Page 151 of Temporary Vows

For a second, I don’t understand what I’m seeing.

Golden sunlight spills through the window, casting him in a glow that feels almost angelic, except the grin he gives me is anything but.

He’s leaning against the window, all sculpted muscle and ink, a pair of joggers hanging low on his hips.

Lord, he’s beautiful. Beautiful in that dangerous way you know you should avoid, but can’t.

He’s watching me, and my heart skips several beats when I realize he didn’t leave.

I pull the sheet up over my chest as I sit up, my eyes locked on him.

“You’re still here,” I murmur, my voice rough from sleep.

One corner of his mouth lifts, widening that sexy smile. “Where else would I be?”

I can’t help but smile back at him. It feels like the first real smile I’ve ever given him.

“Come here,” he says, crooking his finger.

I don’t hesitate.

Wrapping the sheet around me, I slip out of bed and cross the room, stopping just in front of him. He towers over me, making me feel smaller than I am.

We just look at each other.

Waiting.

“Thought you’d be in Chicago,” I say after a few seconds pass.

“No.” He shakes his head. “I’m not going. It’s dawned on me that there’s somewhere more important I need to be.” He nods with conviction.

I won’t assume. “Where’s that?”

He looks at me for a long moment and his shoulders relax. “Wherever you are.”

My breath catches. This doesn’t feel real. Like I’m still dreaming. Like I never woke up at all.

In all the time I’ve known him—practically my entire life—I’ve never heard him say anything like that.

And he says it so easily.

“Me,” I whisper.

“You, Lamb.”

My heart pounds so hard it almost hurts.

“You’ve gone pale,” he says, studying me.

“I’m just trying to figure out if you’ve been replaced by an alien,” I mutter. “Because this version of you is… new.”

A quiet huff of amusement leaves him. “Fair.”

“What changed, Dorian?” I search his eyes.

“Everything I thought wouldn’t.” He pauses for a beat, lowers his head, then returns his gaze to me. “I know I’ve been difficult. And this arrangement we have has been …challenging to say the least.”

I press my lips together. That’s one way to put it.