Eleanor looked away, stubbornly refusing to admit it. "No."


    His eyes were intensely serious, swirling with a heavy dose of affection.


    She took a deep breath and shot him an exasperated re. She wasn''t genuinely angry, just incredibly annoyed by how childish he was being.


    A thirty-year-old man, still ying eighteen-year-old mind games.


    "Mr. Goodwin, how was it?" the chief engineer asked eagerly.


    Listening from the sidelines, Eleanor didn''t understand half the jargon, but she could easily feel the sheer excitement radiating from the group as they passionately debated the engineering specs.


    It was almost eleven-thirty. Byron offered to take the engineers out for lunch, while


    A sleek ck SUV was waiting for them at the entrance. Once inside,n instinctively loosened his cor and leaned his head back against the seat, a faint trace of exhaustion shadowing his features.


    Pushing a car to its absolute limits wasn''t just physically draining; it took a massive toll mentally, too.


    Eleanor turned to look at him, remembering the reckless, fiercely aggressive way he had driven on the track. A thought struck her.


    For men like him, was that kind of controlled insanity just a desperate way to blow off steam?


    The restaurantn had chosen felt immediately familiar. It was the exact same private dining club she had visited previously with Mansfield Ellington.


    The ce was steeped in historical elegance, boasting a stunning courtyard with ornate pavilions and lush greenery. She followedn into an exclusive, private dining room.


    He handed her the menu. "What do you want to eat?"


    She ordered a soup and a light entrée. Ian took the menu back and tacked on three more dishes and a dessert.


    Once the waiter left, the soft, melodious strumming of a traditional zither drifted through the vintage room.


    "Are you still mad?"n asked, watching her carefully.


    Eleanor shook her head. "I''m not mad." She paused, locking eyes with him. "You know exactly what I was worried about."


    His gaze softened. Reaching across the table, he gently ced his hand over hers. "Don''t worry. I''ll be careful."


    Because neither of them were just living for themselves anymore. They had their daughter''s future to think about, and they were both potential donors if she ever rpsed.


    "I promise. I won''t do it again," he swore in a low, serious voice.


    Eleanor could understand. He had barely crossed thirty; it was only human for him to have a fiery,- reckless streak. She gently pulled her handback. Have you been under a lot of pressuretely?"


    back his chair and fina ane


    let out a


    soft sigh Yeah ve been pretty exhaustedtely."


    "Is it work?" she pressed.


    "Partly," he admitted, setting his cup down. Then, he raised his eyes, staring deeply into hers. "There''s also something else driving me crazy."


    He didn''t spell it out, but she knew exactly what he meant.


    Eleanor looked away, refusing to give him a direct answer. She picked up her own teacup and took a small sip. "You need to rx. Some things can''t be rushed."


    His eyes melted with absolute fondness. "I know. I''m not rushing you. We''ll take it at whatever pace you''refortable with. You take your time thinking, and I''ll take my time waiting."


    "Okay," she murmured softly.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!