Page 598 of Dark Love

Why didn’t I hold my tongue? Now she thinks I’m a monster.

“What do you mean, he touched my daughter without her consent?”

“He wrapped an arm around her and called her ‘Prue the Prude’ while she cringed away.”

Eugenia paces up and down the walkway, muttering to herself, “That little… Basil is just going to need to find another friend.” She turns to me and stops. “Let’s stop playing games. I know you’re in love with my daughter. And I know she’s in love with you. I also know you aren’t the businessman you’re pretending to be. There’s a lethal side of you hiding under the façade you’ve been putting up. I won’t ask what you do, because we both know it’s not quite legal, whatever it is. I only have one question for you. Does my daughter trust you?”

“With her life.”

“That’s good enough for me. Dahlia has always… well, almost always, been able to see through people.” Eugenia takes a step forward. “But if you hurt her, I will kill you. My daughter has endured enough pain to last her several lifetimes. You won’t add to that.”

What had Dahlia endured? “I would rather die than hurt her.”

Eugenia nods. “I expect you two will make this official quickly.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Where Do You Think You’re Going?

Dahlia

I tip-toe down the stairs, hoping to avoid my mother. There’s no way I want to run into her before my ‘lunch date’ with Maverick. It’s only ten thirty, but I need a little more time before coming clean—

“Where do you think you’re going, Dahlia Fleur?”

Uh oh. “Morning, Mom. I was just going to meet… Maverick for the date you arranged.”

“Come sit down.” She gestures to the couch across from her.

I could be eight years old again and in trouble for painting the bathroom floor with my nail polish for as terrified as I am right now.

“About that date… it was polite of Maverick not to come down to breakfast this morning. Your father wouldn’t have understood.”

WHAT! “How did you know? We didn’t even say a word to each other.”

“Since you might one day have children of your own, I’ll tell you my secret. Ever since Basil started sneaking out at fifteen, I go around to check to make sure my children are safely asleep in their bed before I can rest easy.”

“You saw us! We didn’t—We weren’t—We haven’t—”

Mom smiles. “Of course, you weren’t sleeping together. You’d be a lovely shade of puce right now instead of having slightly cherry cheeks. Do you love him?”

Might as well just say it now that we’ve been caught. “Yes.”

“Is he a good man?”

Lie. Lie like you’ve never lied before. “The world doesn’t think so.”

“Do you for one single moment believe I care what the world might think of your man? Half the family thinks I’m trash for becoming a poker player. The other half decided I was a gold digger for marrying your father, even though I’ve earned three times more than he has during our marriage. You can’t live your life by what other people think. Is Maverick a good man?”

“The best. Mom, if you knew all the things he’s done after all he’s been through—” I brush a tear away. “—you’d love him too.”

“I don’t need to know any of those things. All I need to know is that he makes you happy. And since I saw the evidence of that earlier this morning, I expect you two will be making use of the clubhouse I booked. You’ll make a lovely June Bride.”

“Mom.” Even as I complain, images of Vex… Maverick and I saying our vows, dancing our first dance, walking into the future together as man and wife flash before my eyes.

“What, you will.”

“He hasn’t proposed yet.”

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