“Yeah, knew it was the smart thing to do. But I couldn’t do it.”

“I would have been so worried.” It was nothing less than the truth. “Probably wouldn’t have slept at all. I mean, I would have understood, but…”

He nodded. “I know. I needed to see you too.”

I stood there, thinking deep thoughts. My head was a mess and my heart wasn’t much better. Though at the heart of the matter, the man had a point. In fact, he had several of them.

“What do you say, Miss Cooper?”

I raised my chin. “You know I hate it when you call me that?”

“Yes, I do.”

My gaze narrowed and he smiled again. Such an ass. A smokin’ hot one, though. Along with being smart, funny, sweet, and brave. Oh God, I was on the verge of swooning. Game over. “So let me get this straight. My options are, have sex with you, or have sex and attempt a relationship with you?”

“Or there’s number three,” he said. “We go back to being purely professional and never talk about this again. If you’d feel more comfortable, I can have Sam bring in someone else to watch you until the paparazzi leave you alone and you don’t require our services anymore. Whatever you choose, I would still like to crash here tonight. You’d feel safer and get a decent night’s sleep and I’d feel better knowing you weren’t alone and freaking out after everything that’s happened. I can even sleep out here on the couch if you’d prefer instead of in your room.”

“But you’re off the clock, Sam said so.”

“I’m not here to get paid, Mae. I’m here because of you.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

He was here because of me. What did you do with a man who always put you first? It was honestly kind of a new experience.

Slowly, I stepped forward. One step, two, three, until we were almost touching. He smelled good. Cologne and heat and him. I could have gotten high off the smell. “Can I kiss you?”

“Sweetness, you can do whatever you want with me.”