“But I lied to you about so much.” She wiped away her tears again.
“You did. A few months ago, you were just a personal assistant that I didn’t really notice. Now you are a business owner and a successful author. You have a cocky brother and a great group of overprotective friends. And you are funny and sexy, and I love to spend time with you. I just love you, Ruth.” He kissed her wet cheek. “Even when you left that morning, I wanted to change you. I wanted you to fit into my world. I realized almost too late that I should have been trying to fit into your world.”
“I can move, Anderson. I can live here. As long as you’re here too,” she insisted, not wanting that to be what stood between them. Not anymore.
“No, we will stay there. I don’t need to have my own branch in Grand Forks. I have my own branch in Landstad. Now I have an agent under me, so I get to be a boss. I want you to be happy, and you will be happy in your apartment. And at the end of the day, I will get to see you there.” He held her tighter.
“But you want more. You want the fancy job and the big house,” she argued.
“Ruth, you changed my normal. I just want to be with you. One day we might move to a house in Landstad. I hear you already own a few. Until then, we will enjoy the downtown life and all it has to offer us.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be the reason you hate what you do or where you are. I don’t want you to hate me.”
“I will never hate you, Ruth Kennedy. I love you. And if I start hating it, we will look for something different. But talk to me, promise me you won’t run away. I promise to talk to you if you promise to talk to me.” He kissed her again.
“Promise,” she whispered as his lips touched hers.