Addy thought about after Will’s trouble was resolved. She’d be hightailing it out of Shelter Valley. Could she and Mark have a long-distance relationship? Would he want to? Would she?
Would he ever want to speak with her again when he found out she’d been lying to him? He was a man of honor. Honesty was so important to him—as it was to her.
Would he understand that she’d been honoring Will?
And what happened if he didn’t?
The answer became clear to her.
“I can’t promise anything more than this moment,” she told him, and felt something settle inside of her.
“Fair enough. I can’t, either.”
“What about Ella?”
“I haven’t heard from her.”
“Are you still texting her?”
“Not since you agreed to have dinner with me.”
“I’m not always going to be living next door to you, even if I keep going to Montford. This place is kind of expensive and...” No, she wasn’t going to weave a more tangled web than she absolutely had to.
“I have no idea what my future holds,” he told her. “And no money or time to date.”
“Okay. Good. No promises or commitment.”
“Just an understanding that we mean something to each other in the here and now.”
“Right.” Could she do this? Was it right?
She’d already shared more of her true self with Mark than she’d ever given to anyone else. He knew her deepest secrets.
Just not her surface one.
Surely that would be enough. If and when he found out the truth.
“So...not to be crude, but does the here and now include sex?” He hadn’t been kidding about that honesty.
She was so hot. Her body throbbed.
“We’re mature adults. With...natural...needs,” he added.
“Could we, um, take that under advisement?” Oh, hell, she was talking like a lawyer. Because she was one. Because he was talking about sex and Adele couldn’t have sex. Only Adrianna could.
“I’d advise us to go on another date,” Mark’s tone was low, sexy. He was half grinning.
“And see what happens?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow night? I’m off at eight. We could meet right here. Have a late picnic...”
Her stomach filled with exquisite butterflies, and she nodded.
His gaze held hers.