Page 90 of Tempt

The wedding ring is back on his finger.

I press up on my toes to wrap my arms around him.

26

DANIEL

The date was supposed to be simple.

A way to get out of the house and spend time with her on even ground.

But I’m so caught up in her.

Her strength.

Her humor.

What she’s been through.

The things she told me tonight only made me care about her more.

She deserves someone who can care for her with his whole heart without obligations. Not a man with a kid down the hall that still cries for a woman he can’t bring back.

Not someone who’s spent the last three years getting over it and is starting to see that in some ways, he never will.

“I need you,” I murmur against her ear. My voice shakes a little.

Does she know what I’m asking for?

If she says no, I’ll respect it.

I’ll turn and go back to my room and lie between the sheets and stare at the ceiling until it’s time to get up and start another day.

The words hang between us in the dark. There’s only my shallow breathing, her light scent in this place. Otherwise, we could be ghosts.

Her cool hands reach for my face.

“I’m here,” she whispers against my mouth.

I breathe out everything I’ve held inside.

Expectations.

Grief.

Disappointment.

Abandonment.

Longing.

Regret.

So much fucking regret.

“That was some date, huh?” I murmur against her hair.

“Best date ever.” She laughs softly, but her grip tightens. “We’re allowed to feel joy next to pain, Daniel. Happiness isn’t reserved for those people who’ve lived without suffering. It’s better appreciated by those who have.”

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