JUSTIN POV
"Okay. I will date you… but I have some conditions," she said, voice firm, but I could see the nerves swimming behind her eyes. She wasn't bluffing. She meant it—but whatever was coming next, it wasn't going to be simple.
I walked up to her, calm on the outside, a thousand fires burning underneath. Without a word, I gently lifted her legs and sat down, settling them onto my lap. She blinked at me, caught off guard, but didn't pull away. My hands moved to her calves, thumbs pressing softly into the tense muscles there. She'd been through hell lately—hell I was part of.
"I'm listening," I said, looking straight into her.
Her eyes searched mine, probably wondering which version of me she was talking to right now. Was it the careful, patient one who would massage her feet like she deserved? Or the storm hiding under the surface? I didn't even know sometimes. But I wanted to be the man she needed.
