Page 86 of The Two Last Moments

“In the giant, luxurious bathroom fit for a princess? How is that even a question?”

Danny heats up the water, and we step under the spray. We wash each other with expensive body wash, kissing and caressing in between, and then we just hold one another. I love how affectionate Danny is.

“Nina said you’ve traveled a lot. What’s your favorite place in the world you’ve visited?”

“Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro. That was incredible. Or anyplace where I can see the Milky Way at night.”

I snuggle my head against his chest as the warm water sluices over us both. “I want to see the stars.”

“We’ll go camping. We’ve got some Dark Sky Parks here in Cali. Or we could hit Canyonlands and some other spots in Utah. All the red rocks and painted canyons. It’s like another planet.”

“You’ll take me there?”

“Absolutely.” He kisses my forehead. “I’ll take you everywhere. New York and Paris and Berlin and Tokyo, when we’ve saved up enough to afford it. We’ll pick places I haven’t been, too. So we can experience them for the first time together.” He holds my face and looks at me like I’m something he treasures. Someone who’s worth all this effort.

I want so badly to see myself the way he does. I want to travel to all those places he’s mentioned and more.

But when I venture out and dig into my past, that’s when danger has threatened. Maybe my stepbrother—or whoever hurt me, whoever’s continued to harass and follow me—will give up and leave me alone if I stay here. With Danny and Nina in West Oaks.

Maybe I was supposed to find Danny, not just so that he could help me through this, but so that I could help him with Nina too. So that I couldlovehim. He’s the best man that I’ve ever met, and if he cares about me, then I’ll do whatever I can every single day to earn that.

“Where should we go first?” he asks.

“I just want a life here in West Oaks. A home. Being who I am now.”

Danny smiles. “Good, because I think you’re amazing. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

I shrug. “You’re okay, too.”

“Wow, careful with those over-the-top compliments. I’ll get a bigger head than Matteo’s.”

“You’re amazing,” I whisper to him. “And I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

I want the future he talked about.I want a life with you. It’s on the tip of my tongue. I don’t say it yet, but I feel it all the way to the core of my being. The clearest, simplest truth that I know.

If he loved me…Could I ever be that lucky?

Danny is worth everything, and that includes letting go of my doubts. Letting go of my fears about myself.

* * *

We fallinto bed and sleep. In the morning, the bright sky wakes us. We make love bathed in diffused sunlight, Danny moving on top of me. He pins my hands over my head, his cock hard and thrusting as he covers my neck and breasts with love bites and kisses. We’re all golden skin and white sheets and contented sighs. A perfect contrast to the moody darkness of the night before. I’m with Danny, so of course it feels exactly right.

We’re supposed to have this. Nights and mornings and all the hours in between.

We come staring into each other’s eyes. Danny’s are endless blue, just like the sky. Then it’s open-mouthed kisses and cuddles and sweet whispered words. Quinn was right. We’re so adorable, I can hardly stand us. But I can’t stop smiling either.

After another shower in the luxurious bathroom, we dress and walk down the beach to a small bakery. We stroll along the water and drink our coffees, holding hands. “Have you checked in with Nina?” I ask.

Danny’s fingers slide under my hair to the back of my neck. Seems to be one of his favorite places to touch me. “Yeah, Matteo is there. Nina’s up, and Ryan just got on shift. But Matteo’s going to stay until we’re home.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“We’re going to owe him and Angela a million hours of babysitting once their kiddo arrives. You up for that?”

That thought makes me smile. “I doubt I know anything about babies, but it would be fun to learn.”With you.Everything with you.

On our way back to the hotel, we stop at a fancy florist’s shop on Ocean Lane. I slow down and linger, admiring the bunches of long-stemmed flowers that the florist has on display out front.

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