Page 53 of Dare to Need

I clutched at my chest and said, “You scared me.” Through a half-laugh.

“Sorry,” Garth mused with a smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips, as well as my core.

He sauntered over to me with a territorial prowess that had every inch of my body coming alive. We were slowly righting the wrongs we’d made over the past several days and the connection that tethered us together was starting to vibrate with heady tension again.

Butterflies swarmed my stomach as he stopped right before me, reaching out to cup the side of my face with his palm. I let myself fall into his touch, finding comfort in the unspoken promises fluttering between us.

“How’d the meeting with the lawyer go?” His voice was husky and each word dripped with desire.

I sighed heavily, trying to clear my mind from his intoxicating touch. “It went…okay,” I finally said. “Not the news I was hoping to hear, but at least I know what to expect now.”

Garth tilted his head. “Tell me more.”

I grabbed the back of his hand that was tenderly stroking my face and gathered our hands between us.

“Melvin informed me there is nothing he can do with a witness subpoena. Unfortunately, it’s up to the judge to decide if I would be a suitable witness or not and for these types of cases, there is typically no way for a witness to get out of it without lying. Which I obviously won’t do. So it seems like Connor has won this round and I will be forced to testify as a witness.”

A muscle ticked in Garth’s jaw as his hazel eyes turned stormy. “That fucking prick clearly didn’t heed my warning.”

I splayed my palms against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his turmoiled heart. “No, he didn’t.” I took in a deep breath. “But I’m going to be honest and tell the court exactly what I saw that day. If Connor is going to force his hand on me, he better know that I wouldn’t do anything to help his case. It still doesn’t make any sense to me. He knows that I saw them in the middle of an intimate moment. There was clearly no coercion and he was obviously an adult engaging in a consensual relationship. The only thing I can offer would be in support of the professor’s case.”

“Connor is nothing but a snake in the grass, so there’s no telling what he has up his sleeve. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will be by your side the entire time. As long as you want me there, I will even attend the court sessions so you can have someone there to support you.”

I leaned my forehead between my palms on the center of his chest. “Yes,” I whispered. “I would love that.”

“Consider it done.” He kissed the top of my hair and we stood there like that for several minutes. Soaking in each others’ presence as if the moment we stepped away, we might lose one another entirely.

With another kiss on my forehead, he slowly leaned back so I could see him clearly. The storm in his eyes had settled to a serene sky-blue that complimented the deep blue of his button-down.

“Thank you for knowing what I needed before I did.”

My brows scrunched together. “What do you mean?”

“Letting Lucas and Drema know that we needed them.”

I rolled my eyes to the side with a smirk. “As much as I would love to take credit for that move, it was actuallythemwho made the decision for me. Lucas was listening in on the conversation I was having with Drema and once he heard how difficult this was for you, they both decided that being here was more important than being in Italy.”

Garth’s warm chuckle cascaded down my body like a cashmere blanket. “That sounds just like Lucas. He was willing to leave Italy with the woman of his dreams just to make sure I was alright.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve him as a friend.”

I huffed. “I could say the same about Drema. Sometimes, I still feel like shit for not noticing her worth sooner. She has been the best friend I’ve ever had and for her to leave an internship placement inItaly…I’m just really thankful to have her in my life.”

Garth dipped his head low and kissed me on the cheek, leaving little fireworks dancing along my skin. “Looks like we both lucked out with choosing great friends.”

“Mmhmm,” I murmured, clutching onto his forearms for balance from the wave of dizziness that took hold from the touch of his lips on my skin.

“There’s something I want to tell you, doll face.”

My eyes fluttered open to find a knowing smile splayed across his plump lips. “What’s that?”

“Remember how I had breakfast with Garrett yesterday?”

“Yeah,” I said, drawing out the word.

“Well, we talked a lot about how we grew up and the expectations that were placed on me to take over our father’s position in the company. It was a good talk…areallygood talk actually. He told me that he was worried I was mad at him because our parents never put the same kind of pressure on him. And I was able to reassure him that I was never mad. It felt…great…to talk about all of that. Garrett and I were so close when we were kids. We did everything together and I think I missed having him in my life in that way for a long time. It felt like we were able to make some progress with our relationship.”

The way his face lit up when he talked about Garrett made my heart sing. “Wow! I’m so happy for you, babe. It must have been difficult feeling separated from him for all those years. I’m glad you were able to reconnect with him and clear the air. Hopefully, you can start rebuilding your relationship now that things have panned out between you and your dad as well.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for. I’ve already wasted too much time freaking out since we got the news about my father. Now, weallhave the opportunity to make things right. To focus on what really matters.” He pulled me in close, brushing my hair back behind my ear. “To me, that means making sure you know exactly how much I love you. That you never have to go a day wondering how I feel about you. It means standing by your side as we walk through life together. Spending every day of our lives with open curiosity and zest because we are never promised tomorrow and I don’t want to miss a thing.”

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