“You can do this,” he said firmly, standing. “I would be there every step of the way.”
“David,” I said with an unsteady breath. I took a few steps away to gather my thoughts. “What I’ve been through since . . . there was a moment when . . .” I let the sentence trail off. Saying these things aloud was different than thinking them. I’d opened up to him, but not like this. The thought terrified me, but I looked him straight in the face. “There was a moment when I thought I might die without you. But I’ve already ruined so much,” I said, pressing my fingertips to the corners of my eyes.
“When I said that everything was for you, I meant it,” he said sternly. “My whole life I’ve been building and saving and preparing for the woman I knew would come along. I had to believe you were out there, because if I didn’t, I would have nothing.” His big shoulders heaved as he took a breath. “I’m not a religious or spiritual man. I am guided solely by my instincts, my gut. And they have led me to you. Without you, I have nothing to believe in.”
I blinked, shocked into silence. His words were needy, romantic, loving—misaligned with the man I had originally suspected him to be. And despite his stiff, almost militant stance, his eyes held only warmth and truth. “I-I don’t know what to say, David.” I did, though—I wanted to say that it was beautiful. That no one had ever said anything like that to me.
“It’s just the truth—the plain fucking truth.”
An awed smile touched my face. He was looking at me again the way he had that night at the hotel.
Love. Love is what I saw that night, andthatis what scared me. I already knew on some level that you loved me, David Dylan.
I inhaled. “What about Dani?”
His determination slid into confusion. “What?”
“Dani. You never really explained why you were at the ball with her.”
“Olivia, I—” He blew out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “Why are you asking me about that right now? I tell you I love you, that all I have is yours, and you want details about some meaningless dates we went on?”
My fingers tingled. “You’re asking me to leave my husband. I have every right to ask if you’ve ended things with the myriad women in your life.”
“You’re not asking because you believe they mean anything to me,” he said, frowning. “You’re asking because you’re scared and looking for an excuse out of this.”
I bristled. “That’s not true—and why aren’t you answering my question?”
“I tried to tell you. I ended things with Dani, but she begged me to take her to that one last event. I owed her that much.”
“You owed her?” I asked.
“She’s been patient and sweet, but I can’t give her what she wants with you in the picture.”
“And if I weren’t?” I asked.
“I don’t even care enough to wonder. She said she’d already paid for the tickets and that she was embarrassed to go alone. I’m only human.”
I scoffed. “That was a lie. They were Gretchen’s tickets.”
He pursed his lips. “Regardless. Do you trust me that nothing happened with her? She kissed me that night, but I stopped it. She was desperate.”
It wasn’t difficult to conjure up the image, Dani’s green eyes sparkling from behind the chocolate-brown mask that matched her hair. “Before or after me?” I asked.
“After, and like I said, I stopped it immediately,” he said frankly. “But it was nothing, Olivia. I promise.”
I’d heard that before.It was nothing. I promise. You’re acting crazy, Leanore. Your jealousy is unfounded.
I pressed the heels of my hands into my eye sockets. I was acting possessive over a man I had no claim to—and I’d spent years decrying my mother’s jealous behavior over her own husband. And yet, I couldn’t stop my envy at the thought of David with other women. “What about Maria?” I asked into the dark kitchen.
He exhaled a short laugh. “Do you think I’m playing games, Olivia? I don’t want Dani, I don’t want Maria, I wantyou. I would never ask you to leave your husband if I wasn’t ready for the commitment. Not just ready, but dying for it.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Why? I don’t understand why.”
“Why what?”
“Why me?” I whispered. “What makes me worthy? You could have anyone.”
His face fell. He cupped his hands under my jaw and looked directly at me. “How can you say that?” he asked sadly. He looked around the room and then back at me. “I’ve never had trouble meeting women, that’s true. But I knew as early as my first kiss that there was something missing. I never gave up hope that the right girl was out there. I knew you were her the moment our eyes met.” He paused and ran his thumbs over my cheekbones. “I didn’t need any other proof after our first night together.”
