My lips parted. The word yes was right there, balanced on my tongue. I wanted to say yes.
God, I wanted to. I wanted to fall into it. To let myself drown in him. To give me to him.
But Mr. Blake's voice clawed back into my head. They're dangerous. They're not who you think.
Doubt twisted in my stomach.
What if Dominic really was everything Blake warned me about?
"I…" My throat tightened. "Dom, I need time."
He raised a brow looking confused. "Time?"
I nodded, gripping the edge of the tub.
His eyes searched mine, looking worried.
"You mean a lot to me," I whispered, "but I just… I need this week. To be sure. To confirm you're not…" I trailed off, unable to say the word monster. "…I mean to confirm I'm ready for a relationship."
Silence. His jaw tightened, and for a second I thought I'd ruined everything. But then his expression softened.
He brushed a hand over my cheek, bubbles sliding down his fingers.
"Whenever you're ready," he said quietly. "I'll wait."
