out to be a godsend. I’ve gotten more work done on my app this week than I ever would have if I was still being pulled in eight hundred directions at work. I even took the day off to finish up the data integration testing.” She shoved her hands in her back pockets and hunched her shoulders in a shrug that seemed much too casual for such a momentous conversation. “It’s taken me a few days to arrive here, but after looking at the situation from your perspective, I’ve come to the conclusion that you truly had no other choice. You did what you had to do. I’m not going to hold that against you.”
“Samiah…” There was no way it would be this easy. She could not be this amazing? There had to be a catch.
“You know,” she continued, the corner of her mouth tilting up in a brief smile. “Even if it had cost me my job, I think I would have eventually gotten over it. I don’t mind being collateral damage if it means some really bad people get caught.”
“But it wasn’t my place to put you in the position of sacrificing a job that means so much to you.”
She shook her head again. “My job at Trendsetters doesn’t make me. I can always find a new one.” She shrugged again. “Or, I can work full-time on Just Friends. I’ve put myself in a position where I’m not dependent on any single job.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side.
“You have cleared up the one question that bothered me the most this week, so thanks for that.”
“What question?”
“I was unsure if you’d started out with the plan to steal my access card from the very beginning,” she said.
“No.” Daniel shook his head so emphatically he nearly hurt his neck. “Please believe me when I say I didn’t set out to use you or to hurt you.”
Her lips eased into a relaxed smile. “Then that’s all that matters.”
He was too afraid to hope, but he had to ask. “Samiah, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if you had given me just a little more time, I would have eventually called to tell you everything I just said. And you could have saved whatever ridiculous amount of money you spent on airfare.”
Relief crashed into him. God, he didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve her at all.
“It was worth every penny just to see you,” Daniel said.
She walked up to him and tugged on his shirt’s hem, pulling him closer. “You keep that up and you’re going to find yourself in an ill-advised relationship again, Daniel Collins.” She pulled back, her brow furrowing. “That is your real name, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s my real name,” he said. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers. “And there is nothing stopping us from being in a relationship anymore. We’re free and clear.”
“Are we?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Yes.” He nodded. “Is it too soon to admit that I am completely in love with you, Samiah Brooks?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure,” she said. “I’ll have to wait until London and Taylor get back and ask them what the boyfriend project handbook says about that.”
He arched a brow. “The boyfriend project?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, just kiss me.”
Epilogue
Are you sure this recipe calls for a fourth cup of chili flakes? That seems like a lot.”
“I’m sure. Buldak literally means ‘fire chicken,’” Daniel said. He gestured to the small jar of deep red paste. “And when it comes to heat level, the chili flakes have nothing on the gochujang over there.”
“This dish is going to kill me,” Samiah said, experiencing true fear as the delicious-smelling sauce gurgled in the saucepan.
“I thought you said you liked it spicy. Don’t wimp out on me now.” He leaned over and placed the sweetest kiss on her lips. “You’ll love it, I promise.”
She would probably end up in the ER, but she’d deal with that disaster if it came to pass. Whatever the outcome of their meal, it would be worth it just for the opportunity to watch Daniel Collins’s sexy ass go to work in the kitchen. Having a man who cooked was one thing, having a man who looked like that when he cooked? That was #lifegoals. She’d reached an entirely new level of living her best life.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” Samiah asked, unable to suppress the poutiness in her tone.
“Six.”
“In the morning? You’re not expecting a ride