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Dani’s breath hitched and she stared up at Austin. Had he said what she thought? He wanted to kiss her? And why did that thought send a thrill through her? She should be suspect of him. She didn’t know what his motives were. He’d lied to her. Several times, even. She shouldn’t be entertaining the thought of possibly allowing him to kiss her.
And yet, she found herself wondering what it would be like. What his lips would feel like against hers. Why did she suddenly want to find out? His words echoed in her head.Dani, do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now?
“Then maybe you should,” she said under her breath. Dear heavens, what was wrong with her? Had she really just said that? What was she doing? Maybe the sway of the ship was getting to her, making her dizzy and not thinking clearly. That had to be it.
He leaned in closer, the smell of his cologne making her heart pound and her knees feel weak. “What did you say?” His breath tickled her cheek.
Oh no. He was going to make her say it again? She would rather die than admit she’d been so flirty. She looked up at him, ready to deny any such comment had come out of her mouth, when the urge to ignore all sensibility swept over her and she repeated it, louder. “Maybe you should.”
Austin must have heard that time, because he cupped her cheek, threaded his fingers behind her neck, and tilted her head up to capture her lips. The kiss seemed to happen in slow motion, his lips skimming over hers, waves of pleasure skittering over her skin as the sound of the music floated on the air around them. He was warm, and his lips were surprisingly soft, gently teasing over hers.
Dani knew she shouldn’t allow the kiss, but ignored that voice of warning because it felt so amazing to be in Austin’s embrace. She wanted him. Needed him. Maybe it was because her father had cut her off and left her in a foreign country with no money and no way to get home, and Austin was her only hope of survival. Or maybe it was the silent strength he had, or the way he moved with such agility, like a large cat. Whatever it was, she was fiercely attracted to Austin.
The kiss was like a slow dance between them, and Dani never wanted it to stop. If she were made of chocolate, she’d be a melted mess right now. Her heart raced and she couldn’t help but entwine her fingers into his hair.
As he deepened the kiss, a wave of emotion stirred in her. If Austin was what he appeared to be, a compassionate man who put others first, then she could easily fall madly in love with him. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met. He never spoke an unkind word. His generosity went above and beyond. And he seemed to care for her quite deeply.
There was only one problem.
She couldn’t trust that he was who he came across to be. The thought that she was kissing a man who only wanted something from her soured her stomach, and she broke away from him. No matter what she was feeling, she almost never made the right choice when it came to trusting people. Rafael was the perfect example. So were Steph and Victoria. Or the many other “friends” she’d had that had simply used her to get what they wanted.
The ship rocked and she staggered back from him, embarrassed she’d flirted and let things get as far as they had. She raised her hands to her face, positive she was as red as his Los Angeles Demons football jersey. Her face was on fire.
“Dani—”
“Wait!” She held up a hand to stop him from saying whatever it was he was going to say. She didn’t want to hear it. “That was a mistake.”
His eyebrows pulled together. “A mistake?”
She backed away from him, guilt rising in her throat. Was she doomed to make a mess of her life, no matter what? How could she do this to herself, over and over? “I’m sorry,” she blurted out and turned from him.
She needed to get away. Unfortunately, they were stuck on this stupid day cruise for the next ten hours. There was no getting away from Austin. Not right now. But she needed space so she walked across the deck and followed the flow of people until she came to the back of the ship. The wind picked up and she faced the breeze, enjoying the way it blew her hair up from her neck, which had gotten way too hot.
Austin stepped beside her. He didn’t say anything, just stood there, staring out at the speck of land that was barely visible anymore. She waited until she knew for sure her voice wouldn’t betray her unsteady emotions.
“It’s my fault, so don’t feel bad.”
“I don’t feel bad.”
She glanced at him. His expression was carefully masked behind his cool, blue eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She envied him. She was sure all of her emotions were prominently displayed on her face. “Let’s just go back to how things were before.”
He slowly shook his head. “I don’t think I can do that.”
She shot him a frown as irritation swept through her. “What?”
He exhaled and ran a hand over his hair. “I will respect you. I won’t touch you. I will be the gentleman my mama raised. But I can’t go back to how I felt before.” He turned to her and his intense gaze sent a jolt through her. “I can’t deny my feelings any longer.”
His words rang in her ears, making her heart stop. If they hadn’t been the exact words Rafael had said to her, she might have been moved by them. She was certainly pinned to the spot by his exceptional blue eyes. But she’d heard that very thing before. And look how that turned out. She broke eye contact. “You’re going to have to, because I don’t feel the same.”
The lie sliced through her, but she steeled herself from it. She couldn’t admit she had feelings for Austin. Not when it was so obvious he was using her. She’d met him three days ago. And now here he was implying that he was falling in love with her. If that wasn’t ridiculous, she didn’t know what was. Rafael had done the same thing to her, but she’d been stupid and hadn’t seen him for the liar he was. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake.
Austin swallowed. “I know you don’t. But I’m not taking it back. You’re just going to have to accept that I—”
“Stop.” She didn’t want to hear the rest of that. No matter what he was going to say, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “Just…don’t,” she whispered. “Please.”
He nodded and looked out at the clouds. “I won’t say it.”
Even though she had pleaded with him not to continue, a small disappointment settled into her chest. Did that mean he was giving up? Because if he was sincere, he wouldn’t be giving up so easily.
