Page 84 of The Wrong Fiancée

She looked over her shoulder at me. "Because you've been paying for me to be at Ka Pono all on your own."

"I'm making more money now and…maybe we could go there together. Get some treatments? I get a discount as an employee."

"I'd like that."

Dean was in the lobby, waiting for us. He smiled when he saw us. I gave him a small nod to let him know the meeting went well, my heart swelling with gratitude.

"Do you think I could work again, El?" Noe asked, and I could hear the fear in her voice.

I put brakes on her chair and stepped in front of her. I crouched down and took her hands in mine. "Noe, you can doanything you want to do. And guess what? You don't have to do any of it alone. I'll be there with you."

"I don't deserve you," she whispered, her eyes moist. "I've been such a bitch. Eli, how can you forgive me?"

"You're my sister." I straightened and felt Dean behind me, his chest brushing against my back.

Noe smiled at me and nodded at Dean.

"Let me take you out." Dean kissed my cheek and got behind Noe's wheelchair. "I'll make sure she gets back safe and sound."

"Thanks, Dean."

As they were walking out of the resort, I ran up to Dean. He stopped, and I put my mouth to his ear. "I love you. Will you spend the night with me?"

He looked at me, his eyes swimming with emotion. "Yes. Every night if you let me."

Chapter Twenty-Nine

DEAN

We went to her cottage, and I understood why. She wanted privacy. I'd offered to kick everyone out of the beach house, but I knew she needed me to meet her where she was—on her terms. It wasn't that the cottage defined her, but she wasn't wealthy, and deep down, despite all my apologies, there was a part of her that wanted to challenge me. She needed me to see her as an equal despite the differences in our education and income.

I couldn't stop touching her.

Since she let me back in, I'd had a hard time keeping my hands off of her. I held her hand. I put an arm around her. I touched her hair. I stroked her cheek. It was endless, this need to be close to her. I was afraid that without the physical connection, she'd slip away, and I'd lose her. That thought was terrifying. I'd found her again—whether it was the universe or the?aina, as the locals would say, I'd been given this life-altering chance with her, and I was going to do everything I could to safeguard it.

She pushed me onto her bed in the tiny bedroom. She put her knees on either side of my hips and straddled me. "I have you now."

I grinned, sliding my arms around her waist, my cock hurting. I was so hard and had been since she'd whispered how she wantedto spend the night with me. I knew she wanted us to make love—and now, not just because of the heat between us but because she wasfinally, trulygiving in to how she felt about me.

Before, even though she accepted our chemistry, she held a part of herself back, afraid that the minute she gave in, I'd walk away, telling her she wasn't enough. I'd done this to her, made her doubt herself. I should be flogged for making this wonderful woman feel smaller. I had judged her based on what she did instead of who she was.

"You've always had me," I confessed, “even when you didn't think you did."

She gently kissed me, and my heart filled with love for her.

I cupped her face and just looked at her. This beautiful woman wasmine.

"I'm really horny.” Her eyes were filled with amusement. “Can we leave the serious stuff for after you fuck my brains out?"

I grinned. The Elika with a wicked wit, was making an appearance. She was less exhausted, even though she worked just as much as she always had—but now the work she did at the gallery and as a hostess in the restaurant alongside her management training inspired her instead of tiring her. She was engaged in what she was doing and it showed. Also, having two days off every week had its own rewards. I knew she wanted to go back to school, maybe take online classes and finish her bachelor's degree.

We would argue whenever I brought up the fact that she was enrolled for the fall semester at NYU, starting in late September. The program combined online coursework with in-person classes, and she would graduate from the prestigious Institute of Fine Arts, renowned for its exceptional art history program. With a degree from NYU, her work at Hale Moana, and an internship with Archer Arts & Antiquities, Elika would have access to top-tier faculty, museum connections, and the opportunity to study in one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world.

She’d complain about the cost. She’d fume at how high-handed I’d been in securing her spot when she hadn’t even applied. But this was NYU, and I was an Archer—we could makeapplications happen, especially when our funding helped keep the institute thriving.

"Say you love me?" I demanded, my hands roaming her body, not resisting the need to touch.

"I love you." She brushed her lips against mine and sat back as I moved my hands under her dress, lifting it over her body and, finally, her head. I threw it aside and looked at her lush black bra and panties.

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