Page 31 of Dating the Don

If I hide anything from her now, I will lose her forever. I can feel it. This is my one and only chance.

“When Dennis pulled me aside earlier this evening, it was to report that Doyle’s son was to be engaged to a woman named Maeve Sullivan.” I shake my head. “I didn’t think it was you and I feel like a fool for not seeing it sooner.”

Maeve seems speechless. She sits more quietly than I’ve ever seen her before. The puzzle pieces are falling into place for her the same way they had for me.

“I am still waiting for more information,” Annalisa concludes. “But know that I was to guard Maeve’s secret with my life. Now that it’s out, it’s going to spread like wildfire.”

Maeve gets up and leaves the room without a word. I nod my head in a silent goodnight to my mother before following silently after her. She doesn’t stop until she reaches our bedroom. She lingers in front of the door, kicking at her discarded shoes with her bare feet. I reach for her hand, and she pulls it away. It’s like she’s trying to make a choice and she wants to make it alone.

Maeve inhales sharply and lifts her chin. Her shoulders roll back. I would pay far more than a penny to know her thoughts.When she exhales slowly, only then does she open the door and let herself in.

I guess that’s a good sign.

I want to help her. To save her. I want to spare her all of this if I can. My options might be limited but it’s not too late for her.

She removes the pin from her hair and makes her way to the bathroom as I gently close the bedroom door. As soon as she turns on the shower, steamenters the bedroom. She emerges again, and I lean against the dresser. She asks me to undo the tie while holding the top portion up as she turns her back to face me.

This is not the evening I had in mind. I'd been dreaming of taking her clothes off ever since I saw her doing hermakeup. For entirely different reasons than his, I wanted so badly to take the dress off of her. I'm not even sure whether I'm allowed to touch her at this point.

The dress slips off her when I undo it, and she heads to the shower.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” I offer. It’s an olive branch I don’t even know if she wants it or not.

Maeve pauses with her hand under the water. It’s steaming enough that I’m surprised that it’s not scalding her somehow. “What does that mean?”

“You didn’t sign up for this,” I answer, even though the words feel like a heavy weight in my chest. “You didn’t want this or agree to it.”

She looks at me over her shoulder. I’m struck yet again by just how beautiful she is.

Even with soot and ash stuck to her flesh. She is undoubtedly the most stunning creature I have ever seen, no matter themakeup streaming down her cheeks after sobbing through her mascara or the muted shade of red in her hair. I don’t want to let her go. I would gladly keep our agreement for ever. Butwhat if she doesn't want it?

She waits for me to speak again, her hand lowering.

“I can have you and Ada both on a plane out of here before dawn. Anywhere in the world that you want to go. You don’t even have to tell me where you’re going. You can go on your own, if you prefer. I’ll have an account filled with funds for any life that you want, you don’t have to do this.” My eyes close as I speak. I don’t want to see her expression. I don’t want to know what her answer is going to be until she says it.

Even when I open my eyes again, I focus on my shoes as I give her the space to consider the offer.

“You’re sending me away?” She finally says in a quiet voice.

I look up. “What? No. I’m offering you a way out, you don’t have to live this life if you don’t want?—”

“So you’re getting rid of me? Backing out of our deal because it’s hard? Or are you thinking that I can’t handle it?” Maeve asks, her voice flat and dead.

She’s twisting my words.

A beat passes and she laughs cruelly. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Cristiano. If this bastard Sullivan is truly my father, then he’s responsible for my mother’s death and I owe it to her to avenge her.”

She stares at me, waiting for me to protest.

When I don’t, she nods curtly. “So it’s settled then.”

“I think I’m wearing off on you,” I remark with a humorless laugh. “Who would have thought that you would have gotten bloodthirsty so quickly?”

“You’re clearly a terrible influence,” Maeve agrees.

“And yet, here you are,” I push off of the counter and move to stand beside her. I keep my hands respectfully in my pockets. I have to know that she’s sure. “Tell me that you’re okay.”

Maeve’s expression softens. Her chin dimples and tears threaten her again. She shakes her head once. “It’s so much… it’s…”

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