“I have another confession to make,” he whispered. “During the contest, I convinced myself Vanity was you. Once I realized my mistake, I wanted to apologize. Right there. In front of everyone.” My heart thundered. “You didn’t, though.” Axton tipped my chin up, watching me as he slowly brought his mouth to mine. “Forgive me, Adriana.” His lips hovered a breath away while he waited for my reaction. When I didn’t pull back or demand he unhand me, he closed the distance, taking my mouth in a sweet, chaste kiss. It was filled with yearning, apology… a wordless plea for forgiveness.
