Sugar Sweet Sin

Oh. My. God.

This can't be happening. Not here, not like this. This is too soon. This is too crazy.

"Dante..." I whisper. I can't make this decision with all of these people watching.

"I shredded that script," he murmurs against the backs of my fingers. "I told them to find someone else to rewrite it."

"You didn't have to—"

"I did. And I'd do it again."

Panic is rising in my chest. "Dante, if we could go somewhere a little more private..."

He brushes his lips against my knuckles. "I'll follow you anywhere you wish to go."

I pull him to his feet and lead him back through the kitchen, past a wide-eyed Mama Pat and straight into the walk-in cooler. I have no idea what I'm going to say or do. But the moment the door is shut behind us, I find myself sinking against his chest.

His arms come up around me—one around my waist, the other around my upper back, squeezing me to him as if he never intends to let me go. I press my face against his shirt.

"I'm scared," I whisper. "I'm so scared, Dante."

"Me too," he murmurs against my hair.

I squeeze my eyes shut. "You?"

"I'm fucking terrified. God, Ashlyn, if you had any idea..." His voice cracks on the last word.

For a moment, I just let him hold me. My cheek is against his chest, and his heart is thrumming hard and fast beneath my ear.

I'm not strong enough for these feelings.

"You shouldn't have shredded your script," I tell him softly. "That wasn't what I wanted. I shouldn't have gotten that upset, and I never expected you to—"

"Hush, it's done."

"It wasn't really about those notes," I rush on, feeling the need to explain myself. "I was just overwhelmed, and I..."

"No, you had every right to be upset. It was a shitty thing to do. And God, the look in your eyes... I never want to cause you pain, Ashlyn. Of any kind. I'd shred all of it again in a heartbeat." He weaves his fingers through my hair and pulls my head back so he can look down at me. "It was just a script, Ash. And there are a hundred screenwriters who could take my place. There will be other films. Damn it, I don't even like disaster movies."

His hand is skimming across my face, and I resist the urge to turn into his touch. There's too much we need to talk about.

"You shouldn't have said those things out there," I say.

"There a lot of things in my past I shouldn't have said. And a lot of things I shouldn't have written. But those words out there needed to be spoken. I meant every one." His eyes smolder. "And I needed to show you that I was willing to expose myself, to let the whole world see what you do to me."

"You can't be serious about getting married," I blurt. "We're hardly even in a relationship. And we've only been reunited for a few weeks, and—"

"And I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I've never felt like this about a woman, Ashlyn. And I know I'll never feel like this ever again." He slides his thumb across my bottom lip. "I meant it when I said you'd changed me. I used to think myself a very level, even-headed sort of man, but around you... Your emotions aren't a weakness, Ash. They're the things that make you fascinating and intoxicating and the most authentic woman I've ever known. They're the things that woke up the sleeping parts of me. The things that make us a perfect match for each other." His head dips lower. "They're a perfect part of you. And the fact that were willing to share them with me makes me want to be a better man."