The days turned into weeks, and before I knew it, Peyton was practically living at my house. Things between us were hot and heavy. When we weren’t having wild sex, we talked about our lives late at night. There was a space between us though, a space that I knew could only be filled with the truth. No one knew about who I really was, not even Mary and Eddie. It was a secret that I had to take to the grave.

He leaned over the bakery counter, looking around to make sure we were alone before kissing me. “Want me to come over tonight?”

I smiled. “When have I not wanted you to come over? When was the last time you even slept at your apartment?”

Peyton shrugged. “Just want to make sure I’m not wearing out my welcome.”

“I don’t think you could ever do that, honey. Pick up some grub on the way?”

“As you wish, my lady,” he said with a wink before disappearing.

My mind went back to the question of honesty, and it stayed there until late that night. All men were fickle, right? Or was Peyton different? Everything about him was wonderful, and I knew that I was falling in love with him. I pushed my food around my plate as we sat at the table eating by candlelight. It wasn’t until he poured me another glass of wine that I realized I’d been neglecting him ever since I’d gotten home. My mind seemed to be consumed by the questions weighing on it.

“Is everything okay?” he asked with a crooked frown.

I nodded my head, taking another large gulp of wine to steady my nerves. “Yeah, I was just thinking about us.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. You are honest with me, right? Like . . . you don’t keep secrets?”

The question got his attention. He set down his fork and leaned across the table as he took my hand. “Rosa, what’s going on with you tonight? You don’t seem like yourself. Tell me what’s going on and I can help.”

I shook my head. “I haven’t been entirely honest with you.”

He slid from his chair and knelt on the floor next to me. I could see the concern in his eyes as he took my hand. How could I tell him the truth? He would run away from me like any sane man would. No one wanted to be looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives. Being with me was a curse. I didn’t want to subject him to the same fate as mine.

“Damnit, Rosa, talk to me!” he said, his voice shaking the table.

I shook my head, whimpering as I folded my hands in my lap. “My name isn’t Rosa,” I whispered.

“What?”

“I said, my name isn’t Rosa. I’ve been in the witness protection program for the last five years. My ex-boyfriend was a bad man. I helped to lock him up.”

His hands slipped from my lap as he sat back on his haunches. “Wow.”

“I’m so sorry I lied to you. You must think I’m a monster. I understand if you want to go,” I said through the tears.

Peyton shook his head. “Hey.”

Before I knew it, I was wrapped in his arms as he carried me upstairs and laid me down on the bed. The mood between us wasn’t sexual, which was a first. I curled up into his arms, wondering if it would be the last time that he held me.

“Rosa,” he whispered softly. “Look at me.”

I turned my head up and gazed into his eyes as he spoke. “I don’t care what your name is, okay? I don’t care who you were in the past. I know what kind of person you are now. You are wonderful and caring. This doesn’t change anything between us.”

“Are you sure? You don’t understand the danger,” I whispered.

“I don’t care about the danger,” he said. “You are the only thing that matters to me now.”

“My ex . . . if he ever gets out, he will hunt me down. You don’t know what kind of a monster he is. He did terrible things to me.”

I felt Peyton’s grip tighten on me. “I will never let him hurt you.”

Every part of me wanted to believe him. I desperately wanted to trust in what he was saying, but we’d only been together for a few weeks. I had to wonder if I had blown it. Maybe it was too soon to tell him. As sexual as we were, he wasn’t making a move on me, and it almost seemed strange. He loved sex and was quickly turning me into a fellow addict. My desire was gone at that moment. With the thought of him leaving me, the only emotion I had was pure fear.

The wine started to catch up with me. Everything was becoming hazy as I tried to hold onto consciousness. I squeezed Peyton tighter, knowing that it could very well be the last time that I did so.

* * *

When my alarm sounded early the next morning, the only thought I had was of the pounding headache that had woken me. My mouth tasted like cotton as I felt around for Peyton. When he wasn’t lying next to me, my heart sank. I shut off my alarm and let a single tear slip down my cheek. I’d expected it, but it still hurt.

There was a sound outside my door. My heart fluttered as I sat up and watched the doorknob turn. Swallowing back against the dryness in my mouth, my eyes shot to the man standing in the doorway. Peyton was there, a bottle of water in one hand and two pills in the other. Immediately, I let out a sigh of relief as I wiped away the tear sitting on my cheek.

“Hey, I hope I didn’t wake you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No. My alarm went off. I thought you’d gone.”

“Rosa,” he said softly as he sat down on the bed next to me. “I told you last night that I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

“I guess I didn’t believe you,” I muttered as I wrapped my arms around him. “When I woke up and you weren’t here, I freaked out a little bit.”

“Oh, man, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t think about that,” Peyton murmured as he kissed my head.

I curled up next to him, knowing that I needed to get ready for work since he was there now. My mind was finally at ease. As his fingers trailed along my body, though, I felt the familiar stirring of desire. Looking into his crystal-clear eyes, I smiled. His sly grin and tattooed arms weren’t the only things I found entirely intoxicating about him. My fingers trailed up his perfectly muscular chest underneath his shirt. Kissing his neck and massaging his growing cock, I whispered into his ear.

“You know, I don’t need to leave just yet. Maybe we could seal this new honest relationship with a little bit of action.”

“Oh, yeah? I like the sound of that.”

“Then why don’t you get out of those clothes and we can make it official?”

“Shouldn’t you get to the bakery? I don’t want you to be late twice in one month. I swear that old lady is just looking for a reason to burn me at the stake.”

“Nah, I’ll just give her my muffin recipe and save your ass.”

He chuckled just as his phone rang. Instantly, he went stiff and moved away from me. It didn’t happen very often, but every once in a while, he would get a call and completely shut down on me. I didn’t want to be ‘that’ girlfriend who constantly asked him who was calling, but I was worried. Peyton seemed to like his job, but that damn phone was another story. Sometimes, I just wanted to toss it out the window.

“Maybe next time, Rosa. I need to get to the office.”

I frowned. “This early? You never leave for work before me.”

Peyton kissed me quickly before setting down the hangover cure on the bed. “I have an early meeting. Don’t worry, I will be back tonight in time for dinner. We can pick up then.”

“Sounds like a date,” I said, but he was already heading out the door.

I couldn’t believe it! Peyton never turned down sex, but this was the second time in a row that he hadn’t tried to make a move on me. What was worse, I actually got rejected. Any hope that I had of his being okay with the new situation flew out the window as I slumped back down onto the bed. I didn’t want to go to work. I didn’t want to move. Peyton was gone, and I wasn’t sure he was ever going to come back.