Page 122

“I am not.” His expression is unreadable.

Hope flickers in my chest, sending a jolt through my system at all the possibilities it opens for us. But I remind myself they’re just in talks; nothing is solidified.

Placing the wineglass down, I murmur, “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t want you to feel like I was manipulating you into dating me,” he replies, massaging the top of my thigh absentmindedly. My pulse rises when the watch I gifted him glints on his wrist. “You also made it clear that you didn’t want to think long term, and I didn’t want to push your boundaries. It would’ve been too soon, anyways.”

But now time is running out, because I’m leaving tomorrow.

“What does it mean? Will you be moving to India soon?”

He watches me softly, as though he’s afraid I’ll stand up and run away scared as we talk about the future. It’s something I’ve avoided touching with a ten-foot pole in the last week with him.

He answers, “Nothing is concrete yet. We know we want to expand, whether by opening our own offices or through a merger. The only decision finalized is that I’ll be running it. So, yeah, I’ll have to move to India.”

A part of me feels elated that another hurdle is no longer in our way.Ifhis company expands.

The cynic in me, however, thinks that maybe he wants to continue seeing me because it’ll be convenient for him. You know, easy booty call. Plus, he won’t be staying forever. I don’t even know if he’d even move if it wasn’t a business move.

“Stop,” he commands.

“What?” I conceal my emotions.

Or so I think.

His hand circles my thigh possessively as he speaks, “I know what you’re thinking, Twinkle. So, ask me.”

My heart beats faster as I try to form the words. Despite being scared of his answer, I had to ask the burning question.

“Would you still move to India if it wasn’t for the expansion?” I bravely ask. Even though I have no right to ask that of him, I still wanted to know.

Although it feels like I’ve known him forever, we’ve only been seeing each other for a week. However, he’s become my happy and safe place in the blink of an eye.

The thought of walking away from him pains me physically, like ripping off a limb.

My heart has already made the decision about us. It’s just my mind struggling to accept and get on board.

I release the breath I’m holding when Kingston runs a knuckle down my cheek.

“For you, yes, darling,” he utters without a flicker of a doubt.

“What if you hate it or, worse, regret it?” I nervously probe, tears welling in my eyes. “What if I don’t make you happy, King?”

His face falls at the stark fear in my tone and without wasting a second, he picks me up and places me sideways on his lap.

“Oh, darling, how can you even say that?”

I inhale his scent and bury my face against his neck as he hugs me tighter.

Why is this so hard for me? Why am I so scared of being with him?

Why am I not sure about us the way he fearlessly is?

“You can never make me unhappy,” he buries his face against my hair, and tilts my head back with a finger under my chin. “If only I could show you how I see you and the bundle of emotions I feel for you, you’d understand how wrong you are.”

Pressing my palm against the side of his neck, I say, “I just wouldn’t want you to move somewhere you won’t like. It’d be selfish to even ask you.”

“With the way I’ve grown up, I’ve learned that a city doesn’t make a home. A person does.” Kissing my lips, he whispers passionately against them, “You’remyperson, Twinkle Seth.”