Page 44 of Redemption of a Prince

“I’m glad you had a scholarship, but I have no idea if they were part of it or not. I’m glad the money helped you.” He ran a hand up and down her back. “It wasn’t a payoff, though. You know that, right?”

“I know.”

“We all genuinely wanted to make sure you had what you needed. There was no nondisclosure agreement or anything about requiring you to give the baby over for adoption.”

“There was a nondisclosure about the baby, but not about the money. I’ve never said anything to anyone and I won’t.” She tried to push away from him, but the defensiveness in her voice told him she’d taken it the wrong way.

He held her tighter and, after about half a second, she held him back, her grip stronger than it was before.

Zeke kissed the top of her head. “I’ve missed you, Nik. I miss what we should have been. Can we try this again?”

* * *

As much asNikki had wanted to walk away, she was also glad Ezekiel hadn’t let her. She’d missed being in his arms.

“I don’t know.” She leaned her head harder against him. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this. But is it because I missed you specifically or because I haven’t let myself get close to anyone else since I walked away? Do I just miss the human contact?”

He didn’t answer for a moment, though his hand continued to rub her back. “Can it be a little of both?”

“That’s probably the right answer.”

“What does that mean for the possibility of giving us another chance?”

She wanted desperately to say yes. To look up and kiss him.

But that thought scared her as well. They’d gotten carried away - more than once - as teens. As adults, it could go one of two ways - easier to control themselves around each other or more difficult.

Theoretically, they both had better self-control than they did as teens. But the possibility also existed that their feelings would be more overwhelming, making it more of a challenge to stop.

But that kiss would surely be incredible.

“I don’t know, Ezekiel,” she finally said, unsure of what she really wanted.

Maybe it would be more accurate to say she didn’t know if she could trust herself if she told him what she really wanted.

“You know you can call me Zeke again if you want.”

A hint of a smile lifted one corner of her lips. “I’ve spent so many years convincing myselfnotto call you Zeke, to only call you Prince Ezekiel even in my head, that I’ve had a hard time adjusting to just Ezekiel. Zeke would probably make my mind explode.”

“You used to call me Zeke.”

“That was a long time ago.”

His hand stilled on her back. “You even called me Zeekie from time to time. No one does that. Well, hardly anyone. Not since I was little.”

“I’m definitely not calling you Zeekie.”

Ezekiel loosened his hold on her and used a crooked finger to tilt her head up. “Then call me your boyfriend. That’s the only title I really want anyway. At least until it’s time to upgrade to the title of husband.”

The serious look in his eye made her breath catch in her throat. “What about the title of king? It’s my fault you won’t have that.”

He shook his head. “Our fault. Mine more than yours. It’s a title I was born for, but I wouldn’t trade the life we created for it. Don’t ever forget that.”

Before she registered what he was doing, his lips were on hers.

Nikki clung to him as the emotions she’d kept a tight lid on broke free. His fingers found their way into her hair, but she could tell he kept his own emotions reined in.

Or tried to.

---