Page 72 of Dare To Live

I shake my head. “I never said that.”

“The goofy smile does.”

“It’s a joke. I don’t mean it.”

He walks back toward the bathroom. “There’s no shame in admitting the truth, Hellcat.”

“You’re such an asshole!”

Chapter 40

Eli

When I return to the bedroom for the second time, it’s to find it empty.

“Arabella?” I walk into the living room through the other door and discover her pulling on her dress. “What are you doing?”

“We fucked, now I need to go back to my hotel.”

“You’re going to—” I cross the room and pull her around to face me. “You’re leaving?”

“I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression.”

“About what?”

“About how magical your dick is.”

“You said it, not me.”

“It was a joke.” She pulls out of my grip and snatches up her coat from where I’d tossed it. “Could you please put some clothes on?”

“Why? Scared my magic dick will stop you from leaving?”

She rolls her eyes and walks over to the elevator to stab at the button. I follow her.

“So, you’re allowed to joke, but I’m not? Is that what’s happening here?”

I thought we were getting somewhere. She melted in my arms; I admitted I needed her … I thought we’d rekindled our connection … and now she’s leaving?

I step in front of the elevator doors. “Why are you running away?”

“I’m not running.” Her gaze is focused somewhere beyond my shoulder. She won’t even fucking look at me.

“Ari—”

“Stop it! Stop calling me that.”

“Why?” I rake a hand through my hair. “I’m so fucking confused right now,” I admit in a rough tone when she doesn’t reply. “I can’t joke, I can’t call you Ari. What else? I can’t want you? I can’t need you?”

“You don’t need me. You just like knowing you can dangle your silly little games in front of me and I’ll fold like a house of cards.” She glares at me.

The doors behind me slide open. I hold out my arms to stop her from entering.

“Move out of the way.”

“No. Not until you explain what changed in the last few minutes.”

Her eyelashes lower, but not before I see a sheen of tears. Taking a cautious step forward, I press a finger beneath her chin and tip her face up.

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