“I know,” he said. He rolled so that he was on top of me. He looked down at me and smiled. That rogue dimple of his winked at me and I was done for. “Can we just put it behind us? All of it?”

“Yes,” I said. “Except there’s one thing I want to put out there for your consideration.”

He stilled. His hazel eyes held mine, and a wary look came over his features. “All right.”

“I want you to consider going to the gala with me,” I said.

He rolled back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Public events aren’t my thing. I would think after the Denny’s debacle you’d understand.”

“I do but this is different. It’s important. As Lexi’s brother, you need to give her your full support,” I said.

“I’ve been giving her my full support, and I’ll continue to do so.”

“I meant in public,” I said.

“Why? What difference does it make if I cut a check or show up at a party?” he asked. “Either way, she’s got a crew, her net-zero development is under construction, and it’s known in the community that Daire Industries is supporting her.”

“The gala is a pretty big night for me, too,” I said. “All of our—my—work will be on display. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a pretty big deal.”

The teasing made his mouth curve up on one side, but I could see he was resistant to the idea of going to the gala. I knew I should let it go, but suddenly I heard Greg’s voice in my head—stop settling for the diamonds in the rough, Annabelle, you deserve so much more—and I knew he was right.

“It’s important to me that you go to the gala, Nick,” I said. I felt very brave and equally nervous. I wasn’t great at asking for what I wanted in a relationship—thus my default mode as a pleaser—but if Nick and I were going to have anything worth having, I needed to ask for what I needed, too.

He went still. “Are you telling me that the gala is a deal breaker?”

I thought about it. Did I want to be in a relationship with a man who barricaded himself on a huge estate, who didn’t engage with the world? No, I didn’t.

I met his gaze and said, “Yes.”

A flash of hurt crossed his face, and I almost recanted right there. It caused me physical pain to see him hurting, but I just lay there unable to move. With a sigh, he rolled away from me and sat on the edge of the bed. He ran a hand over his face as he slowly pulled on his clothes.

“I can’t be what you want, Annabelle,” he said.