Page 57 of The Linebacker

He frowned. She pushed up onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to each corner of his mouth. “Turn that frown upside down,” she teased.

The frown didn’t go away. Amil did, though. He stepped out of the embrace, adjusted his junk with a grimace.

“I have a cure for that, you know,” she suggested.

He shook his head. “I don’t want to be your dirty little secret anymore.”

“What?” Where was this coming from? What had happened since they parted ways before boarding the flight to Santa Clara?

Everything had been peachy keen. Better than. They were both happy. She wasn’t freaking out about her curse.

What the hell was going on?

“I want more, Diana. I want it all. Hell, I don’t even want to move out of your tiny condo. You want the truth? I love the condo in Jalen’s building. But I don’t want to buy it, because I don’t want you to not be in my life. In every single aspect of my life. And I know that will happen if I move three doors down from Jalen.”

He grabbed his hair with both hands. “Fuck. I can’t believe I just said all that.”

She couldn’t either, although if she were being honest with herself, she already knew this. Most of it.

She was fully aware that he’d caught feelings. That he was holding himself in check. That he was doing what he needed to do to not scare her off.

He probably figured she’d come around…eventually. And he was okay with waiting.

Which made it easier for her to fall into this little unspoken relationship with him. Because, yeah, she liked it too. She had no interest in stepping away from what they had going—but she needed time to come to terms with it.

Because that curse was still out there, hovering, whispering in her ear that if she did move this to the next level, they’d be married and divorced within a year.

She had to catch up with her mother and sister, after all.

“Amil, don’t do this,” she pleaded. “Let’s just start over, okay? We’ll pretend it’s our first time.” She forced out a laugh. “I mean, this is the same hotel, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he responded, sounding hollow. “And I don’t want to start over. It took us two years to reconnect after that first time.”

“I know, but look where we are now.” She offered up a blinding smile, silently willing him to forget this heart-to-heart talk that they were well overdue for. Everything was so much easier when they kept the emotions at bay.

“I am looking at it. And I don’t like it. I want more, Diana.”

She rubbed her suddenly throbbing temple. “I can’t give you more, Amil.” Not right now. Eventually, maybe.

Hopefully.

But not right now. She was still too scared.

Of herself. Of what she felt for him.

“Then I think you should go to your own room.”

She dropped her hands to her sides and stared at him. He gave her a remorseful look in return.

“Amil…”

He shook his head. “I can’t, Diana. I’m sorry.”

She stared at the ceiling. Why were her eyes stinging? She needed to get out of there before that sting started trailing down her cheeks.

“Fine,” she said on a self-preserving huff. She charged to the door, slipping out into the hall.

She turned toward the elevators and saw Jalen, standing in the middle of the hall, one arm wrapped around an ice bucket.