Denzel's directness left Juniper stunned. She stared at him, forgetting to blink, wondering if she'd heard him correctly.
"Are you asking me out?" she breathed, the words heavy with disbelief. In her mind, she was damaged goods, a divorcee with a messy past and a reputation for chaos. She couldn't imagine why any man would willingly step into her life.
"Yes," Denzel replied, his hands planted firmly on the counter as he held her gaze.
She let out a dry, incredulous chuckle. "Why? I'm older than you, I'm a divorcee, and my family cut ties with me. You know exactly what kind of mistakes I've made." Her voice wavered, and her eyes grew misty as she forced herself to keep looking at him.
"I don't care about any of that," Denzel said. "I live in the present. Think about it."
