Frowning, David pulled her closer.“What the hell is going on?Why do you want to phone Caitlin to pick you up?What happened between last night and now?”he growled.
“You tell me!”she nearly shouted.“This morning you—” She hiccupped and wiped a hand over her eyes.“This morning and last night, you couldn’t get enough of me and now you… you don’t even want to look at me!”
“That’s not true!”he shouted, upset because she was crying, upset because he wasn’t quite sure what exactly was going on.
She sniffled, wiped her face before looking him straight in the eye.“If you’ve had enough of me, you can tell me,” she said, just a slight tremor still audible in her voice.“I’m a big girl; I can take it.I’ve always known this couldn’t last.But I didn’t think you’d be too much of a coward to tell me to my face.”
And suddenly he was the hell in.This damn woman had him all tied up in knots and now she wanted to tell him what he was feeling as well.“Oh, you’ve always known, have you?And why is that?”he asked.
She rolled her eyes.Rolled her eyes!“Because, David, I’m a school teacher from Hermanus; my dad was in jail.You are a Cavallo; you probably have more money than you know what to do with.I know I’ve only been a temporary diversion for you.One that you are now clearly over.Let’s leave it at that,” she said in a cold voice and tried to move past him to the front door.
He was so astonished at the drivel she was talking he was speechless for a number of seconds.But then he saw her eyes, bright with tears, and a sliver of hope had him swallowing a grin.
Before she could open the door, he turned her around and backed her up against the door.
“So why are you upset?”he asked.
It was obvious this wasn’t a question she’d been expecting.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
He combed her hair back with his fingers and trailed the back of his hand down her beautiful face.
“It’s a simple question, Dana,” he said and cupped her face with both hands.“Why does your idea that you’ve only been a diversion for me upset you?”
Her breath hitched in her throat; her gaze roamed uneasily over his face.But then her stubborn chin lifted.“It’s not my idea.”
“Then whose is it, because it’s sure as hell not mine.Damn it to hell, Dana, I bloody love you!”he shouted.
She stilled in his arms.Her eyes shot open wide.For long minutes they stared at each other, their breaths coming out in gasps.
“What did you say?”she breathed, her eyes narrowing.
He smiled and dropped his hands.“You heard me.”
She inhaled tremulously.“Could you repeat it?Please?”
“Why?”
“Because I love you too.”A tiny smile was hovering on her lips.
His heart stopped.Just stopped.His breath came out in a whoosh.His hands landed on her shoulders.“What did you say?”
“You heard me.”She mimicked his words of just now and smiled saucily up at him.
“Dana, damn it, tell me!”he roared.
“David, damn it, tell me!”She giggled.
“I love you!”they shouted together.
And then the wonder of it all settled in her eyes, and he knew for sure.He’d found his soul mate, the love of his life.
*
Dana could onlystare at David.So this was what happened when someone found their one true love.Her ditzy heart bounced around, out of oxygen for a few seconds before it finally settled in a new space where it fitted perfectly.Right next to David’s.
Pure joy like she’d never experienced before rushed through her, bursting out in a laugh.She touched his face, traced the outline of his lips with her fingers, followed the line of his strong jaw down to his throat before she moved into him, folded her arms around him, and rested her face against his chest.
