Silence.

I licked my lip - still tasted like regret and champagne. My heart was doing that stupid pounding thing again like it wanted out of my chest.

Part of me felt... proud? I saved Tony. I actually did something useful for once. But the rest of me felt small. Stupid. Like I'd been playing pretend this whole time.

Mateo didn't do anything bad. He helped me - plane ticket, apartment, cash, clothes, spa, everything. But sitting here staring at him across the table, I couldn't shake it: I didn't feel anything deep. Not really. Just... attraction. Heat. Want. And a whole lot of insecurity screaming that he's rich, he's...