He chuckled. “Silly, beautiful girl. I’m asking you to go to Paris as my guest. Think of it as our first date. How long will it take you to pack?”

As first date ideas went, okay, that was kind of baller. But a niggle of unease tickled the nape of my neck. “Alexi, I love the imagination, but that’s too much. I can’t let you pay my way to Paris.”

“Why not?” His brow creased. “I owe you a proper first date. One where I take you out, and we eat and explore.”

“And I don’t object to that. Or ultimately to Paris. I just object to you paying for it.”

“It’s not a big deal. I want to.”

And I wished that for once I could take the generosity and not think about it, but I couldn’t. “I’m sorry. It would make me feel funny. Like I’m being kept or something. I’d rather go somewhere on my own steam. Ya know?”

He nodded, but his frown remained. “It’s only money, Abbie. I don’t mind.”

“But I do. Maybe we can have fun in this city instead. There’s still so much I haven’t seen or explored.”

For a second it looked like he wanted to argue with me. But then his brow smoothed out and he kissed me softly. “Fine, have it your way. Now, go get a shower woman. Breakfast will be ready soon, then we’re going to go out and have some fun.”

“We could have fun—”

He laughed as he shook his head while waving a spatula in my direction. “We’re going to have fun outside, so I don’t lock you in this flat and torture both of us by taking my time with you over and over again until neither one of us can walk. Now go.”

He swatted me on the ass before turning back to his cooking sausage. I could get used to these feelings. Freedom and excitement and longing.

Abbie…

This wasn't supposed to happen.

When I’d come to London, I’d been running. Running from myself, running from my past. Running from everyone. Running from everything.

I wasn't supposed to meet someone. Hell, I didn't even feel like a whole person or like I was capable of taking care of myself entirely. How the hell was I going to avoid making the same mistakes I'd already made before?

Already, I was too caught up. It was just too intense. He mattered to me too much. And it was terrifying because I was going to lose myself and there would be no coming back from this. If he broke me, or worse, hurt me, I wasn't going to recover. There was just no way. If I had been a shell of myself after Easton, I would be fractured and completely broken when Alexi hurt me.

Or, maybe he won't hurt you.