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“Then don’t marry him. Walk away. Choose yourself for once.”

She pulls back to look at me, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “It’s not that simple. The company?—”

“Fuck the company.”

“No.” Her voice hardens with determination. “I won’t let my father’s legacy die. Worthington Sports is the last piece of him I have in this world, and I won’t let it get swallowed up by some corporate vulture just because I’m selfish enough to want my own happiness.”

The fierce protectiveness in her voice reminds me why I’m drawn to her. Beneath the polished exterior is a woman with steel in her spine, willing to sacrifice everything for the people she loves.

“But the timing is awful,” she continues, her voice breaking. “If I’d met you two years ago, before all this...”

Something constricts in my chest at her words. The regret in her voice, the longing for a different path.

“Princess, look at me.” I cup her chin in my hands and force her to meet my eyes. “I’m your man now. Whatever problems you have, whatever you’re facing, I’m going to solve it.”

“How? How can you possibly fix this mess?”

“Just trust me, baby.” I brush my thumb across her cheek and wipe away a tear that escaped. “There’s always a solution if you’re willing to look hard enough.”

She searches my face, and I see the moment she decides to believe me. The tension in her shoulders eases slightly, and she leans into my touch.

“I want to trust you,” she says. “But I’m scared.”

“Good. Fear means you’re paying attention. But don’t let it stop you from taking what you want.”

“And what if what I want is you?”

Her words send fire racing through my veins. “Then you’re in luck, because you’re what I want, too.”

Lainey approaches with our food, and I reluctantly sit back to give her room to set down the plates. But I don’t go back to my side of the booth. Instead, I stay close to Audrey with my hand resting possessively on her thigh.

Lainey takes in our seating arrangement with barely concealed amusement. “Everything look good?”

“Perfect,” I say, not looking away from Audrey.

Once Lainey leaves, Audrey cuts into her pancakes and takes a bite. Then her eyes flutter closed in what looks like pure bliss.

“Oh my gosh,” she moans softly, and the sound goes straight to my cock. “These are incredible.”

A genuine smile spreads across her face, the first real smile I’ve seen from her since she walked into the diner. It transforms her entire face, erasing the tension and worry that’s been etched there since last night.

“Good?” I ask, cutting into my steak.

“Amazing.” She takes another bite, this time with enthusiasm. “I haven’t had pancakes like this in years. Lucille insisted I stick to egg whites and fruit for breakfast. Said anything else would make me bloat before photo shoots.”

“Well, you can eat whatever you want when you’re with me.”

She pauses mid-chew, studying my face. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you? About us?”

“Dead serious.”

“Even though I come with more baggage than a five-star hotel?”

I lean closer. “Princess, I’ve dealt with warlords in Afghanistan and cartel bosses in Mexico. Your stepmom and fiancé don’t scare me.”

For the next hour, we fall into easy conversation.

She tells me about her college art classes, how she used to sneak out to paint landscapes when her stepmother thought she was at charity luncheons.

I tell her about building my security business, about the satisfaction of protecting people who can’t protect themselves.

When Lainey brings the check, I hand her a large stack of bills. Then I stand and offer Audrey my hand. “Ready?”

She nods and slides out of the booth. Outside, the morning air is crisp and clean, carrying the scent of pine from the mountains. Audrey’s car, a sleek black Mercedes, sits alone at the far end of the parking lot.

“Thank you for breakfast,” she says as we reach her car. “I needed this more than I realized.”

“This is just the beginning.” I back her against the driver’s side door, my hands bracing on either side of her. “I meant what I said in there. I’m going to take care of you.”

Before she can respond, I kiss her hard. She melts into me immediately, her hands fisting in my shirt as she kisses me back with desperate hunger. It takes everything I have to pull back before we cause a scene.

“When can I see you again, Princess?” I ask, resting my forehead against hers.

Her face falls slightly. “I’m not sure. I’m leaving tomorrow to go to Denver for a bridal show.”

“For how long?”

“Three days. I’ll be back Friday morning.”

Rage surges through me at the thought of her spending three days planning a wedding to Gio. A wedding that will never happen if I have anything to say about it. I force myself to appear calm despite the fury burning inside me.

“Can you get away for the weekend when you get back?” I ask.

“Maybe. Why?”

“Because I want to take you to my cabin. Just you and me, no interruptions, no expectations. Time to figure out what we’re doing here.”

At my cabin, we’d be completely alone. No Vega, no security, no family obligations. Just us and whatever this thing between us becomes.

“I’d like that,” she says softly. “I’d like that a lot.”

Relief floods through me. “Good.”

I reach for the chain around my neck and unclasp it.

The tags are scuffed, the edges dulled from years of wearing them in the field.

I pull them free and drape them over her head, letting the metal settle just above the neckline of her dress.

The dog tags are heavy, military-issued, stamped with my real name, blood type, and a serial number that doesn’t mean anything to anyone except a government computer in D.C.

“What are these?” she asks, fingering the tags.

“My dog tags.” I adjust the chain so the tags rest flat against her chest. “I want you to wear them while you’re gone. So you remember who you belong to.”

Her breath catches at the possessiveness in my voice. “Reign...”

“I’m going to call you every day,” I say. “Morning and night. If you need anything, let me know. I don’t care if it’s two in the morning. Don’t make me chase you down.”

She laughs, and this time it’s real. “You’re so intense.”

“Just wait until I take you to my cabin.”

Audrey bites her lip and glances down. “I’ll count the hours. I promise.”

The urge to mark her, to bite her neck or leave fingerprints on her hips, is almost overpowering. I know I can’t, not here in public, but I do let my hand slide from the car roof down to the curve of her ass, squeezing once before I step back.

“Drive safe,” I tell her.

She nods, and her fingers are trembling as she gets into the Mercedes.

She closes the door and looks up at me through the glass, eyes locked on my face until she finally turns the key and the engine hums to life.

I watch her leave, not moving until her taillights disappear around the curve of the lot and out onto the main street.