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He snorted. “Oh, he handled it all right. That guard mysteriously disappeared.”
I swallowed hard at that, but I wasn’t going to let anything he was saying deter me. “I’m offended you think so little of me. That I can’t handle this.”
“It’s not you that can’t, Vivian. It’s me. I’m the one that can’t deal with it.”
He pinched his lips together and scrubbed his hand over his face. It pained me to see him this way.
“I can’t do this to you. I never wanted you to be tangled up in my past. And if I keep you, I’m no different than my father. A selfish bastard who couldn’t see past anyone but himself.”
“But I know that’s not who you are. I love you, Daniel. That’s all we need to get through anything.”
His eyelids flew open. “Before you, I’d have said that way of thinking was naive.”
“And now?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer.
“You’re my reason for…everything.”
I forgot to wait for him to kiss me. I smashed my lips to his and locked my fingers behind his neck. My eyes remained glued to his. Anguish, determination…and love stared back at me.
His arms banded behind my back, and he pulled me flush against him. “I don’t like this,” he protested, even as he slipped his tongue between my parted lips.
I tilted my hips toward him, his erection hard against me. “Feels like you do.”
His lips twitched before he touched them to mine again. “I want you to have a life. If I let you stay, you won’t. I can’t take your life from you.”
“You already have,” I murmured against his mouth. “All of me belongs to you.”
He groaned, his hold tightening. “Damn right it does.”
“I’m staying. You don’t get to decide.” I tipped my head back and gave him myI’m not fucking aroundlook.
He dropped his forehead to mine. “I never had a choice anyway.” His eyes were clearer when he looked at me. “You’re the only way, V.”
“Are you done pushing me away?”
He swallowed hard and cradled my head to his chest. “I-I don’t know how to deal with leaving you on your own. It’s hard for me to accept you settling when you deserve so much better.”
I sighed and burrowed against him. “You are more than I deserve. And we’ll find our way. Please don’t make me do it without you.”
Daniel kissed the top of my head. “I never really left you.”
I popped up to look at him, eyes rounded. “What abouther?”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe I was done, that you’d see right through my bullshit. I secured a modeling contract for Giselle in exchange for her pretending to be my girlfriend. She never spent one night here, just left some stuff so Muriella would tell you. I never touched her. Never wanted to.”
“Where is she anyway? I thought she was here.”
“She was. Paul intercepted her at the door. Apparently Muriella told him she wasn’t allowed on the premises anymore.” His eyes danced with mirth. “She said she was going back home. I told her that was fine.” He fingered a lock of my hair. “No one could ever take your place, but I had to make it convincing. Should have known it wouldn’t matter.”
“Neither of us can stop this.” I motioned between the two of us. “You should know that by now.”
“I had to try. For you. But this isn’t just about prison. My fear of exactly what happened with Vinny tonight drove me to keep that part of my life separated from you and Muriella. I never wanted them to touch you. But in the end, my secrecy drove you to seek out Donato, which landed you right in the crosshairs. I made you less safe instead of more.”
“I get why you wanted to keep us away from those people. I’m glad you did in some respects. I never want to come home to a scene like that again.”
“You won’t,” he said, resolute. “I was wrong. I should have been honest with you from the start. A mistake I won’t make again.”
His features transformed. He kissed the tip of my nose. “Why do you always have to be right?”
