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  "You don't have to do that," I offer. "We aren't going to define this, remember?"

  "Maybe I want to." He traces his finger across my chin. "Maybe I want to be Sadie Lockwood's steady boyfriend."

  I giggle at the suggestion. "You're not the relationship type, remember?"

  "People change." He pulls his head up and cocks an eyebrow. "Don't you want to be my girlfriend?"

  "You don't have to do this," I say the words even though my mind is racing at the thought of being in an actual relationship with him.

  "I want to do this." He brushes his lips against mine. "I don't want you doubting me. I don’t want anyone else. I just want you."

  "Hunter," I whisper as I scan his eyes for a clue about what he's really thinking. "What changed?"

  "I had no idea how special you were." He tenderly pushes a stray hair from my cheek. "I didn't know I could feel like this again. I can't let you go."

  The word again echoes through me. I can't get lost in that. Right now, right at this moment, he wants me. I want him. I can't say no.

  Chapter 21

  "I'm flying out to San Francisco in the morning but I'll be back by the end of the week." He pulls a few pair of socks from one of the drawers of his dresser to place in an overnight bag.

  "You're leaving tomorrow?" I bolt upright. "I thought you could come to meet my mother."

  He rolls his eyes at the words and then bursts out laughing. "You're taking me home to meet mom already? But we just started going steady."

  I giggle. "I'm having a party for her next week. It's a birthday thing. Maybe you can come to that?"

  "I'll be there." He leans down to kiss me. "I should finish packing. My flight leaves extra early."

  "Should I go home?" I pull my legs over the side of the mattress causing the sheet to fall from my body.

  He kneels in front of me. "Not yet."

  I stare into his eyes. "I'm still scared. You know that?"

  "I know that." He nods his head slightly. "I will do everything in my power to protect this." He places his hand on my chest.

  I shiver at the touch. "Thank you."

  "We're going to move this along as fast or as slow as you want to."

  "None of this seems real to me." A faint smile floats across my mouth. "Men like you don't like girls like me."

  "The first rule in being my girlfriend is you can never say that again." He places his finger against my lips.

  "But..." I start to protest but he cocks a brow.

  "I have a confession." He hangs his head in my lap. "I should have told you this from the start."

  My breath stalls. I don't want this moment to be broken into pieces. Please don't let him tell me something that will destroy what I'm feeling.

  "I didn't come back to your house to get Petra's number." There's a hint of a small smile at the corners of his mouth. "I came back because I wanted you."

  "No." I shake my head. "You're just saying that."

  "You came down the stairs with your hair pulled back and your bare feet and I wanted to kiss you so badly. I just wanted you so much." He runs his hand along my chin. "I could tell you weren't sure. I could tell it was too much."

  "I wanted that. I wanted to believe it that night but you treated me like I was nothing but a pathetic, inexperienced girl."

  "You're not a girl. You are a beautiful, amazing woman that any man in his right mind would want." There's a hint of frustration in his tone. "Stop selling yourself short. I fucked up that night."

  "You don't understand." I look away. "People usually reject me because of it. Because of the scar."

  "Any man who sees you as anything other than perfection is an idiot." He pulls me closer until his head is resting on my chest. "You are a treasure. You're my treasure now."

  I hug him tightly. I can feel the weight in his words. He cares about me. My whole life I've been waiting for this.

  ***

  "I can't believe you're bailing on me." My jaw tightens. "Now I have to take the train all the way to Manhattan alone."

  "I'm sorry." Alexa pushes more cup stoppers into the container that's sitting on the counter. "I forgot I had a date."

  "Seriously?" I don't try to tone down my frustration. "We were going to leave in an hour, Alexa. Now what am I supposed to do?"

  "Wait until next week," she flippantly says. "I can't go today."

  "I don't have another day off before the party." I want her to come with me. I've never taken the train alone.

  "Call your boyfriend." She calls over her shoulder as she slips off the apron and reaches for her purse.

  "He left for San Francisco yesterday." I follow her into the backroom of the bistro. "I told you that this morning."

  "Right." She taps her forehead. "I forgot.

  I sigh heavily before reaching in my purse to pull out my phone. "The train leaves right away. I don't know what to do."

  "You get in a cab and you go to South Station." She places her hands on my shoulders. "Then you get on that train and you go to New York."

  "I can't," I murmur.

  "You can." She pushes me towards the door. "Live a little, Sadie. Go on an adventure. What's the worst that can happen?"

  I smile at her even though I'm completely exasperated with her. "It would be fun."

  "Text me once you're there so I know you made it in one piece." She throws me a wink as I turn to leave.

  ***

  I glance at my phone as the train finally pulls into Penn Station three and a half hours later. I sent Hunter a text message an hour ago asking how his meetings were going and there's still no response. I play back the conversation we had about him becoming immersed in his work. I have to give him space to do what he needs to do while I spend the day shopping for the perfect gift for my mother.

  I rush up the stairs and onto the street. The mood is different here. It's not the same as Boston at all. People are rushing, the air feels heavier and there's an excitement brewing around me. I haven't been to Manhattan in so long. Hunter told me he divides his time between here and Boston. I need to ask him if we can have a weekend getaway here before semester starts again.

  I stroll down the sidewalk, breathing in the city. The traffic noise is deafening, there are people everywhere but it's vibrant and alive. It reflects exactly how I feel now. How Hunter has made me feel since he came into my life.

  I watch a woman hail a cab on the corner and I follow suit. I want to get to the jewelry store before they close.

  I read the address on the card to the driver and he nods in response. I hold onto the car's door handle as he whips the car around and speeds down the street.

  I glare out the car window, watching in wonder as countless people walk down the streets. The buildings whip by us as we careen through the city. I've never had a driver's license and judging by the traffic here, I'm not sure I'd ever be qualified to drive a cab. I giggle to myself at the thought of it.

  The driver pulls the car next to the curb on a beautiful tree lined street. I look at the meter and pull a few bills from my wallet.

  "Thanks," he barks back at me as I exit the cab.

  I stare at the building in front of me. This is it. This is Hunter's friend's jewelry store. I smile at the prospect of his reaction when he realizes I traveled all this way to get something from Jax's store to give to my mother.

  I push the glass door open and the fragrance of fresh flowers wafts in the air. It's a clean space, beautifully decorated. Several people are milling about looking at the cases. I see a clerk helping a woman pick out a necklace and there's a blonde woman talking on the phone.

  I walk up to one of the cabinets and soak in the pieces displayed in the case. They are unique, vibrant and exactly my mother's style. She's going to love anything I choose for her here but it has to be perfect. It has to be her.

  "Can I help you?" The blonde has popped up beside me, the phone now in her hand.

  "I'm here to pick a gift." I smile at her. She's lovely. She's pretty and
petite.

  "Is it for someone special?" She moves next to the display case, her eyes scanning the different necklaces in front of us.

  "My mother," I offer. "It's her birthday next week."

  "That's definitely a special occasion." Her smile is warm and infectious. "Were you looking for something in particular? A necklace, or maybe a bracelet? I have some really lovely earrings over here." She motions towards another case next to us.

  I turn and run my eyes over the beautiful jewelry. I settle on a pair of striking sapphire earrings. "Those are breathtaking." I point to them.

  "Let me get them." She walks behind the case, pulling a key from her dress pocket. She clicks the key into the lock before sliding the glass door aside. "These are very special."

  She hands them to me and I watch them flicker in the light. My mother loves sapphires. "They're beautiful. She'll adore them." I hand them back to her.

  "These are actually the first two pieces I made in my studio upstairs." She delicately places them into a white box emblazoned with the name of the store on it. "They hold a very special place in my heart."

  "My mom will treasure them." I fumble in my purse for my wallet. When I find it I pull it free. I open it and start the search for my credit card.

  "I'm Ivy, by the way." She looks up as she drops the box into a small white bag.

  "You're Ivy?" I feel instant excitement. "I met your boyfriend a few weeks ago."

  "Jax." His name escapes her lips with a broad grin. "Where did you meet him?"

  "In Boston." I pull my gaze down to my wallet again. I thumb through some stray receipts. I know I put my credit card in here this morning before I left home.

  "When he was there visiting Hunter?"

  I jump at the sound of his name. This is the first person, besides Jax, that knows Hunter. "Yes. I was having dinner with friends and he was at the same restaurant with Hunter."

  "Wait." She stops and her eyes scroll slowly across my face. "Do you know Sadie?"

  Hunter must have told them about me. He must have told Jax we were dating. "I'm Sadie," I say with a broad grin as I hand her my credit card.

  "You're Sadie!" She almost leaps across the counter to hug me.

  I return the embrace. I'm not sure why she's so excited to meet me but she's being so kind and welcoming. "I am," I whisper.

  I hear the door of the store open and she lets out a screech. "Thank god you're both back. This is her, isn't it? This is the girl you found in Boston. She's the one you've been looking for."

  She whips me around and my eyes settle on Jax's stunned face. There's someone behind him.

  "Ivy, stop." Jax takes a step towards us and I see Hunter. Hunter is here. He's in Manhattan. He's supposed to be in San Francisco.

  "Why stop?" She's pulling on my shoulder. "She's here. It's Sadie."

  I stare in stunned silence at Hunter. The look on his face is unmistakable. He's horrified. He looks as though he's about to turn around and run through the door.

  "Hunter, say something," Ivy calls over to him. "She's standing right here. Is that any way to treat the girl that got Coral's heart?"

  I feel my body heave forward.

  Coral's heart.

  It's Coral's heart.

  Coral's heart is inside me.

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  About the Author

  Deborah Bladon has never read a romance hero she didn't like. Her love for romance novels began when she was old enough to board the bus, library card in hand to check out the newest Harlequin paperbacks. She's a Canadian by heart, and by passport, but you can often spot her in New York City sipping a latte and looking for inspiration for her next story. Manhattan is definitely her second home.

  She cherishes her family and believes that each day is a gift for writing, for reading, and for loving.