Page 262 of Bad Prince

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My thumb brushes lightly along her jaw.

Gentle.

Careful.

“You’ve had a day.”

There’s a pause.

Then—

She smiles.

Soft.

Warm.

Satisfied.

“You’re not like the others,” she says quietly.

That lands heavier than anything else tonight.

“You’re not a player.”

I swallow.

Because if she only knew.

“I know we’re doing this right,” she continues, settling back down against me, her head returning to my chest this time. “Slow. Real.”

Her fingers curl lightly into my shirt.

“This is… long haul energy.”

Long haul.

God.

I stare at the TV.

Don’t see a single thing.

My hand moves in her hair again automatically.

Same rhythm.

Same softness.

Because I don’t know what else to do.

Because I don’t want to hurt her.

Because she deserves this version of me.

The one that stays.

The one that’s steady.

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