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“Oh good, your friend is here,” the chipper nurse said. “Mr…?”
Daniel stood up and drew her to her feet to tuck her close to his side. “Daniel Elliott. Is it okay to take her home?”
“Yes, definitely. Dr. Chen spoke with her. Looks like it’s just emotional. Pregnant women get that way sometimes. Everything seems to overwhelm us, especially in the last trimester. Please, be kind to her and let her deal with it her own way. Call us if you need anything, Ms. Croft.”
Tae ducked her head. Embarrassment kept her mute. Daniel led her to the front of the clinic and out to where he’d parked. She pretended to fall asleep while they rode back to her apartment, but when he saw her inside, he confronted her.
“What’s gong on, Octavia?”
“Don’t talk like that,” she snapped.
He drew her to the couch and placed pressure on her shoulders until she gave in and sat down. She tried to draw away when he took her hands, but he held on. “Talk to me, baby.”
“Please, Daniel.”
“I can’t help if you don’t talk to me.”
She sniffed and looked at him. “Why didn’t Jax pick me up? Is he hurt? You can tell me the truth.”
Daniel looked away from her and then hesitated. “He’s not hurt. He and I were talking. He didn’t want me to tell you but…”
Her heart constricted.
“He can’t look after you the way you need. He intended to talk to you tonight—”
“What do you mean he can’t look after me? I’m not a fucking child!”
“Tae.”
She jerked her hands out of his. “Get out. I’m going to rest. You did your good deed. Now you can go. I’ve been letting you two act like nursemaids, vying for my attention all these months. Well that ends today. Jax should have ma
nned up and told me this was all too much and he was pulling out.” Her voice wobbled, but she cleared her throat. “He just asked… Never mind. I want you to go, Daniel.”
He stood up as well. “I can stay.”
“No, I’m working from home today, so after my nap I’m going to be editing.”
“Have you thought about my proposal?”
She clenched her hands at her sides and spun away from him Putting off telling him about her decision was the last thing she wanted to do, having learned her lesson with Jax. “I’m sorry. I can’t marry you.”
“You can’t, or you won’t?” He walked up behind her and turned her around to face him. For the first time, she felt Daniel’s strength and saw real anger in his face, directed at her. “Is it because of him? Because it’s obvious he doesn’t give a damn about you, Tae. He left you stranded at the hospital.”
“This has nothing to do with Jax.”
“How can I believe that? You fucked him when my back was turned.”
She glared at him and wrenched free of his touch. “Excuse me? When your back was turned? I believe you were marrying another woman, and I was not in a relationship with you. Further more, I’m still not. So you can get down off your high horse.”
“I already told you, Tae.”
She tossed her purse on the couch and then removed her sweater. “Already told me what?”
A finger beneath her chin made her duck away, but Daniel wouldn’t be put off. He grabbed her by both arms and drew her closer. For an instant it seemed like he didn’t even care that he pressed too hard on her belly. She opened her mouth to tell him where to go, but he covered her mouth with his. Tae punched at his chest, but he caught her hands and pinned them between them. She couldn’t get away. Her grunts of protest and squirming in his hold went unheeded, and a slice of fear stole her breath. He released her mouth and rained kisses across her cheek and down her neck.
“I’m not letting you leave me,” he whispered in her ear, and a tremor raced down her back. “You love me, and I love you. That should be enough. No, that will be enough.”
The front door slammed hard, and she jumped. Daniel took his time raising his head from where he nuzzled her neck and turned half-closed, lust filled eyes toward Jax. Tae looked too, and her fear turned to anger. She managed to break from Daniel’s hold and charged across the room toward Jax.
