Chapter 269

"Evelyn, say that again." Eli Sullivan looked calm on the outside, but inside? A complete mess. Even his voice had a barely noticeable tremble. "I... I like you." Evelyn Hayes lowered her voice—still shy, clearly not used to saying stuff like that. She and Christopher Harrison had never really done the whole confession thing. They were childhood sweethearts, families close, sort of just assumed they'd end up together. No dating, no chase—just naturally became a couple. So this was literally her first time saying "I like you" to a guy—Vivian had even coached her on how to say it. Otherwise, she’d probably have choked on it. "...I don’t like you." The man’s reply hit her like a slap. Eyes wide, shocked, she looked up at him. "I’m in love with you." "Head over heels." His low, almost raspy voice lit a spark deep inside her. Next thing she knew, he scooped her up, all strong arms and no hesitation, and carried her out of the study and straight back to the bedroom. "Ah—" Her startled gasp g