Page 80 of Tame Me

‘I’m not keeping that money in my account. Only the money for Ava and I’ll pay that back. Eventually.’

He sighs and rolls his eyes. ‘Whatever will help you sleep.’

But I feel worse.

‘You might want to phone her before she calls her bank thinking there’s been some sort of mistake and asks them to reverse it.’ He draws a breath. ‘You’ll want to see her before we leave the country. We can—’

‘No!’ I shake my head furiously and the truth spills out before I think to stop it. ‘She doesn’t know about Lukas.’

‘You haven’t told your sister you’ve had ababy?’ He frowns. ‘I thought you were close.’

‘We are.’ But I have to explain more. I want him to understand his money isn’t going to be wasted. ‘I didn’t want her dropping out to help me.’

‘Yet that’s what you did for her.’

‘I never droppedin. I always worked. I never...’ I shake my head, frustrated that I’m not explaining this well enough to wipe that frown off his face. ‘Ava’s amazing. Like really, really amazing. I didn’t want her jeopardising her future and that’s what she’d do if she knew—’

‘How much you’re struggling.’

I glare at him. ‘I’ve worked too hard for too long to get her into the position she’s in now.’

He glares right back at me. ‘Your sister should know you’ve had a baby. Just as your baby’s father should.’

It hits. Hard.

‘You really do like keeping everything within your very tight control,’ he says.

I don’t know why he’s so bothered by this. ‘I was doing it forher.’

His mouth thins. ‘No, you were controlling. Not involving her in any decision to help you or not. She’ll be angry with you for keeping this from her.’

‘That’s a price I’m willing to pay becauseherfuture is too important. I was going to tell her once I had things more secure.’

‘Fortunately things are more secure now. We’ll visit her before we leave.’

I stare at him.

It didn’t occur to me that visiting her would even be an option. I’m used to packing up and clearing out without any chance to say goodbye. The moment my mother decided, that was it—all hands on deck to put our few things into bags before they were forgotten. We always left as if a killer were at our heels.

Dain misinterprets my hesitation. ‘Surely you don’t want to leave the country without seeing her?’

My heart’s in my throat. I wouldloveto see her. I’ve missed her so much in these months that I’ve kept away from her. ‘Are you sure?’ I ask hesitantly. ‘You don’t mind?’

His jaw drops. ‘I’m not a monster, Talia,’ he mutters bleakly. ‘I’m not going to force you to pack up and leave the country without saying goodbye to your family or friends first.’

I hear the hurt in his voice. ‘I... I just...’

‘Think the worst of me.’

‘Of most people,’ I correct. My heart squeezes. It isn’t only him.

‘Well.’ He watches me. ‘You can ask me for anything.’

To my total mortification my face heats and I can’t even mumble a response. The things I really want to ask from him are way too...way too...wild.

CHAPTER TEN

Dain

---