Page 72 of Tainted Love

I shake my head, unwilling to lie to her. “No.”

She licks her dry lips and speaks with a whisper. “I never told him.”

“Your father?”

A single nod. “I never told him I loved him,” she says, her voice weak and full of pain.

My fingers twitch around her hand. “He knew.”

“No. How could he? I never said it. Not once.” Tears flow freely from her eyes now, dropping steadily down her neck. “I never told my own father how much I—”

“He knew,” I say it again. “Lucy, he knew.”

“But I never said it.”

“A daughter never has to. And he loved you. He was proud of you. I saw it in his eyes when he spoke of you. You were everything to him.” I lay my hands on her face to hold her head up. “Lucy, trust me,” I whisper.

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.” I smile and wipe her cheeks clean. “I spent almost thirty-thousand dollars to get to know you, Lucy Vaughn. I’m going to get my money’s worth.”

She chuckles softly and I twist to look at her knee.

“How’s the pain?” I ask.

“No idea,” she says. “Your brother’s painkillers are… pretty amazing.”

I run a hand down her right thigh, inching close to the knee. “You don’t feel that?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

I tickle her bare foot. “That?”

She hums a no.

I switch to the other one and she instantly kicks my hand as my fingertips graze the arch of her left foot.

I laugh. “Oh, you felt that just fine.”

Lucy bites her lips to hold back a weak chuckle. She falls silent as I push up her leg, slowly moving over her knee and thighs. Blood rushes to her cheeks, glowing pink for me.

“I feel that, too,” she says.

“I know.”

My hand travels her body, sliding up her stomach and over her breasts to land on her cheek. Her face is warm to the touch, shooting sparks through my knuckles.

“Be strong, Lucy Vaughn,” I say.

She inhales slowly and nods, her eyes never leaving mine, and leans into my hand as my thumb traces her lip.

“Thank you for saving my life, Dante.”

I lean in, drawn to her perfect lips. “I always will.”

I kiss her and her entire body trembles.

She reaches for me, embracing the distraction, pulling me closer to her as she returns my kiss. “Don’t leave,” she whispers, sliding her fingers into my belt. “Stay with me, please…”

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