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But as I speed through that speech, the one I carefully rehearsed all day, so that I'd be able to say it to his face without breaking down in tears, Cannon's expression shifts

His eyebrows shoot up, his lips parts, and by the ti at me like I'm an alien who just spouted a second head "What are you talking about, Rina?" he blurts

My brows contract "You said you don't want to do this any that I understand"

"No, Rina, no I can't do this, s Attached crap—I can't do that, because I don't want that anyently, then runs his hands up ood thing, because I've started to sway in place, thrown by this roller coaster of emotions "I want you," he says

Now it's e

But Cannon is stepping closer, running a hand through my hair, his eyes fixed on mine, and there's a sea of depth in those eyes of his that I've never seen before—a depth of feeling I never could have seen co into his eyes, I can feel my pulse race and my heart skip a beat "I don't know exactly when it happened," he's saying "I tried not to I tried to stick to e agreed But I couldn't help it, Rina Being with you It's not like any other girl I've ever been with I fell in love with you, Rina"

"Cannon," I breathe

"I love you, Rina It'sThe way you chase what you want, nofor a baby even when you have to do it like this And the way you always beat me at darts, and the way you're so damn confident in bed, which by the way, is sexy as hell too" He tightens his grip on aze from his face My eyes brim with tears, but not the kind of tears I expected I would be shedding tonight

Instead, they're happy tears More than happy Borderline blissful

"I love everything about you I love lances with you in the office Hell, I even love the way you plotted to set up Chris and Lacy" He half-laughs "You're so selfless, you always put your friends first, and riry I broke the rules we agreed to"

I burst into laughter, then unable to help"I broke theoddamn compatible—and I didn't even see it, I had no idea, until we started doing this thing, and then I realized Shit I can't do No Strings Attached I don't want that either I love you, too I want all the strings, dammit"

With a grin, he pulls , slow kiss This ti softer, sweeter I part ue slip past mine to exploremyself in this embrace

But then another thought occurs to h at parting But I rest ainst his and forcemoment "Cannon, listen Are you sure about this? Wait, hear me out," I add, when he inhales a breath to reply iotten , and this tiht on cycle, so" I shakehis face toBut a baby? That's a whole other level of coet if you want so simpler, with someone simpler"

"Don't," he says His finger brushes alongthem "Don't say another word, Rina I told you—I knohat I want now It took er to understand what it was I was feeling, but I want you I want you, baby and all" He slides his hand down ertip coainsttoward him

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" I ask finally, tilting my head as I consider him

He half-laughs, shaking his head "I didn't feel like I could tell you, because we'd agreed to that stupid NSA thing I thought that hat you wanted Just a sperured if I told you s, you would be freaked out and want to back away froreed on And you kept asking ured you were still on the sae"