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“It works for me, Daniel! Besides, I wasn’t trying to kill myself. I haven’t had an attack in years, so how was I to know that today, of all days, would be the day my asthma flares up?”
His eye twitched and he said through his teeth, “Do you see what I’m saying? You have a fucking lung disease, and you don’t even use your inhaler? Reckless. Dumb. Senseless. Did you even think about how your recklessness could affect other people? What if you were alone?”
“Well, I wasn’t.” I defended myself. It was a poor rebuttal, but it was the best I had.
His jaw locked, and he took a menacing step toward me. “But. If. You. Were.”
“If I was alone, I would be at Claire’s by now!”
The temperature cooled, and the air shifted to something menacing. There we were, face to face, chins jutted in defiance and stubbornness, eyes locked on each other.
We stood in a stalemate. Neither one of us dared to move; neither one of us wanted to strike next. Daniel and I had bickered before, but it was never anything like this. There was real anger behind his words.
The air thickened as he took yet another step my way. It felt like he was stalking me, the way a predator would do to its prey.
“Nothing to say for yourself?” His voice was low, with a tone that made my spine quiver.
This was my best friend's brother, but not only that, he was my boss. There were lines that were never to be crossed. I knew that, and so did he. The flashing red lights in my head urged me to stop. But my body had other ideas.
“Hmm?” He hooked his finger under my chin and forced it higher, so I was peering up at him.
My breath caught in my throat, the words lodging in my throat before they could be uttered. His touch was unexpected, but for some reason, it felt familiar—like home.
No. We are entering the danger zone.
I pulled out of his hold and created some necessary distance between us. I let go of the breath that had been trapped in my lungs and shook off the surprise. I could still feel the ghost of his touch and the warmth radiating from his skin's surface.
It took me a moment, but finally, I found my words again.
“Just because you don’t like the way I live my life doesn’t mean that I live my life wrong.” I gulped, trying to regain control of myself. “News flash, Daniel, we are two different people, and not everyone wants to live life like they have a fucking stick up their ass.”
“You were talking to a possible serial killer, rubbing your hand against his arm like some kind of…I don’t know what.” The words sprang from his mouth so quickly that I struggled to hang onto them. “You never think, Selena. You tend to live as a free spirit and hope for the best, and that is no way to live life.”
“What does it matter to you? It’s not like you want anything to do with me.”
“Well, I care.”
“Then stop!” I was at my wit's end with him. “Stop caring. Stop confusing me. Stop making me think that you—…” I caught myself before I said anything that I would likely regret.
The silence that surrounded us just outside the store was loud.
Why did he have to follow me last night?
“Making you think that I what, Selena?”
I kept my lips shut. I had said too much today and was tired of this back-and-forth with him. I wasn’t sure when the exact moment happened, but between me starting at his firm and now, something had shifted within me. I had kept him a safe enough distance from my heart that he could not affect me the same way Marcus had. He was meant to be nothing more but a fantasy—unattainable and highly unlikely. He was safe because he seemed like a pipe dream and distant.
Why did my heart feel like it was being squeezed like a sponge? His gaze was like a bullet to my chest. His words sliced through the deepest parts of my heart.
He took one last step toward me, breaking the personal barrier that I kept around myself. His scent assaulted my senses, and his closeness short-circuited my mind. I couldn’t think straight with him this close to me, and when dealing with this man, I needed to keep a clear and sane mind.
“Make. You. Think. What?” He was so close I could feel his breath on my face. My body vibrated with anticipation at his next move.
Oh, dear God. I was in trouble here.
His eyes moved from my eyes to my lips. I watched the way his pupils dilated, the hunger in his eyes taking over. I had never seen him so…primal. But in true Daniel fashion, the man remained composed.
Kiss me.
