Page 47

“Love you, too,” they say in unison before ending the call.

I set my phone aside and finish packing, my movements lighter than they’ve been in weeks. The dog tags shift against my skin with each motion, a constant reminder of Reign’s promise. Three days in Denver, then a weekend that’s entirely mine.

I spendthe rest of the afternoon trying to distract myself with mundane tasks. Organizing my jewelry box, reading a few chapters of a novel I’d abandoned weeks ago, even attempting to sketch in my old pad. But nothing holds my attention for long. My thoughts keep drifting back to this morning, to the promise in Reign’s voice when he said he’d call tonight.

I catch myself checking my phone every few minutes, even though I know it’s still hours before evening. There’s a part of me that wants to text him first, to reach out and maintain the connection we forged this morning. But something holds me back. Maybe it is fear that this intensity between us is one-sided,that I’m reading more into his possessiveness than actually exists.

The hours crawl by with excruciating slowness. Dinner with Lucille is a stilted affair, her conversation focused entirely on tomorrow’s Denver itinerary. I nod and respond at appropriate intervals, but my mind is elsewhere, counting down the minutes until I hear Reign’s voice again.

By eight o’clock, I’m pacing my bedroom like a caged animal. By nine, I’m convinced he’s changed his mind. By nine-thirty, I’m questioning whether any of this morning actually happened or if I dreamed the whole thing.

Then, my phone rings.

I practically lunge for it, my heart hammering when I see his name on the screen.

“Reign,” I breathe, unable to hide the relief in my voice.

“Hey, Princess.” His deep voice sends warmth flooding through me. “Miss me?”

“Maybe a little,” I lie, settling onto my bed.

His chuckle is low and knowing. “I missed you, too, baby.”

Heat floods my cheeks. “How was your day?”

“Long. Boring. Spent most of it thinking about you in that short skirt you were wearing earlier.” His voice drops lower. “And what I wanted to do to you that I couldn’t in that diner.”

Heat pools between my thighs at his words. “Reign...”

“Tell me about your day, Princess. What did you do after you left me?”

I fill him in on Lucille’s wedding arrangements, the upcoming Denver trip, carefully working up to the news about the reunion.

“Actually, I have good news about this weekend.”

“Yeah?”

“I found the perfect cover story. My old majorette team is having a reunion at Fit Mountain Resort next weekend. I registered this afternoon.”

The satisfaction in his voice is unmistakable.

“That’s great news, baby. Now, you can disappear for the weekend without questions.”

“Exactly.” I twist the dog tags around my finger, the metal warm from my body heat. “Reign, I have to tell you something.”

“What is it, Princess?”

“I really like you.” The admission tumbles out before I can stop it. “This thing between us…it feels right in a way nothing has in years. And I know that probably sounds crazy since we barely know each other, but I can’t help it.”

“It’s not crazy.” His voice turns serious. “I feel it, too.”

Relief washes over me. “Really?”

“Really. You’re mine, Audrey. I’ve known it since the first night I met you.”

“I miss you,” I whisper. “I wish you were here.”

Reign chuckles. “Open your window, Princess.”