Evie closed the office door behind her but didn’t approach Antonio’s desk. He looked at her from where he sat, hands folded together, thinking about what he was about to say. She looked so dejected and uncertain.

“I know that I stepped out of bounds,” she whispered before he could say anything. “I know that what I did wasn’t right, but I couldn’t just… stand there and not do something. You were busy, and after the renovation I didn’t want there to be any bad blood, so I just thought that it was okay. No one else was stepping in. Theo is my friend, and I let him suffer through an aggressive customer once before. I didn’t want him to think he was all on his own again.”

“I know,” Antonio said. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down.”

Evie wouldn’t meet his gaze as she obeyed. She sank into the chair and folded her hands on her lap. “Listen, if you don’t want me to do this anymore, I understand. I can start applying at other shops. I know things are awkward since this weekend, and I don’t want either of us to suffer unnecessarily. If that means that I need to find another job, that’s fine. Stop booking me and I’ll apply to other shops and switch once my bookings run out.”

“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about,” Antonio said. He let his eyes trace over the contours of her face. He took in the downcast slant of her eyes, and the way her lips trembled. Her shoulders were slumped, like she’d given up hope. “I heard what you said to talk that customer down, and I was impressed.”

Evie perked her head up and looked at him, gray eyes wide. “You were?”

“It takes courage and leadership to be able to do something like that,” Antonio said. “In a tough situation, you didn’t let your emotions get the best of you. That’s more than I can say for me. This weekend I went off the deep end, and I’m sorry. All of it hit at once, and I didn’t know what to do. I should have handled the situation better. What you did wasn’t right, but I….” Antonio let out a harsh breath. “I get that you had the best of intentions even if you did make a mess of it.”

Evie sat, speechless. Antonio let his gaze dip along her shoulders, remembering the slender body she kept hidden beneath her baggy shirts. All this time she’d been hiding away, and he’d asked a lot of her to come out and take charge. Evie was only doing what she knew. Of course she was going to make mistakes.

“I was wrong,” he concluded. “I’m sorry I let my anger get the best of me, and I’m sorry I hurt you. You deserve to be treated better.”

“What does that mean?” Evie asked. She narrowed her eyes a little, face quizzical.

“I pushed you too much,” Antonio said. He’d been thinking about it all weekend. He’d pushed Evie because he wanted to see the best from her, but it wasn’t what she’d needed. Their relationship was too young for him to have known it, but now that he’d called it off, Antonio saw the problem clearly. “It was wrong of me to force you into workshops, and to demand that you step out of your comfort zone in an attempt to get you to see your worth. I do believe you have what it takes to be head artist, and so does everyone else since they voted for you. I guess, in the end, my techniques were flawed. Just like Thorn Tattoo and Bloom Tattoo are different, the technique I wanted to use and the technique you needed were different, too.”

Evie’s confidence was picking back up. Antonio saw the sparkle in her eyes and the hint of a smile on her face.

“I should have been gentler and less demanding. I should have let you come out of your shell on your own. The problem is, I see the woman that you are behind all your self-doubt and confidence issues. I see a strong leader who is able to take on anything the world throws at her. It’s hard for me not to push you hard, because I don’t like to see the people I love fall short of their true potential.”

Evie heard him. Her back straightened, and she shifted her weight from thigh to thigh.

“The people you love?” she asked softly.

“That’s where it all went wrong,” Antonio agreed in just as tender a voice. “My soul realized that you were perfect for me long before my head did, and it made me stick on you, push you harder….”

“You love me,” Evie whispered.

“I love you, Evie,” Antonio repeated. He didn’t think he could make it any clearer. “I’ve loved you for a while now, which I realize is a lot to accept given how long we’ve known each other, and the walls of logic I keep myself hidden behind didn’t let me see it either until I said goodbye.”

Evie brushed at the corner of her eye to wipe away a tear. “And you know what?” she asked. “I think that’s what I love about you, Antonio. You’re always thinking things through so carefully that when you make a mistake, you aren’t afraid to own up to it. I forgive you, if you can forgive me. I made some really shitty decisions, but I’m learning. I don’t want to give up the position as head artist. I like making tough choices and I like the thrill of tough situations. I promise, with a little more work, I can make you proud.”

Antonio felt the smile break through his frozen features. Evie thawed him. “You already make me proud.”

“Then you’ll give me another chance?” Evie asked.

“I will.”

“And what about a chance for us?” Evie asked. She sucked in her bottom lip. “You know. As a couple?”

“I think that we can give that another go, too.” Antonio’s smile grew. “As long as that’s okay with you.”

“Are you kidding?” The sharp gleam of humor was back in Evie’s eyes, and Antonio was relieved to see it. The damage done wasn’t permanent. He was going to be in her life, and she was going to be in his. The one woman who’d ever made him happy was his again.

He hadn’t destroyed his personal life or his business. Everything was going to be okay.

“So I’ll take that as a yes?”

“You’d better damn well take it as a yes.” Evie grinned. “But on a few conditions. No more bringing me randomly to events and asking me to work the floor without clearing it by me first. No more town car dupe-out dates that turn into leadership workshops. And the last thing?”

“I’m listening,” Antonio said, holding back a grin.

“The next time we go for ice cream, get more goddamn napkins. I so told you!”

He laughed. The sound came from deep inside him, limitless and joyful. Evie beamed, more gorgeous than he’d ever seen her before. They were well-fitted for each other. Antonio couldn’t believe he’d stumbled into such an amazing woman or that he’d almost let her go. That would never happen again.

“I think we can manage that,” he said.

If napkins were all it was going to take, he knew that their future was bright.