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“Annoying,” he said and stopped walking, so she crashed into him. He took her mouth and kissed her hungrily.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she said. “Thank you.”
“The only thing beautiful is you,” Daniel replied.
“Hey, drop the charm. You know I’m a sure thing.”
Daniel laughed and swooped her off her feet, loving the little squeal she let out, and carried her up the sand. He dropped her down onto a grassy spot and crouched in front of her.
“Harper. I need to tell you something,” Daniel said, going serious.
Her face dropped. “What?”
“I apologize in advance for this, so please don’t be angry with me.”
“Apologize...what?”
“I don’t have a cousin,” Daniel said, then shrugged. “Well, I do. Sam. He’s a twenty-three-year-old stockbroker.”
He’d forgotten about Sam when they had been shopping. Daniel waved his hand in the air all anyway...
“A stockbroker? Oh, the gift?” Harper said, the dots finally connecting, and then she frowned.
He hoped she would forgive the little white lie as he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out the Cartier watch. His eyes darting between her face and wrist, he gently put it on her.
Harper stared at it, her mouth parted.
“It’s insured,” Daniel said, keeping her hand in his. “I bought it for you, Harper. It’s yours. To remember our time together. Terrible pun, not intended.”
Harper's wet eyes met his.
His heart thumped.
“Don’t say you won’t take it, because I’ll throw it in the trash if you do.”
She gasped as he knew she would.
“Daniel,” she whispered in a growl.
He meant it—if this woman wouldn’t wear it, he didn’t want it.
Harper took her hand from his and touched it tentatively, moving it around on her arm.
“It’s just a gift,” he said, shifting on his other foot while crouching in front of her.
“A big gift,” she said as he dropped to the sand beside her.
“I wanted to get you something you’d love. That would last a long time.”
Because this can’t.
Then he saw tears build in her eyes.
“It wasn’t meant to make you cry, dammit,” Daniel said, pulling her into his arms.
She wrapped herself around him, apologizing into his chest. “Sorry. It was very nice of you. Thank you.” She sniffed. “I will love it forever.”
He took her chin.
The words were on the tip of his tongue.
Fuck it. He was going to say it.
“Harper, if I could, I would love you forever.”
A big fat tear dropped down her cheek.
