She smiled, and paused from humming the melody. “Yeah, I had a very good reason – something to do with a certain red-copper haired goddess who has captured my heart.”

I shook my head and stroked her arm lovingly. “Well, I’ve never let anyone come as close to my heart as I’ve let you even if I have yet to find out some basic stuff about you.” I paused, and then asked, “Does that make any sense at all?”

She flashed me a quick smile.

“Well, considering that I’ve chosen to do something that a highly trained security specialist has doubts about … and all because I love you … I’d say, yes, that makes perfect sense to me,” she answered with a smile.

That was her second mention now of something dangerous that she’d gotten involved with today. And, from her hints, she was doing that on my account.

I drew closer and kissed her shoulder. As I leaned against the back of my seat, I considered that if our roles had been switched, I’d probably want her to be in a calm or relaxed state of mind before I told her something that sounded really serious. I’d want some space and time to determine how best to handle this.

I’d always been a believer in giving your partner space, and, with someone like Aerin, I saw that this was paramount. She seemed the sort to do things in her own time.

So I bit my tongue, to give her space without having me prompt her to start sharing.

I continued to rub her forearm.

I thought about other things. It had been a crazy twenty-four hours for us. And over that short period, it felt like we’d experienced every kind of emotion, from the romance and emotional high of our dinner last night followed by our time under the stars. Then on to that amazing, unforgettable point when I’d made love to her. We both looked at the world with new eyes after that, for sure.

But there were also the emotional low points from earlier today, and we hit the lowest one about an hour ago, while in the club.

That was the nadir for sure. If we ever did break up for real in the future, I had a feeling that I probably wouldn’t survive it, if my reaction to what had happened earlier was anything to go by. Her reaction on seeing me jump out of Shane’s Jeep told me that she probably couldn’t stand to lose me for real, either.