Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
“You make her happy.”
The tension, still banded around my chest, softened, and I couldn’t help the small smile even while the alarms continued to shriek. “I think we’ve both found something in one another that brings us what we need.”
“Good. Good.” He nodded and looked down.
Silence lingered like an eerie calm—a vacuum of sound that left me waiting for the siren’s cry to break.
“My wife and I raised her to be strong. We pushed her—probably more than we needed to, since she came from two stubborn, strong-willed, and passionate people. She can take care of herself. I know that. God, do I know that,” he laughed.
Then all humor faded, and Hank raised hard green eyes back to mine. Staring back at me wasn’t a respected businessman who, I now realized, could be intimidating.
No.
The stern emerald gaze pinning me to the spot was that of a father of a daughter, who looked like he would tear me limb from limb if needed. “I know that we have a contract that makes our interests align. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to do anything to cause any harm to my company.” He took a step forward, and I struggled not to take one back. “But if you hurt her, I will do everything in my power to ruin you, even if it means taking Quinn Music Group down with it. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.” I tried to be the hard man he’d met across the business table, but the words barely stretched across the space between us. Because I didn’t have it in me to be the arrogant ass that Aspen accused me of.
All I had was the realization that I would want to be ruined if I hurt her.
The siren screamed its final warning—no longer just a noise but a physical pressure that pushed against my chest and rattled my foundation.
Because, without a doubt—without any place to hide from the blinding truth—I knew I’d give Aspen anything.
Because after years of promising I’d never be that naïve young man from before—the one who opened himself to Daria, who left his father’s company exposed, who left himself exposed—I found myself exactly where I swore I’d never be.
Somewhere between watching Aspen storm into her father’s office and not being able to peel myself away from her this morning, I’d ignored every red flag. And now? It was too damn late.
Pins and needles crawled up my arms. My stomach hollowed, twisted, and dropped. The alarm wailed until it drowned out everything else. I couldn’t even remember the last thing I said to Hank before he left—just static and autopilot moving me through the motions.
“Fuck.”
I shut my eyes, shaking out my hands, dragging in air that never felt like enough. But the truth wrapped tight around me, unrelenting—my worst nightmare, coiled like a python, and I’d walked right into it.
Too late. Too late. Toolate. Toolatetoolatetoolate.
I growled in frustration and tugged at my hair.
Too late. Too. Late. Toolate. Toola—
Unless it wasn’t.
A thought appeared in the darkness, shining like a beacon. I latched onto it, too panicked to take time to consider its merit or the consequences.
Just because I knew how far I’d slipped didn’t mean anyone else could see it. Didn’t mean Aspen knew. Didn’t mean I couldn’t lock it down, patch the cracks, and claw my way back to solid ground.
Maybe if I did that, I could steady whatever this was between us. Maybe I cou—
No.
She was making me feel things I swore I never would again. I couldn’t afford the exposure. Not for anyone—not even her.
I couldn’t keep her close.
And there was only one way to guarantee the distance.
I had to push her away.
Just because I didn’t want to hurt her didn’t mean I couldn’t.
We had an agreement. I’d been clear about the rules, the lines, the expectations.
I never promised her anything more.
I clung to the assurance with a wild need, refusing to weigh the pros and cons when it already provided an ounce of relief. I shut down every other thought and started packing.
I had to leave.
I needed space — room to rebuild the walls, to fortify what she’d managed to breach.
To protect myself.
The siren finally eased, slipping into a low thrum, as if agreeing with me. I latched onto it—let it anchor me.
Because anything was better than listening to the whisper I didn’t want to face—that this was already a mistake.
CHAPTER 16
ASPEN
Istood in the middle of the empty apartment. Muted grays, dark woods, and bright splashes of color. It was us—we made it. Together.
Yet, there I stood. Alone. Like I had almost every night for the past week. And when he was home, I might as well have been alone.
He had dinner in his home office, barely grunting responses when I tried to talk to him the few times he came out. At night, he came to bed after I fell asleep and left before I could wake. He avoided me without saying a word in between.