Celia could only slump in her chair and stare at him. "I don't understand."
"I'm giving you the choice. You have to be the one who decides what happens between us, not me. And if you decide we should only be friends, I'll respect that and keep my hands away from you." With that, Lucas stood up languidly.
"But…but I want…"she stammered.
"You want…?"
"I want you." Celia could finally blurt out the truth. "I don't know what that means or how to explain…I'm sorry, Lucas. I'm a mess, aren't I? But I just know I need…you in my day…in all my days. I hate the thought of not having you around to love-"
Celia clapped a hand over her mouth in horror.
Had she really just spoken of love? She was mortified by her own carelessness.
But Lucas was right when he'd said there weren't many things in her life that she had the power to decide.
Yet, he was giving her the privilege to choose how much of a presence he would be in her life.
