Page 152 of Dark Love

That should scare me. “Yes. I had to do something.”

“And that something included baking cookies for another man?”

When he says it like that, it sounds way worse than it is. “I made ‘slightly less embarrassing help me cookies’.”

Vex blinks. Then blinks again as his hands ball into fists. “What does that even mean?”

Can Vex not understand the English language when he’s upset? I was pretty clear in my explanation. “Caramel pecan clusters on butter cookies are ‘help me cookies’, but I was really embarrassed to ask Max, so I soaked the pecans in bourbon with the intention of getting him drunk. Therefore, it would be slightly less embarrassing if he didn’t remember.”

Vex takes a deep breath, holds it for a long moment, and then lets it out slowly. “How did Max help you?”

Nope. Nope. Telling him that now would be a really bad idea. I’d get in even deeper trouble. “You know what? This is all your fault. I’m never in trouble. But whenever I’m with you, you think I’m trouble.”

“That’s because you are trouble. But what you aren’t doing is distracting me. What did you ask Vincenti to help you with?”

“It’s too embarrassing.”

One second, I’m standing by the refrigerator. The next, my butt is on the bar and I’m staring into Vex’s eyes with barely a millimeter between us.

“We’re going to have this conversation again. And this time you’re going to hear me.”

I shake my head at him, making my hair fly out of my loose bun.

“Dahl.”

“No. I can’t.”

“Nothing you can say will embarrass me.”

His finger trails up my face and loops a strand of hair behind my ear. If I wasn’t sitting down, I would have fallen down. “But I would be.”

“Dahl.”

“It’s too hard. I don’t deal with embarrassment well.” Most times I shut down and hole up in my room.

“That’s becoming pretty clear. But you love me, and that means sharing the good and the bad, knowing I won’t judge you.”

Oh really? “Then why did you almost kill Max out there?”

“If I wanted to kill Vincenti, he would already be dead.”

That’s what Talon said.

“Vincenti knew I claimed you, and he took the cookies you made. That was disrespectful, and he needed to know I wouldn’t accept behavior like that.”

“Does that mean you don’t want me to have male friends? Because that’s completely unacceptable. You can’t tell me who can and can’t be my friend.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying? Because it sure sounds like you are.” I’d put my hand on my hip, but it would be awkward with his arms caging me in.

“Vincenti likes you.”

“I know that.”

Vex takes a deep breath. “He wants to be more than friends.”

“Max thinks that, but it’s only because Hope likes me and he thinks I’d be a good mom. Which he’s wrong about. I’d be a terrible mom. It doesn’t matter how many times Max proposes, I’m not interested.”

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