My phone vibrates.

Mallory: Can you talk?

Lila: You’re still up?????

Mallory: Obviously. Can you talk or not?

Lila: Y

My phone rings five seconds later. I accept, not bothering to even see who it is first.

“Hey,” she says, sounding slightly panicked.

“What’s up? You should be in bed.”

“I talked to my brother earlier. He was chipper.”

My lips curl, thinking about the way he was this morning.

“What happened?” she asks when there’s nothing but silence on my end.

“I realized that no matter how much better for me Pierce may be, I’d always love Blake. Always be in love with Blake.”

She sighs heavily. I picture what she must look like—hair pulled up, glasses on, frustrated as hell. “He hasn’t worked through all his crap yet, Lila, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. He deserves someone like you after everything he’s been through, but I don’t think this is the right time. Go slow and tread carefully.”

“I understand him better now, and I’m not going to let him push me away. I want to help him because that’s what you do when you love someone.”

“What about Pierce?”

“I was never going to be able to give my whole heart to him. Blake’s hold on it is too strong, and he wasn’t ever going to let it go.”

“I hope this works for both of you. I really do,” she says, her voice fading away.

“There’s no other option for me.” I pause, staring out my window as the train comes to a stop in my neighborhood. “You sound tired. Why don’t you get some sleep, and I’ll give you a call in a couple days to give you an update. In the meantime, don’t worry. If we both try, even just a little bit—everything will be okay.”

“Okay, I’m not going to worry about it, but you better call if you need anything. I mean it.”

“You’re almost as bossy as your brother.”

She laughs. “That’s not possible, and you know it.”

“Okay, you’re right. My train just stopped so I’m going to let you go.”

“I’m about to drift off anyway.”

“Night, Mallory.”

“Good luck.”

THE WALK TO MY APARTMENT doesn’t take long, and when I stand in front of my door realizing it’s locked, my heart sinks into my stomach. He said he’d be here when I got home.

I dig my key from my purse, unlocking the door quickly. The scene before me takes my breath away. Candles line the kitchen counter and the center of the kitchen table. Rose petals create a path from the doorway to my bedroom. I follow the path of white petals all the way to my bathroom where I hear water running. Blake sits on the edge of the claw foot tub, his fingers testing the water.

A few steps, and I’m standing in front of him, my fingers brushing through his hair. “What’s all this for?”

His chin rests against my chest, his deep eyes staring up at me. “Just proving to you that you made the right choice.”

“I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

“I’m not. This is just something a guy should do when he has some making up to do.”

“Thank you.”

“Why don’t you get in? I’m going to cook you dinner.”

Those three words we have yet to say want to slip from my lips, but I hold them back. He’s not ready to hear them.

Bending down, I kiss his lips before he has a chance to walk away. When he’s gone, I quickly undress and slip into the water, soaking in the smell of lavender while being covered in rose petals. The only thing that would make this better is a glass of wine.

I sink in further until the water covers my shoulders. The door creaks open, and Blake walks in with a glass of red. Maybe our souls are so connected he can read my mind. “How did you know I wanted this?”

He shrugs. “I know you well enough, I guess. Dinner will be done in about fifteen minutes.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to climb in here with me?”

“It’s tempting, but our dinner would burn, and I need you to eat so you have energy for what I have planned for you.”

I rub my legs together at the thought. Blake is no angel; his plans don’t involve dinner and a movie. It’s perfectly okay with me because I want it just as much as he does.

Before he walks back out, he leans over me, tenderly kissing my forehead. “Just put your robe on,” he says. “You won’t be wearing it long.”

It’s like the first time. He’s a different person. I’m not the woman he first walked in on in this apartment all those months ago. I let my skin soak in the relaxing water for a few more minutes, enjoying the rest of my wine before stepping into my robe.

The kitchen smells amazing—a hint of sautéed peppers and garlic fills the air. “What did you make? It smells delicious.”

He startles, spinning to face me with a spatula in one hand. “A chicken pasta dish. I didn’t follow a recipe, but my taste buds are impressed.”

I grin, taking a seat at the candle-lit table. I have no idea where this Blake came from, but I like him.

“Would you like another glass of wine?” he asks, setting two plates of pasta on the table.

“I should probably eat something before I have any more of that. I’d hate to fall asleep on you.”

“You’re always welcome to fall asleep on me,” he says as he takes the seat across from me.

“You didn’t have to do all this.”

He shrugs. “I wanted to.”

My taste buds do a happy dance after I take my first bite. I don’t think I cooked an actual meal the whole time he was gone. I either ate snacks here and there or take-out. “Where did you learn to cook?”

He stops chewing, looking straight into my eyes. “I was married once.”

Honesty … I like that.

“Did you do all the cooking?”

“Most of the time, if I wanted to eat, I had to,” he says sadly, picking his fork back up.

“I can cook,” I offer. I don’t, but I can. I am a small town Mid-western girl after all.

“Does it always come in a Styrofoam container?” he asks, doing his best not to laugh.

“For a minute, I was thinking that a few months away made you nicer.”

“Somewhere under the asshole is a layer of nice. It’s hard to get to, but it’s possible … especially for you.”

I’ll keep peeling those layers away then.

We eat in silence mostly, stealing glances across the table from time to time. When his eyes catch mine, he does this little thing with his lips where one side curls up. It takes every ounce of strength I have to not go over and kiss him; I know where that would lead.

My plate is almost clear when I push it away. As good as it was, my stomach can’t hold anymore. “Done?” Blake asks, reaching across the table for my plate.

“I can’t eat anymore.”

He clears the table, rinsing the plates in the sink. I can only stare. Perfection comes in faded blue jeans and a fitted white t-shirt.

“Did you save room for dessert?” he asks, coming around the counter.

I shake my head. There’s no way in hell anything else is going to fit in this belly.

“I think you did.” His voice is lower. I feel him everywhere, and he isn’t even touching me.

He shifts my chair, so I’m facing him, and kneels in front of me. Closing my eyes, I wait for what he does next. I trust him wholeheartedly with my desires … he’s never let me down there. His fingers work the tie on my robe. Once it’s loose, he pulls the sides back, completely exposing me.

The old memories flood back.

The way he touched every inch of my body.

The way he slowly made his way into my heart.

“You define sexy,” he says softly, circling his palms against my nipples. I hold his head in my hands, allowing his mouth to worship my breasts. He’s the master. I’m the puppet. There’s not much he couldn’t get me to do.

I ache for him … not having him inside me is misery. Lowering my hands to the back of his shirt, I attempt to pull it over his head. He grips my arms, putting them back at my side. “I control this tonight. I want to make you feel like you’ve never felt before … to erase every memory of him.”