The moment we got off the plane I knew something was off. After that first night in Santa Fe, the confessions we’d made, I’d never felt closer to anyone than I had to Theo. Like he had claimed my soul. But since we started getting ready to come back to Dallas he’d been acting strange. Preoccupied. I figured it was the same unease that I had of returning to whatever mess awaited us on the set. It had been nice to put my phone on airplane mode for forty-eight hours but we couldn’t keep the world at bay anymore.

Not when the show was wrapping up and I had to think of what was next. My stomach sank as I thought about the presentation with Carrie and Yazmin in a couple of days. I liked what I’d come up with despite all of Carrie’s requests and changes. But I was not looking forward to facing off with Kayla. And then there was the fact that after this week, we would be done. Theo would have to go back to New York to sort things out with his father. And exiting his role from Ganas would not be an easy thing. As for myself, I’d have to make a decision: even if the thing with Smithson-Napa didn’t happen there was potential for good, consistent work here doing Bookish designs. Then there was Theo, who had told me he loved me, but hadn’t quite made it clear what he planned to do with Ganas or the veteran project. Everything had seemed so clear in Santa Fe. But all the unknowns were waiting for me the moment I landed.

“Here we are,” Theo said, in that terse tone he’d had for hours now. He parked the car in our spot and I remembered that night we’d come back after the hailstorm. Sweet heat pooled in my belly at the memory of how he’d touched me, of what we’d done once we were back in the penthouse.

Smiling I reached for him, running a hand along the inside of his thighs.

“Baby,” he groaned and pushed into my touch.

“I was just thinking about that night you got me the world’s most boring car,” I teased and he grinned. “It’s a good thing that you did too,” I said after a moment, with his hand now tangled in mine. “I think I can get all my stuff from the set in one trip in this car. I have no desire to see Chase any more than I need to.”