I wipe the black streaks from my cheeks and run my fingers under my eyes before gathering the nerve to walk back into the conference room. I’m really starting to despise conference rooms.

To my surprise, Pierce is the only one in the room. He sits with his back to me, head in his hands.

As I walk up behind him, I let my heels click on the floor as to not scare him. I place my hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently because at the end of the day, I know his actions are sparked by his pain. “Pierce.”

He looks up, eyes red and puffy. “I fucked up,” he says. “I won’t do it again.”

I hold his face in my hands, rubbing my thumbs against his light stubble. “You’ll fuck up again because no one is perfect. Just don’t fuck up like that. Don’t you ever do that to me again.”

He rests his forehead against my stomach. “I need you.”

“You have me,” I say, running my fingers through his hair.

“Only because he left.”

I step back, taking away his veil. He looks up, and I swear he just ran through hell and back. He’s not the same man I met on the airplane months ago. “I’m with you because I want to be with you.”

“Then move in with me.”

Shaking my head, I say, “It’s too soon. We just started this, and I don’t want to ruin it by jumping in headfirst. It doesn’t mean I’m not committed to us.”

He nods, pulling me back to him so he can rest his cheek against my stomach. “I’m an asshole.”

I curl his hair around my fingers. “I thought we already defined that, and you didn’t fit into the category.”

“There are many definitions. We’re all assholes from time to time.”

“Believe it or not, I already figured that out.”

He laughs. “There you go showing your brilliance again.”

For a couple minutes, we stay just like that. Me wrapping his hair around my fingers. Him holding me as close as he can without hurting me. I wouldn’t accept his apology if I couldn’t feel it; it’s engraved deep in the center of my heart.

“Where did Blake go?” I ask, breaking through the quietness that was mending us back together.

“Home. You two can meet here whenever you need to, and I promise I’ll stay out of it. We both decided today isn’t the best day to start.”

My fingers halt for a second then start again. “What made you decide to change your mind?”

“This project is important to you, and you’ve worked hard on it. It’s obvious that having Blake and I in the same room isn’t going to move it along,” he starts. “And, I trust you. If this is what I have to do to prove that to you, I’ll do it.”

I kneel in front of him, looking into his eyes. “Thank you.”

He kisses me much the same way he had this morning, but this time, it’s just us. Our relationship has cracks, but it’s nothing a little effort can’t fix.

When I can no longer feel my lips, he pulls away. “I’m giving you the rest of the day off.”

“What?”

“And I’m taking the rest of the day off, too.”

I smile, thinking of all the possibilities. “What did you have in mind?”

He grins like a child standing in front of an ice cream truck. “You’ll see.”

Ten minutes later, we’re in the back of a black limo with heavily tinted windows. Not Pierce’s usual style, especially mid-day. “Where are we going?” I ask as soon as we pull away from the curb.

He slips off our seat, kneeling in front of me. “When we were in New York, the car ride wasn’t quite long enough.” He spreads my legs then runs his fingers up my thighs, taking my dress with them. “I want to do everything with you.”

His thumbs brush against my core as I slowly slide toward the end of the seat—closer to him. He’s becoming really good at erasing my anger … erasing some of the fragments of bad memories. I feel my panties being pulled off my legs and close my eyes, letting him take me wherever he wants to go.

He pulls my legs further apart. “Relax,” he instructs before burying his face between them. His tongue laps my sensitive skin, heating my entire body. It’s not even noon, and I’m having sex in the back of a limo; Chicago has definitely changed me.

I breathe heavily, climbing higher with every stroke. I could fall apart now, but I don’t let myself, not yet. What he’s doing feels too good. I wish these moments lasted forever.

With no more control left, I fall apart, quietly saying his name over and over. He doesn’t stop until I’ve said it more times in six minutes than I have in six months.

“How do you feel now?” he asks, laying his head on my thigh.

“Like nothing else matters.”

He kisses the inside of my thigh. “And you forgive me?”

“I did that before we even left the building. It’s hard to stay mad at you, Pierce Stanley.”

He looks up. “And you’re not running this time. That’s another memory I can replace.”

New York.

“How much time do we have left in here?” I ask, biting down hard on my lower lip.

“As long as we want.”

“Kiss me.”

And he does without hesitation, giving me a taste of where he’d been. I make quick work of his belt and zipper, slipping his pants and briefs down until he’s exposed. He’s more than ready.

I scoot to the very end of the seat and pull his hips to mine, letting him slowly sink into me. He’s exactly what I need, I think to myself as he pushes into me over and over.

If this is Pierce and Lila, I want to be them for the rest of my life.

IT’S HALF PAST FOUR when the limo finally drops me off at my apartment. Sex was followed by a late lunch, which was followed by another round of sex. I guess we had a lot to make up for.

The apartment is quiet when I step inside. It’s a relief because I look like a woman who spent her day having sex, which is exactly what Blake doesn’t want to see.

I shower, wrapping myself in my favorite blue robe. My phone buzzes just as I begin looking for something comfortable to wear to bed.

REECE: Where were you today?

ME: Long story…

REECE: Do you want to meet for a couple drinks?

I ponder her invitation carefully, deciding it’s better than sticking around here alone all night.

ME: Where and what time?

She immediately begins typing.

REECE: Charlie’s at 7:00? Dana will be working…

ME: Sounds like a plan. I’ll meet you there.

If I woke up tomorrow morning and didn’t have a man in my life, I’d still have my girls. It’s important to remember that.

I slip on a simple white tank and skinny jeans, letting my hair dry naturally to show off my natural wave. The humidity is getting more and more suffocating with each passing day; it’s my hair’s worst nightmare.

After debating whether I should call a cab, I settle on walking. It’s still light outside after all, and it’s only a few blocks. The journey brings back memories of who I was when I first arrived in Chicago, highlighting how far I’ve come from the naïve, weakened girl who landed months ago.

Walking in, I spot the familiar Monday crowd sitting at the bar. Reece stands out from the rest of the crowd in her quirky business wear. She smiles slowly when she spots me coming toward her, a wave of relief showing on her face. By now, she should know Charlie’s isn’t a place you want to get to early. It’s definitely not the type of place you have to run to in order to beat the crowds.

“What took you so long?” she asks as I slide onto the barstool next to her.

I glance down at my watch. “It’s 7:03.”

“Seriously?” she says, wrinkling her nose. “It feels like I’ve been here for at least an hour.”

I laugh. “Charlie’s will do that to you. Is Dana working?”

“Charlie said she’s on break.”

Speaking of Charlie, he’s making his way to this end of the bar with a big grin on his face.