I crossed the line the moment I chose to save her instead of doing my job.
I’m complicit.
And the system? The system failed that woman Luke fished out of the ravine before I ever got to her. The system has proven it can’t handle men like Turner allegedly is—men with money and connections and the ability to do whatever they want in plain sight.
I’ve already answered this question. I answered it at that bridge. I answered it when I chose Luke over the law.
This isn’t about making a new choice. This is about admitting the one I’ve already made.
Luke’s watching me with those dark eyes, waiting. I’d have thought he’d push me—he normally does—but he’s not. He’s just waiting for me to decide.
I don’t know what to do about that. He’s not what I thought, and at the same time he is exactly that.
God, I want him.
I’d never admit it to him—he’s insufferable enough as it is—but I’ve wanted him since the first time I saw him and his eyes lit on me like he was a bull and I was his personal red flag. I’ve wanted him through every argument, every clash of personality, every moment he made me question everything I thought I believed.
I want him when he climbs through my window despite my dad being awake and when he’s competently rescuing someone in danger. I want him when he’s flirting and when he’s deadly serious.
I want him even though—especiallybecause—he sees through every defense I put up.
“You’re asking me to choose you,” I iterate, to make it tangible. My voice doesn’t shake even though my hands do. “Knowing you’re about to do something that could get someone killed. Knowing you’re going to break laws I swore to uphold.”
“Yeah.” His thumb brushes my cheekbone again, and the tenderness of it nearly breaks me. “That’s exactly what I’m asking.”
“That’s a hell of a thing to ask, Bennett.”
“I know.” His voice is rough. “But I’m not going to lie to you, Harper. I’m not going to pretend I’m something I’m not.”
It strikes me that for once he isn’t trying to charm his way to the answer he wants. He’s handing me a loaded truth and trusting me not to shoot him with it.
Something in my chest gives way. I take a deep breath and give him the truth. “I know exactly who you are.”
His jaw tightens. He looks like he’s braced for a verbal slap, like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Hesitating—because despite the romance novels, I’m not a soft person—I lift my hand and cup his face. “I know you break rules. I know you’ll make decisions that’ll drive me insane. I know you charge into situations with absolutely no regard for your own safety.”
A corner of his mouth twitches. “Did I tell you my nickname is Riot?”
“Of course it is.” I roll my eyes, but then I chuckle.
His expression softens like he’s storing the sound away for later.
“You’re wrong about one thing,” I say, stepping into him. His body radiates heat, and I have the urge to rub myself along the length of him like I’m a cat. “I don’t have to choose you.”
His gaze sharpens and his hands grip me tighter. When he speaks, his voice is commanding. “Yes, you do.”
Shaking my head, my fingers curl into his shirt. “I already did.”
The breath leaves him. For the first time since I’ve known him, Luke Bennett looks stunned.
Then his forehead drops against mine. “Say that again.”
A smile pulls at my mouth. “No.”
“Harper.” He tugs my hair.
I gasp, feeling myself go soft for him. “Nope.”