The silence hanging in the room grew so thick that Lucas could hear the soft, rhythmic hum of the air conditioner. He didn't jump up or shout. Instead, he simply sat there on the edge of the mattress, his dark eyes fixed on her face, searching every micro-expression to make sure she wasn't going to pull back.
His pulse thudded in his ears, betraying the calm he tried so hard to project. Years of negotiating deals worth millions had taught him to mask his desperation, yet here, with her, that skill nearly failed him entirely.
He had built an empire on the ability to read people, to know exactly when to push and when to wait, but Nina had always been the one variable he couldn't calculate.
"Say it again," he said quietly, his deep voice carrying a sudden, heavy gravity.
