Darius understood Sasha well enough to know she wouldn’t derive the same vengeful pleasure he and Marcs had about Braun’s comeuppance. At the same time, he couldn’t lie to her. “That was Marcs.”
“Julia?” Sasha’s expression changed to one of worry. “Is everything okay?”
Darius took a sip of his mimosa. “Reiter’s fingerprints matched a set taken from the SUV.”
“That leaves no doubt then.”
“Also, the IASC just held a press conference. They reviewed the evidence and have stripped Braun of her title.”
Sasha’s eyes went wide. “Oh! Well. What else could they do? Her sponsors dropped her. They couldn’t keep her on their payroll, and the IASC can’t have her as the public face of women’s sports climbing.”
Angelica must have overheard. She picked up their empty beignet plates. “No one wants a wannabe murderer on their box of Wheaties, know what I mean?”
That made Sasha smile.
“They announced that there was no world champion in the women’s events this year, so you’re still the reigning world champ.”
As Darius had predicted, this didn’t seem to carry much weight with Sasha.
“They didn’t have to do that. They could have given it to Daryna. She climbed well and came in second.”
“There’s more. They also banned Braun from competition for life.”
Sasha set her fork aside, her gaze falling to the table. “Imagine wanting something so bad that you destroy any chance you have of getting it. Her life as a professional climber is over. I can’t help but feel pity for her. I can’t imagine how she must feel now. The climbing community will ostracize her.”
Darius didn’t feel sorry for Braun at all. She’d done this to herself. But he didn’t say that. Instead, he reached across the table, took Sasha’s hand. “Are you okay?”
Sasha drew a breath, nodded, her smile returning. “It’s a beautiful morning. I’m alive and enjoying a champagne breakfast with the man I love and…”
Her words trailed off, her eyes going wide when she realized what she’d said. Her face flushed pink, and she stammered. “I… I’m… ”
Darius’ heart gave a hard thud, and for a moment, he couldn’t speak. When he could, he found himself wanting to tell her that he hadn’t expected to find her, that he wasn’t sure he was ready for this, that he might not be good at relationships. It had been so long since he’d had anyone in his life. But what hereallywanted to tell her was that he loved her, too. He just couldn’t find the courage.
He set his fork aside, took her hand, and raised it to his lips, the vulnerability on her face making his heart ache. “That sounds like the perfect morning.”
On Sunday,her last day in Denver, Darius took Sasha to the art museum, where they enjoyed an exhibit featuring American post-Impressionist artists. But Sasha’s mind was on the man beside her and not so much on art. Afterward, they strolled down the Sixteenth Street Mall, stopped for some Italian food, then drove back to his place, where they made long, slow love to one other.
Afterward, they lay together on his bed, Darius stroking her hair and holding her as best he could with their injuries.
Sasha didn’t want to bring this up, but she was running out of time. She’d told him she loved him during breakfast on Wednesday, and she knew he’d heard her. His reaction hadn’t been negative. She’d seen the surprise on his face, but he hadn’t shared how he felt about her. And now their stolen week together was almost over, and she was about to return to Scarlet. She wanted Darius in her life. Did he feel the same way?
There was only one way to find out.
She traced the line of dark curls that ran from his navel to his groin. “Where do we go from here, Dare? I said it the other day at the restaurant. I love you. I mean that, but I don’t want to rush this or push you away. What do we do?”
He kissed her head. “That’s why you’ve been so quiet all afternoon.”
“I keep imagining life as your girlfriend, and I guess I should stop because I’m not sure that’s what you want. So much has happened in such a short time.”
For a moment, he was silent, his fingers tracing a path along her spine. Then he sat up, helped her to sit, his gaze turning to the window, his expression so troubled that Sasha was sure he was about to let her go.
He looked into her eyes. “Some part of me broke after Becca’s murder. It’s been hard to get close to people. Women I’ve dated since have all said I was cold or closed off or emotionally unavailable. I’m not sure I’m capable of being the man you need and deserve. I guess it makes me selfish, but I don’t want this to end, either.”
Sasha had expected rejection, so it took her a moment. “You … you don’t?”
“God, no.” He chuckled, ran his thumb over her cheek. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way about any woman, so long since I’ve been able to talk with anyone like this. You changed everything, Sasha. But this won’t be easy.”
“Nothing worthwhile ever is.” She twined her fingers with his. “I already know you work lots of late nights and weekends. While we’re doing disclaimers, I should mention that I travel a lot. To maintain my sponsorships, I have to take on a certain number of high-profile climbing projects every year, and I’m not always the one who chooses them. I can be gone for six to eight weeks at a time. I face risks that most people don’t. I could get seriously injured or even killed. Elite climbers die every year.”
