Page 548 of The Tempted

“This is the part where you send me away,” I said, swallowing against the lump in my throat before I found the courage to turn around and meet his gaze.

Yeah.

Here it comes.

“You’re better off away,” he stated. “You’re too good for this life, girl,” he said huskily.

“That’s a poor attempt at softening the blow of rejection,” I stammered, sliding off his lap.

“It’s not rejection,” he said.

“Feels like it,” I spat.

“This is me saving you one last time because I’m worse than the man with the needle baby,” he paused, standing up and closing the distance between us as he took my hand and laced our fingers together. “I’m the poison inside the needle,” he said, lifting our joined hands to my cheek. “And you? You’re everything good in this world. It’s a good dream, Lace. You and me, it’s a real good dream but dreams don’t come true for men like me.”

He dropped his hand from mine and took a retreating step back.

“They do when you want them enough,” I replied.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweats and focused his eyes on the floor. Without uttering a word Blackie made it clear our conversation was over and so was this stolen moment.

But there would be more.

I was sure of it.

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