Page 119 of Maid For Each Other

“Can you two leave?” Abi said, those brown eyes on me as she said it. Her face was impossible to read, but that gorgeous amber gaze held me in place like a vise grip.

“What?” Lauren asked. “I just got here. You brought me up with you, remember?”

“She doesn’t mean me,” Roman said to Lauren. “I mean—”

“Please leave us,” Abi said.

“Don’tPretty Womanme,” Lauren whined, and I had nofucking clue what she meant but I was glad to see her turn toward the door. “Come on, Roman.”

“I don’t think she means—”

“Get the fuck out of my house, Roman,” I said, feeling like I might die if I didn’t get to talk to Abi alone.

Roman and Lauren were talking over each other, thankfully taking the chaos with them as they exited my apartment. Once the door clicked shut behind them, it was quiet.

Until Abi started moving. She walked toward me until she stopped only inches away, setting her hands on my chest. At her touch, I felt a spark of hope spread through me and my whole body was buzzing as she moved both of us until my back was against the wall.Just like Kansas City, praise Jesus.Her voice was low and husky when she said, “Before we were interrupted, you asked me what you can do to show me.”

My arms wound around her so fucking fast. “I’ll do anything. Just name it.”

“Forgive me,” she said, looking up at me with so much seriousness on her pretty face that it hurt a little. “Please forgive me for assuming the worst about you.”

“What, uh…,” I said, torn between wanting to know what changed and wanting to shut the hell up and just go with it. “What changed?”

She bit down on her lower lip and tilted her head, watching me like she was trying to figure out her next words. “I know about RestWell.”

“What?” That was the absolute last thing I expected her to say. I was shocked and didn’t even try to deny it. I just asked, “How the hell did you find out about that?”

“So it’s true?” Abi looked up at me like she couldn’t quite believe it. “It’s actually you and Roman who do all of this…Robin Hooding?”

“It is,” I admitted, wondering if she knew that she was the only person in the world besides me and Roman who knew.

“I definitely want to talk about that, but first will you forgive me for being a judgmental asshole?”

“Done,” I said, sliding my hands up to cup her face. “Forgotten.”

“And the things I wrote were not about you,” she said, speaking quickly like she was in a hurry for me to know. “They were inspired by your lifestyle, but never about you, Dex.”

“Never?” I teased. “I mean, your asshole character’s nameismy middle name.”

“Mostly never,” she corrected, a giggle in her voice. “He was created in the image of who I thought you were the first day I met you.”

“Ah,” I said. “When I promised to get you fired and maybe arrested.”

“That’s so Connor,” she replied. “Right?”

“I love you,” I said, feeling like I couldn’t go another second without saying it.

“I love you, too,” she said, and something about hearing her say those words made me weak.

I kissed her mouth, a small kiss that would’ve been appropriate all the times we attempted to pull that off, but I quickly pulled back. Because I needed to hear her utter those words one more time. “Say it again, Mariano.”

“I love you,” she said, her face glowing in complete happiness that I fucking adored.

“Again,” I said, lowering my mouth, and I knew what she was going to say before she even said it.

“You’re not the boss of me,” she said, biting my bottom lip. “But I’m saying I love you because Iwantto say I love you.”

“Fucking thank you for that,” I said, then I went in for everything.

---