Page 364 of Dark Love

“No. Thank you. I’ll wear it like this.” Without showcasing any part of my body. “I’d like to wear this out.”

“Of course.” She lifts the tablet. “Everything is ready. You can leave whenever you want.”

“Don’t I have to pay?” Not one piece of clothing has a price tag on it which is a scary thought. Are they so expensive that they don’t want you to pass out before you purchase it.

“Everything is taken care of.” Her eyes move to Vex.

No, it’s not. “Would you excuse us for a moment?”

To her credit, Crystal doesn’t even blink

As soon as the door closes behind her, Vex asks, “Are you feeling alright?” He reaches for his phone. “You look pale. We should have stayed in bed.”

‘We’ should have stayed in bed. Those words send a shiver down my spine and all the stress I was feeling before evaporate. Vex’s mind obviously didn’t go where mine did, but that’s because he’s a gentleman worrying about me. And I’m thinking silly, impossible thoughts.

“Do you feel feverish? I’ll get Barb to meet us back at the penthouse. Fever isn’t usually one of the symptoms. You might have caught something.”

“Vex.” I place a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m fine.” Sort of… sometimes.

“Then why is yourskin pasty?”

“Because I almost had a panic attack in the changing room.”

His arms engulf me. “You’re safe. That monster didn’t lay a hand on you. No one will ever hurt you again. You’re safe.”

I shouldn’t take advantage of his kindness, but I can’t stop my body from melting into his arms, from taking every ounce of the comfort he’s offering, from savoring the sensation of being protected—truly protected from everything in the world even if all of that will disappear the moment I walk away from him. “Why are you doing this?” I whisper into his chest.

“Because you need help.” His voice is even lower than mine when he says, “And because I can’t make myself walk away from you.”

Could I walk away from him? This isn’t who I am. I don’t trust strangers. And I certainly don’t sleep in their beds. Or seek out comfort from one.

Yet that’s exactly what I’m doing. There has to be a rational reason. My therapist would probably say… “It’s the trauma of what almost happened. We’ll go back to normal, eventually.” Though part of me wishes this was my normal. That a man like Vex was always there to pull me close and protect me.

“Most likely.” He gives me a gentle squeeze and steps back, letting his arms fall to his sides.

It takes a second for the world to right itself. What were we talking about?

My clothes! “Vex, you aren’t paying for my clothes.”

“We already had this discussion.”

Yes, but I didn’t win, so we’re going to have it again. “You aren’t paying for my clothing. I am perfectly capable of paying for my own clothing.”

“When a woman is with me, I pay. End of discussion.”

That’s what he thinks. “My mother wouldn’t approve of a man that I’m not engaged to paying for my clothing. It’s not appropriate.”

“You’re a grown woman. Does it really matter what your mother thinks?” He quirks an eyebrow at me.

Sort of. Not really. It wouldn’t if we were in love. “That’s not the point.”

“Dahlia.”

I step up to him. “This is important to me. I don’t like to take personal gifts from people that I don’t have a relationship with.”

Vex’s face gets inscrutable. “When was the last time a man bought you an article of clothing?”

A man I’m not related to? Never. “My brother bought me a sweater a few months ago.” The hideous thing is hidden in the back of my closet, never to be seen again.

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