Page 77 of The Spring in My Heart

I lean in so he can continue.

“Treat her well, and we’re good. If the time comes when you don’t like her anymore, or it’s not working out, tell her straight out. Don’t play games with her. Don’t go fucking around and hurt her. I mess with her a lot, but that’s because I’m her brother. I taught her to be tough. That’s why she can punch as hard as a man and knows exactly when and where to hit, verbally and physically, but she’s girlie and won’t hit unless she has to.”

I press my palms against the edge of the table. “Look, I know what’s at play. I know when relationships get messy, it can bring down families and break up friendships. And I don’t want Ayla to lose more people in her life. This is why I never made a move before.”

“What changed now?’

Her smile makes my day. I wake up excited at the prospect of seeing her. For the first time, I see someone I can introduce to my A when we’re ready. I’ve had a taste of her lips and her tongue. I’ve had her naked body pressed against mine. Her hum of pleasure still echoes in my ears. The look in her eyes as we traded hurt stories lives in my head. I can’t stay away from her anymore.

“I’ve gotten to know her better, and it’s not just attraction. I like the person she is the more I get to know her.”

That blank mask stays over his face, so I continue.

“She’s a good person. She’s good to my Ay and loving with her friends and family. There was a hiccup between us with the work, and I know there’s some steel in her. I learned that she’s also hardworking, and we share that in common. I think if we take it slow and are sure of the steps we’re taking, we can avoid confusion.”

He nods, but there’s no expression on his face. A couple of breaths later, he finally nods. “Like I said, I like you. Cam does too. It’s the reason why I’m here and not both of us.”

“He could’ve come too, Chase.”

He smiles this time. “It’s not an ambush. We just want you to understand. Yeah, she’s a woman who can take care of herself. But we’re not allowing anyone to pick up where Mateo left off.” He holds up a stalling hand. “I’m not saying that’s what you’re doing, but sometimes even with the best intentions, we, as men, tend to fuck up.”

“Yes,” I say, because he’s right. All I can do is try, but how many times did I hurt someone without meaning to? “That’s a possibility. But just know that if it doesn’t work out, it’s not going to be because I disrespected her.”

He sighs. “I get that, and I believe you, but relationships can be a bitch. God knows it took forever for Lauren and me to see eye to eye.”

“But now you do, and you’re married.”

“My point is that it only takes one misstep, and it all goes to shit. It happened to me a few times. That’s not what I’ll hold against you. But if you embarrass or humiliate her, friend or not, I’m going to beat your face in.”

“If I fuck up, I won’t fight back.”

“It’s not going to matter anyway, but it won’t come to that. You came here and faced me like a man. You didn’t delay it. I appreciate that.” He takes a swig of his beer, but his gaze never leaves my face.

“I am a man, and I have a lot more to lose than anyone if this goes to shit.”

But I’m not stopping. I have to see this through with her.

15

Oliver

Traffic on the beltway was a goddamn nightmare, the crew got here before I did, and Lux has been downstairs in a conference call since before I got here. No time to talk but a whole morning to stew over what she’s going to say.

Is she going to greenlight me to keep going where I left off, with my hands on her ass and my mouth all over her? Maybe she’ll say there is too much conflict of interest for us to go forward with this.

What would I tell her if she says that? Do I quit because I wouldn’t be able to keep my mind off her?

I adjust and push the heavy weight up toward the mount. The built-in light reflectors are hard to install. It takes all the crew members, and even I need to climb up a ladder to help install them at the right angle. It was a great hunch to raise the ceiling in the studio. It has made it possible to place them at the highest angle possible. It’s also hell to get it in place, but when it clicks, the audible yes echoes throughout the room.

That other end of her studio is now a full light box, and she’ll be able to get the best lighting with the least amount of hassle.

I get down the ladder, step back, and pull out my phone to take a photo of the crew tidying up the space. It’s bright. This is exactly what I wanted.

A whiff of her sweet berry scent reaches me first. All the chatter stops, and their gazes dart past me. There’s thirst in their eyes, and one of the guys licks his lips.

I turn around, and there’s Lux, dressed in dark red, like ripened fruit plucked out of the tree, waiting to be devoured.

“That’s amazing work. I can’t wait to see how it looks in photos and videos.”

---