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“This is really impressive,” I said, looking out over the spread. “You didn’t have to do all this.”

“I know.” She took a small sip of her wine. “I wanted to. Cooking helps me think.”

“So, you’ve been thinking?” I took a bite of the pasta, and a myriad of flavors burst on my tongue. It was delicious—even more so because she’d made it for me.

“I have. I’m ready to talk.”

I smiled. She looked a lot more confident now, put-together. As much as I loved to fluster her and see her blush, I loved to see her take charge like this, too.

“You know there’s a lot of reasons we shouldn’t try again,” she said.

I held her gaze steadily and nodded. “Should we go through them?”

“I don’t want to feel like an outsider in Lakeview. Blakely obviously didn’t want me around. Is she going to cause more issues?”

My dragon growled at the mention of Blakely’s name. “No,” I said. “She won’t be a problem. She’s banned from all clan activities. She knows what she did is unforgivable. She wouldn’t dare try anything again.”

Harley nodded slightly. She didn’t look completely convinced, but that would take time.

“What about the other women around Lakeview?” she asked. “Women bring you food and they hang out at the clubhouse. I know a lot of them want thealpha, or whatever, and even when we met, you had a reputation…” She trailed off, her cheeks turning pink again.

“I know I was a playboy when we met,” I said. “But that was ten years ago, Harley.”

“And you haven’t been with anyone since then?”

“Of course I was with a few people,” I said. “Weren’t you?”

She looked away, but nodded.

“I tried to have a few relationships after I got out of prison,” I admitted. “Casual. Low stakes. But every time I tried, it felt… wrong. Eventually, I stopped trying. Every time I was with another woman, even just on a date or at the bar, I compared her to you. It wasn’t fair to them. So, I mostly kept to myself.”

“Okay,” she said softly. She ate a few bites, watching me like she was waiting for something. I let the silence draw between us until she asked, “You’re not going to ask me about my relationships?”

“No,” I said. “That’s the past. It’s over. If you want to tell me, that’s one thing, but I don’t need to pry.”

She blinked, surprised. “Really?”

“Really.” My dragon grew restless. I didn’t want to hear about any of the men Harley had been with because it would only make me jealous. If I couldn’t erase their touches with my own, I didn’t want to know about them. “All that matters to me is that you’re not with anyone now.”

“I’m not,” she said.

“Good.”

Harley cleared her throat. “What about your work? You’ve spent all week at these meetings, then showed me the security system. You’ve spent most of the past decade in prison. I… I can’t let Dylan get close to you only for you to be snatched away again.”

“I know. I don’t want that either. I’m playing with fire right now, trying to get out of the business.”

“How much longer?” she asked. “What’s the risk?”

“We’re almost done,” I said. “There’s been some complications.”

“That’s hard to swallow. How do I know there won’t be more complications? How can I know it won’t go wrong and end with you being locked up again?”

I pressed my lips together. “You can’t.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Hawk wants out, too. He doesn’t want to risk getting put away while Bella’s young. The plan has been in motion for a long time. But you’re right. We’re not all the way there. And while we’re not there, there’s always a risk.”