“Those other women meant nothing to me, Avalyn.” He brushed her hair back over her bare shoulder, and her skin tingled in response. “It’s always been you for me. Always.”
Avalyn wished she could believe him. “Well, those other women meant a heck of a lot to me.”
“They did?” His eyes narrowed.
“Yeah. I’ve loved you every bit as long as you’ve loved me, and those other women have gouged my heart out. They meant the man I loved was a player who would never settle down to one woman. Never settle down to me.”
Bridger caught her in his arms. He pulled her against his chest, and Avalyn couldn’t resist him. “I was wrong,” he said. “I should never have dated or kissed anyone but you. I didn’t know you loved me. I thought you were out of my league and I’d never be worthy of you.”
“Honestly?” She pulled free of his embrace and took a step back. “That’s the stupidest excuse you’ve had yet. You’re Bridger Hawk. You haven’t lacked for confidence a day in your life.”
“Is it?” He arched an eyebrow. “I’ve always thought you were the most exquisitely beautiful and perfect woman in the world—my dream woman. You told me yourself that our paths are different, basically that I’m a selfish thrill-seeker and you’re a charitable philanthropist.”
She had said that, kind of. It sounded awful as he threw it back at her. “I’m sorry, Bridger. I didn’t mean it like that. My life isn’t glorious or glamorous like people think. Most of the time I’m sleeping on a cot, living on rice, and working long hours to make a child’s life better. We just have different paths. We’ve each chosen our lifestyles, and I don’t know how they’d ever coincide.”
“Our paths have been different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love and complement each other’s careers and vision. You think I just jet-set around the country from party to party, but that’s not true either. At every event I’m trying to help the children too, and a lot of times we’re camping out to be in the right place for a certain challenge. It’s not extravagant or glamorous.”
Avalyn pulled in a breath. She’d never thought of complementing each other’s dreams, mostly because she’d never thought Bridger could truly love her—before these past few days. It wasn’t really about living conditions and money, though. She still wondered if he could love her like she wanted to be loved. He was famous and handsome and woman weren’t going to stop fawning over him and seeking his attention. What if she devoted herself to him and he fell back into his old patterns? Could a player like him ever be faithful to one woman?
He studied her. “If I’d come to you at any point in our adult lives and told you what you meant to me, how deeply I love you … would you have believed me?”
Avalyn’s breath caught. She loved him, but was it enough? “Probably not,” she admitted.
“What do I have to do to get you to trust me?”
Several beats passed, and the room felt stifling. Finally, Avalyn admitted, “I don’t know, Bridge.”
He sucked in a breath.
“Our lifestyles are just so different. We’re so different.”
Bridger didn’t try to touch her. His gaze was hollow and sad.
“Let’s just get through this nightmare with Ramsey. It’s silly to worry about us as a couple when we may never escape this boat.” Ramsey could kill or rape her tomorrow. Who knew?
Bridger stared down at her, then said in a rough whisper, “We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know I love you, Avalyn. I don’t have all the answers for us, but I just …” He pushed a hand through his hair. “Can I keep you close tonight?”
A tremor passed through her at his words and his tender request. Tonight might be their last night on earth. She didn’t want to spend it fighting with him or theorizing why they wouldn’t work, especially after the horror of being captive in Ramsey’s room, fearing the monster would take advantage of her.
She walked over to the bed and pulled the covers down. “You’re right,” she admitted.
Bridger walked slowly toward her, a smoldering look in his eyes that robbed her of her breath. He slipped out of his shoes and slid into the bed, reaching up for her. Avalyn couldn’t resist him any longer tonight; she lay down and cuddled close to his side.
She wished they could kiss the night away, but she’d have to content herself with being in his arms. She couldn’t afford to let her desire for him take control and deal with the regrets that would surely come. If they got back to the real world, would she feel his arms around her again or have to watch him with other women? She closed her eyes shut, inhaling his musky scent and pushing those fears away.
ChapterSeventeen
Avalyn felt groggy when she woke the next morning. She slowly blinked open her eyes and realized she was still cuddled into Bridger’s side, her cheek pressed into his muscular shoulder. She glanced up at his face. His eyes were closed, so she could simply study him. She loved the defined planes of his face, the strong jaw shadowed with dark hair, the regal nose and brow, and those intriguing lips that were the perfect fit for hers. His dark lashes rested against his upper cheek, but she could easily picture how they framed his eyes so perfectly.
She loved him. Not just because he was beautifully formed, but because of his fun, confident personality and his love and zest for life. Seeing this serious, protective side of him the past few days had only made her love him more.
His eyes slowly blinked open and he stared at her. His trademark smirk tilted his lips and he said, “You enjoying staring at perfection?”
“Oh, you!” Avalyn pushed at him, but she laughed. “Always with the overconfidence.”
“It’s one of the many things you love about me.”
“Yes, it is,” she admitted.