Chapter 82

“It doesn’t change anything. Not for me, anyway. I like what we have. I didn’t say it expecting you to say it back or anything. I said it because…it just hit me. Nobody’s ever treated me like you do, and then this thing with the MG…” She sagged against the wall. None of this was coming out right. “Damn it. Sometimes I really hate my mouth.”

Ashley’s smile softened into something more genuine. “I love your mouth.” He stepped forward, removing the distance between them. “And I love your hands. And your eyes. I love the way you say my name. And I love the way you look in this dress.”

She risked touching him, lifting her hand to slide it beneath his lapel, savoring the warmth seeping through the stiff cotton of his shirt. “I thought it was time to get something new. And I wanted to knock your socks off tonight.” She glanced up through her lashes as she let her nails graze across his chest. “I figured I had to make up for all that overtime I put in on the MG.”