Page 63 of Dangerous Love

We were fucked. All I’d ever wanted was to protect my family. My friends.Sienna. But in that moment, I knew there was no universe where I could ever remotely succeed. “Well, good thing no one’s blackmailing you, right? And since we’re all amongst friends, why don’t you tell me why you want me back in your fold so much?” I forced my tone light. “We both know I’m more of an intellectual these days.”

Hal’s loud chortle startled me. It startled Trey too. We both stared at him like he’d grown two heads. The noise echoed louder until the walls of his office shook from the vibration coming out of his chest. “Shit, my youngest has a sense of humour.”

“Glad I amuse you.”

“Riley’s no threat, Pops.” Trey said, his head leaning back against the couch behind him. “I’ll vouch for that.”

Hal stopped laughing, his eyes digging into mine. “Glad to hear. That’s a reason to drink.” He yanked something from underneath his desk, and within ten seconds, he had a bottle of Yamazaki single malt and three glasses waiting to be filled with the amber liquid.

When Hal pointed to the cups, Trey and I pushed to our feet and grabbed the drinks from his hand. The glasses clunked as we toasted to whatever the fuck Hal had convinced himself of, while I prayed to God I’d drown in the alcohol and never wake up from my pathetic birthright.

“Tonight, you introduce yourself as my heir. You claim your throne, Trey. Make sure all these fuckers know who you are,” he ordered, as he marched towards the door. Then, right before he stepped outside, he eyed the matching Cooper crests on both their forearms. “And you,” he said to me. “Book a slot with the club’s tattooist. It’s about time you showed loyalty to the family.”

CHAPTER31

Sienna

Michael’s hands against my eyes felt warm to the touch. I laced my fingers with his, my feet slow as I stepped forward in the complete darkness. Then with a lightness in my heart, I pressed my back against his, excitement building as the surprise he’d prepared for the last few days would finally be revealed.

After two weeks of fun banter as roommates, things were warming up between us, though he’d made no move on me. In a sense, I was glad. The void Riley punched in my chest was slowly healing, and both he and Avery had stopped stalking me with daily messages. Still, I wasn’t ready for anything serious after grieving the love of my life.

“Where are you taking me?” I giggled as Michael held me tighter.

“God, you like to ask questions, babe. We’re almost there. In three…” He snaked his arm around my middle. “Two…” He lowered his chin until it was tucked inside my neck. “One.” Finally, he pressed a short kiss on my skin as he murmured his countdown in my ear. We’d stopped moving, his hands loosened around me, and he stepped back. “Open your eyes, Sienna.”

Slowly, my eyelids lifted until I stared at the most beautiful scene in front of me.

Oh my god…We stood on the rooftop of a penthouse, the wind blowing warm air through my hair. Across from us, the city lights blinked above the Brisbane River. CityCats floated on the water, fairy lights twinkling in the distance. Below, couples strolled hand in hand through Southbank, street music playing in the background. My heart fluttered when my eyes glanced sideways and landed on a table for two. A candlelit dinner awaited us, dark grey plates and silver cutlery sitting on a red silky tablecloth.

“Oh, Michael,” I whispered, my eyes locked on the romantic décor. “This is incredible.”

He grabbed my head and twirled me on the spot. “Nowhere near as much as you.”

My throat tightened, my belly somersaulting as he pulled me against his chest. Our eyes met, a bittersweet feeling making my head dizzy.You can’t cheat on someone who never wanted you in the first place.

“This is beautiful. What is this? Some other secret family lair?”

He chuckled. “Something like that.” He grabbed my hand and led me to the ledge of the rooftop. “If you look over there, you can pretty much see all over Brisbane. Everything from Nundah to Springwood.” When a plane flew right above our heads, he pointed in the distance. “Brisbane Airport’s this way. If you look closely, you can see the tiny flashing lights.”

I gasped. “I can see them.”

“Someday, I’ll take you on one for an even better view.”

“Yeah?” I snuggled against him. “Like where?”

He inhaled my hair, his palm against the small of my back. “Hawaii, Bahamas, Fiji… Who cares? As long as we get to be alone in our own paradise.”

I closed my eyes, visions of Michael and me swimming in various oceans, hiking in exotic places, and visiting historical sites rolling like a movie in my mind. I relaxed against him, all the weight I’d carried over the last few months finally lifting.

Maybe it’s meant to be this easy after all.

“That would be nice. I’d love to show you Europe. I lived in Italy for a year. I travelled to all the neighbouring countries on the weekends when I was bored.”

“Bored?” he asked. “That’s a weird reason to be travelling.”

I chuckled at my stupid comment. In all honesty, I’d almost forgotten that he never knew me as a weirdo. “Poor choice of words. Or not. I was complicated back then.”

Michael led me towards the table. And like they had magically appeared, warm plate covers waited for us. A basket of French bread with various dips sat in the middle of the presentation, sparkling alcohol filling our glasses, and based on the large bottle waiting on ice next to the table, it was a 2014 Domaine d’Eugénie. I’d never heard of it, but it sure as hell looked expensive.

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