“But you know what? You know what I’ve realized?” I go on, not tearing my gaze off his. “What?” “I like myself a whole lot better when I’m with you.” It takes a second for my words to register, and when they do, he stills. My mouth twitches. “Yeah, City Boy. You heard me.” His lashes flutter like he wants to look away, so I quickly reach up and cup his jaw—the uninjured side, since I can’t be trusted not to throttle him this time—forcing him to stay put. “None of that. I need your eyes on me. I need to make sure you’re listening.”
