Sugar Sweet Sin

The Truth

Dante is staring at me intently. Waiting for an answer.

"Nothing," I say. "Nothing I shouldn't have expected, at least. I'm just not used to this."

His mouth is tight. For a moment, he doesn't say anything. And then, "I was afraid of this."

"I can handle it," I tell him again. "But this is all happening so quickly. I never thought it would be easy, but I also wasn't expecting everything to change so drastically overnight. To go from a nobody to... to whatever I am now. In only a few days my whole life has changed, and we're only just getting to know each other again, and I just want... I just want..." A few moments to think. Some room to breathe, away from the curious eyes of the press and public. To run away with Dante to a place where they'll never find us. "This is what you were trying to avoid back then, wasn't it?"

He gives a single nod, but though I've just admitted that he was right, he doesn't look the least bit smug—or even satisfied.

"Why don't we go?" he says softly.

I shake my head. "This is supposed to be our first real dinner date."

"And that means we can't spend it alone with each other?" He brushes a loose wave of hair back from my temple. "We aren't hiding anything just because we want to enjoy each other away from the judgment of the world, Ash. We're still rediscovering each other. That's hard enough without a spotlight on us."

My eyes fall closed as I nod. "Okay. Let's go."

I don't realize how much tension I was holding in my body until I say those words and relief flows through me. Yes, let's go be somewhere alone. Let's figure out our relationship with each other before we try to figure out our relationship with the rest of the world.

I lace my fingers through his as we move back through the restaurant. The hostess looks surprised as we pass, but neither Dante nor I say a word, and I'm strangely grateful that he doesn't feel the need to explain or justify our sudden departure to anyone. I squeeze his hand, overwhelmed with wonder at how well this man seems to understand me, even after all this time. The perfect first date of my dreams is falling apart around us before it's even truly begun, but something about this still feels just right.

Or at least... on the way to being right.

I try not to notice the woman who snaps a picture of us with her cell phone as we wait on the curb for the valet to bring around Dante's car. At least she tries to be subtle about it.

I can deal with minor inconveniences, I tell myself as Dante drives back to my house. But it will be easier once Dante and I have had more time to reconnect. Once I'm feeling stable again. Or at least as stable as you can feel when you're dating a man who makes your insides turn to mush every time he glances your way.

Now that I think about it, I'll probably never feel stable again. Neither my heart nor my body is a match for Dante. But I'm hopeful, and that's enough for now. At least until Dante turns onto my street.

"Shit," he says under his breath.

"Hm?" I sit up, glancing down the road. Instantly, my gut clenches.

There are people outside of my house. Paparazzi or reporters or others, I can't tell from here. But it doesn't matter. They found my house. They found my house.

Dante has stopped the car. He's looking over at me, probably waiting for a cue as to what I want him to do, but I feel like someone has dumped a bucket of ice over my head. It was one thing when they came to my bakery—at least then I could tell myself that I might eventually get some extra sales for my trouble. But this...