Page 493 of Dark Love

Both men tip their heads at her cryptic response.

“Adonis, you don’t know Vex.” Cormac turns to me with a raised eyebrow and a knowing grin.

It’s doubtful that I’m hiding my irritation well. “We’ve met before.”

“How long have you two known each other?” Adonis asks Cormac to avoid making eye contact with me.

Smart man.

Though since he brings my woman soup and brags about her brownies, he can’t be that smart. Or maybe he just has a death wish.

“I’ve known Vex since we were teenagers.”

Adonis’ head comes up and his eyes light up with understanding. “Ah. That makes sense.”

Does it really? If you want to keep your head on your shoulders, you’ll shut up soon.

Dahlia’s two friends walk over. “Are we going to eat? Everyone is hungry.”

And that saved Adonis from dying.

Dahlia and I lag behind the group.

“Brownies. You made him brownies,” I whisper once we’re out of hearing range of the rest of them. Dahlia wasn’t kidding about it being a huge group of people.

“I didn’t make him brownies. I made everyone in the office brownies. My mother insisted. She wants me to make friends.”

“And you listen to your mother?”

“Occasionally.”

“And did you make friends?”

She shrugs.

“Dahl, what am I going to do with you? No more baking for the people at work. If you want to bring them bribery, I’ll show you where the best bakery is in Urbium.”

Dahlia squeezes my hand. “This jealous thing is sexy, but you do know that’s not going to happen, right?”

She’s going to drive me out of my mind. “I’m not jealous.”

“So that means you don’t hate Adonis?”

How could I not hate that creep? “I don’t trust him.”

“Do you trust anyone?”

“I trust you.” Those words feel so right on my lips even though they’re foreign. It took Payne years to earn my trust, and this woman earned it in just acouple of hours. It makes no sense. Then again, she shouldn’t have ever trusted a man like me with her life. But that’s exactly what she did.

“Then know it doesn’t matter how many cookies I make for other men—”

A growl escapes my lips.

“—that it will never change the fact that I love you.”

Those three words take my breath away and give my soul an inkling of life. Kiss her! I stop and tug Dahlia into my arms. In the blink of an eye, I’ve threaded my fingers through her hair and tipped her head up.

Giggling up ahead pulls me out of the moment. “Are you sure they aren’t friends of yours?”

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