Page 47 of Dark Memories
“But she has horrible taste.”
“She’s seven. She’s allowed to wear orange with purple if that makes her happy.”
Not that Kali would be excited about shopping. He’d rather send them to someplace she would enjoy more, like a beach somewhere, but he knew Cinda wouldn’t be able to resist a trip to Milan.
“I wouldn’t say no to an all-expenses-paid vacation. You are paying for it, right?”
He swallowed a sigh. “Yes, I’m paying. You’ll stay at Giovanni’s villa.”
“Fabulous. I can be ready to go on Sunday.”
“No, you’re leaving tomorrow.”
“I can’t possibly be ready—”
“Tomorrow, Cinda.”
“Fine. We’re taking your jet, I assume.”
“You assume correctly.”
That taken care of, he headed to his daughter’s room to pack. As he passed his office, he glanced in, seeing Delaney working on his computer again. He stopped, leaned against the doorframe, and shoved his fingers into the pockets of his jeans. She was so focused on the monitor that she didn’t notice him, giving him the opportunity to study her.
He should have gotten over her in the span of eight years, but he never had. She wasthe one. He’d known she was meant for him from the beginning, and that hadn’t changed. When she’d ignored his attempts to reconnect after his divorce, he’d thought she had moved on, and for her sake he’d backed off, leaving her alone. But he’d missed her every damn day. Now he realized that had been a mistake. What they had was still there, and he knew she felt it, too.
Her silence had been her attempt to protect herself from being hurt again. Now he had to prove to her that he still loved her and would never hurt her like he had before. She wasn’t making it easy on him, but that was okay. She’d earned the right to make him work for her, so challenge accepted.
“Damn bastard,” she muttered. At hearing his chuckle, she looked up, their gazes connecting, and he would swear sparks were bouncing in the air between them. “Oh, didn’t see you there.”
He walked in and perched on the desk. Maybe she’d push between his legs and kiss him again. “Who’s a bastard?”
“Davidson. It’s like he’s disappeared into thin air.”
“He’s not a magician. You’ll find him.”
“That we will. I just want to be slapping cuffs on him right now, not next week.” She leaned back in the chair. “Everything all set with Cinda?”
“Yes, she and Kali leave tomorrow for Milan.”
“Out of curiosity, why does Cinda love Milan?”
“It’s her favorite place to shop, so an all-expense-paid trip was an offer I knew she wouldn’t refuse.”
He smiled when she wrinkled her nose. “Where would you pick if offered an expense-paid vacation?”
“A week at Disney. I’ve never been.”
“Just say the word and I’ll take you. Kali loves going and would have a ball being your Disney tour guide.”
“Can I have a mouse hat with ears?”
“That’s a requirement.”
He couldn’t help comparing Cinda’s idea of a vacation to Delaney’s. The bill for Cinda’s shopping trip would cost a small fortune, and all Delaney wanted was a mouse hat. Although he’d worked hard, he knew he’d also had a lot of luck on his side to reach the success he had. But underneath all the trappings of wealth he was still a pizza-and-beer guy, and a girl who only wanted a mouse hat did more for him than all the designer fashions his ex-wife could clothe herself in.
“Say yes.” He wasn’t surprised when she laughed. He would have been disappointed if she hadn’t, if she’d made things too easy for him. She never had before, and he didn’t want her to start now.
“You’re funny,” she said, her grin another thing he’d missed. “Have I ever blindly said yes to you?”
