Page 99 of Restless Hawke

Her dark hair cascading forward over her shoulders, settling just above her breasts, making my fingers itch to bury themselves in those tresses. Her red lips that beg to be kissed and devoured. And those stormy-gray eyes searching mine as she slowly climbs to her feet.

I let the door close behind me, not even realizing I’ve been standing here with my hand on the knob for an embarrassingly long time.

Allegra twists her hands nervously in front of her as she moves away from the couch. “How was your dinner?”

Her typically strong, steady voice wavers slightly, making that vise tighten around my chest again.

I approach her slowly, not wanting to crowd her, considering how jittery she seems to be tonight.

Allegra has never been like this with me before. She’s never openly displayed this kind of weakness—signs of her humanity that prove she isn’t a cold, heartless machine going through the motions.

It’s always been a show for her, a need to demonstrate that she’s stronger, smarter, but she’s never really been in control.

She said it herself earlier.

And right now, she definitely seems to be out of sorts—shaken by the conversation we started at that table but never got the chance to finish.

“It was good. But do you really want to talk about my dinner?”

Biting her bottom lip, she shakes her head. “I guess not…”

She’s nervous.

I probably should be, too.

Allegra’s showing up certainly wasn’t even a remote possibility in my head when I left to come to Vegas. All I’ve felt for her since I woke up Monday morning to an empty bed and that note has been a vibrating rage. The fact that she hunted me down at Lago and is standing in front of me right now should screamtrapafter everything she’s done.

So, I should be nervous…

I should be very cautious with her and determine her true intent rather than act on the intense physical pull that tries to draw me right to her.

“I told you we would finish our conversation.”

Allegra nods slowly. “Yes…”

“So, let’s do that.” I cross my arms over my chest, holding my ground and keeping enough space between us that I won’t be tempted to touch her and short-circuit my brain. “Unless you’re afraid to?”

She shudders slightly, squeezing her eyes closed. “I’m fucking terrified, Coen…”

Her confession almost makes me close the distance between us.

Only absolute willpower keeps my feet rooted in place.

“The truth can be a scary thing…and I told you back in New Orleans that I wanted you to come clean, that I wanted you to be honest with me. You ran. So, this is your opportunity, right here, right now, to tell me what you really want, Allegra. You said you weren’t in control of your own life. You said you felt like you’ve been spiraling. This is your opportunity to stop that.”

She releases a long, heavy breath, pushing her thick, dark hair back from her face. “I don’t know how to stop the spiraling. I don’t think it’s as easy as you seem to believe it to be.” That uncertainty in her gaze threatens to split my chest wide open. “But one thing I’m absolutely sure of is that I wouldn’t have come to Las Vegas. I wouldn’t haveneededto if I didn’t wantyou, if I didn’t wantthis, despite all the complications and reasons I shouldn’t.”

It’s as close to opening up to me as she’s ever come.

And I can see how uncomfortable she is with the vulnerability she’s showing me right now.

Allegra just laid all her cards on the table.

It’s the final showdown.

And she’s waiting to see what I will play.

I slowly close the few steps between us, staring down into her swirling gray eyes, a hurricane of uncertainty that threatens to swallow her whole if she can’t find a safe haven in the storm. Tilting her face up to mine, I brush my thumb across her bottom lip. “You can have me, Allegra, and I’ll help you stop the spiral.”