Page 56 of Only If You Dare

“I was in Houston six months before I met Cameron.”

Her eyes fluttered away from me, searching through the distance.

“I had just landed a major news story, which went on to win a DIG Award for journalistic excellence and investigative video.”

“Congratulations,” I cut in.

Desiree smiled up at me. “Thank you.”

“Forgive me for interrupting. Continue.”

Desiree held her smile and pressed forward. “I wanted to celebrate but had no one to celebrate with.”

Her tone became even lower.

“It was easy for him. I made it easy for him to just walk into my life like a savior.”

She struggled over her words.

“To try and make the most dramatic long story short, I fell in love with him. We were together two years before I found out he had a baby on the way with someone else.”

A flow of single droplets of tears glided down her caramel face. I swept her into my arms holding her close. Her body vibrated off of me as she cried. I stroked her back as she relinquished herself. Her voice was muffled when she spoke again.

“I keep telling myself that I’m over it, but every time I think about it, I cry like a baby.” Pulling back hopeful eyes searched mine. “That means I’m not over it, right?”

“It sounds like you need closure,” I said. “And you’ll have it. You can’t start anew without getting closure from your last relationship.”

Desiree scoffed. “Start anew?”

“You deserve to be with someone who will love and cherish you and only you forever…”

Desire wiped her tears and pulled away from me.

“I don’t know if that will ever happen for me, Julian.”

“I do,” I said.

“Because you’re psychic?”

I chuckled. “Not usually, but when I look at you, I see your future.” Her eyes rose. “It happens to have me in it,” I said.

Her eyes faltered and desire registered in them. Desiree took a step toward me, much like she’d done back at my hotel in Houston. If she wanted to keep her distance, taking that step was the wrong move. But like before, I took that as an opening and my mouth sailed into hers, deliberate and stimulating. Instinctively, my hands traveled around Desiree, sealing her warm body against mine. Remembering where we were, I pulled back.

“Do you mean it,” I asked, needing to hear her say she wanted me just as much as I wanted her.

“Yes,” she whispered.

My lips fell to her ear. “Are you sure, Bella?”

What I wanted to give her now was far more than I’d given on the yacht, but I needed her consent, loud and clear.

“Yes,” she said again.

My blood heated and I grabbed her hand, swiftly making our way back inside the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

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