CHAPTER 35

He cleared his throat as he ushered her onto the tram. Her honeysuckle scent filled his nose and he had to fight the desire to pull her into his arms. He needed to keep his distance. This was not about getting her into bed, this was about getting her to fall in love. It didn’t matter that his cock was hard and begging for her. It didn’t matter that her lush curves called to him. Sex was completely off the table. It had to be to preserve the integrity of his story.

“So where are we going again?” she asked as they sat down and the tram pulled out.

He chuckled. “I told you, it’s a surprise.”

She huffed and folded her arms and his smile grew.

“Tell me about your day,” he said, just so he could keep her talking.

She sighed and looked down at her lap, her fingers twining around themselves. “I got fired,” she said.

“What?”

She looked up at him and her mouth twisted into a grimace. “Okay, not fired exactly. Asked to take a leave of absence.”

“What