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“I’d like to get away for a couple days,” he says after a few long, silent moments. “It’s been… a while since I’ve taken any time away from Seattle. I’d like to go somewhere, and I’d like to bring you with.”

His exhaustion is clear in his voice, and I don’t doubt that he doesn’t get a lot of vacation time. Why he’d want to spend it with me, I’m not exactly sure, but it puts a lump in the back of my throat and a pulse of nerves in my stomach to think about spending all that uninterrupted time with him.

Ewan goes quiet, and when I glance over my shoulder at him, his expression is guarded.

“You don’t have to say yes.”

Another line, blurring. Another step closer to him I probably shouldn’t take. One more shovelful of dirt out of the grave I’m digging for myself.

But I’m not dead yet, and I want to see him in the sunlight, too.

“I’ll go,” I tell him. “But you’re paying. Just so you know that up front. I’m broke as a damn joke right now and I don’t have the spare cash for a fancy trip somewhere. If you have a problem with that, we can—”

“I don’t have a problem with it.”

There’s a sparkle in his eyes that seems almost… pleased. Like he’s enjoying the idea of paying for me, treating me… Nope, not going to go there. He can feel however he wants about it and it doesn’t matter to me a damned bit.

“Good,” I say, before stepping away and searching for my clothes on the bedroom floor. “I should get going.”

When I glance back over at him, all that satisfaction is gone, replaced by a deep frown. He buries it when he sees me looking, covering it with a taunting smirk.

“Really? After only one round?”

Damn dragon. He’s more than aware what a challenge like that does to me, but I’m not giving in.

I fish my phone out of my discarded purse and check the time. “I’m serious. I’ve got a bus to catch in fifteen minutes if I want to—”

“I can give you a ride. Later.”

I shake my head. ‘Later’ is going to turn into another round or three of orgasms, and before I know it I’ll be too tired and sex-drunk to remember I don’t want to sleep over tonight.

For practical reasons, but also because last time was a mistake. Going away with him this weekend is an even bigger mistake, but for my own sanity I’m going to cling on to whatever bit of distance I can until I make it.

Ewan is still watching me like he knows he has me, that predator’s focus of his sharp and triumphant. I let him think he’s won for a few more seconds as I cross the room to stand in front of him.

“Drive me home if you want, but I’m not staying over tonight.” He opens his mouth to protest and I stop him with a finger against his lips. He bites it gently as he growls his irritation, but I’m not about to let him win this one. “Fran and I do yoga on Thursday mornings. 5 am at the gym a couple blocks from the house. So unless you want me waking your ass up before dawn tomorrow, stop it.”

That’s apparently enough to convince him. He agrees, and I duck into the bathroom to clean up before grabbing my clothes from his floor and putting them back on.

Ewan is dressed and sitting on the bed when I reemerge, watching me with a distant, displeased expression on his face.

“Stop pouting,” I tell him as I crouch down to put my shoes on. “You’ll get me all weekend.”

His eyes snap up to meet mine, and though a small smile turns up the corners of his lips and he lets out a soft chuckle, the troubled expression doesn’t leave his eyes.

I straighten and cross over to the bed. My immediate reaction is to ask about it, try to figure out what’s got him tied up in knots and see if there’s anything I can do to help, but I stop myself.

That’s not why I’m here. That’s not what any of this is for.

“Come on,” I say, holding out a hand and nodding toward the door.

It seems to snap him out of it as accepts my offered hand.

I turn to leave the room, but he tugs me back, right into a waiting embrace. His lips land on mine, kissing me with a mixture of heat and teasing and more of that aching, dangerous tenderness, before he pulls away.

“Let’s go, ember. You’ll need as much rest as you can get before I exhaust you completely this weekend.”

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