Kace needs to know exactly what she feels. "If I give you another chance, and we do this again, you can't prove me wrong, Kace. I can't go through losing you again. Not when you offered me up what I've wanted most in my life."

"What was that?"

"A family. I didn't just lose you when this happened. I lost your father and your whole extended family. Brad who thought I'd be more high maintenance, Cory who's always in trouble, and Laura who nearly burst my eardrum when she saw me. And your dad. I love your dad. I felt like part of the family I'd been searching for for so long."

His hands cup her face. "You won't lose me or them."

"I fell in love with you, and I fell in love with them. I won't survive losing everything again."

Chapter Thirty-One

Kace

Bri just told him she fell in love with him. Him and his entire family. The way her eyes stare into his, like she looks directly into his soul, tells him there's nothing remotely insincere in her words. And instead of responding, Kace stares at her like a complete idiot.

"Kace? Say something," Bri says.

"Do you think you'll quit music and stop touring?"

Her head snaps back a little, but she shakes her head. "No, I'm still going to do it, but I'm going to slow down. It's time to start slowing down and enjoying my life. Besides, I'm going to burn out if I don't slow down soon."

"Where do you plan to live?"

Her stunned look turns to confusion. "I just bought a place near Galveston I'm building on. Just shy of seven hundred acres that used to be a ranch. Why?"

Taking her hand, he pulls her out of the office and into the hallway again. He knows she's confused, but he needs to see if Oliver is still around. Puck bunnies stand outside the hallway hoping to catch a lone player, and he knows that's where he'll find the man. He takes the players' leftovers home by using his client list as a pickup line.

"Where are we going?" Bri asks, her shorter legs moving quickly as she tries to keep up with his long strides.

Realizing how difficult this must be for her, he squats down in front of her. "Hop on."

"What?"

"You have short legs. I love your legs, but I need to hurry."

Hopping on his back, she lets out a chuckle as he hurries to search for Oliver. "Where exactly are we running off to?"

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