NOLAN POV
Gwen finished eating and stood up from her chair. "I'll clean up the dishes since you did the cooking."
I felt disappointed that our conversation was ending. And because I felt that way, I knew I needed to pull back and create some distance. Wanting her in a s****l way was one thing, but starting to connect with her on a deeper, emotional level—a level that would make my desire for her even stronger—that would be a huge problem.
The fact that I was even thinking about a deeper connection was a complete surprise. It had been a very long time since I met a woman I truly wanted to get to know more about. Of course, the woman who finally caught my real interest was the one person I absolutely could not have. Because of this, I really needed to get out of this situation.
I stood u
