Page 126 of Micah

“If anybody else told me they'd been watching me through security cameras, I'd probably call the police.”

A corner of my mouth twitches despite myself.

“But you?”

She smiles.

“You saved my life tonight. You stopped those men from hurting me. You brought me here, carried me into your beautiful house just because I fell asleep. And I can’t believe you're standing here, looking terrified that I'm going to hate you.”

She strokes her thumb across my cheek.

“Do you hate me? Are you mad or scared of me?” I ask because I need to know.

“No, I’m not scared of you. Or angry. I probably should be,” she muses, but still shakes her head. “How can I be angry at someone who's spent all this time making sure I was safe?”

My breath catches.

“You're not?”

“No.”

She smiles wider.

“I think...”

She laughs again, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I think I'm just in awe.”

“Awe?”

She nods.

“Yeah, because I’ve been crushing on you since the second I saw you come into my bar. And now you got me thinking that maybe you feel this too?”

I’ve been crushing on you.

Those words hit me harder than any punch I've ever taken.

But her lips are still moving, so I focus on what she’s saying.

“I thought maybe I imagined it. I thought maybe I was the only one lying awake thinking about that kiss. I thought maybe I was the crazy one.”

I wrap my hands a little more securely around her hips.

“No, Princess.”

My voice comes out low.

Certain.

“You're not the only one who feels it. Not even close.”

Chapter 17-Sloane

I never imagined myself as the leading lady in some steamy romance novel.

Okay.