Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
It’s enough to close my eyes, lay my cheek against his chest, and listen to his pounding heartbeat.
“That was amazing,” I whisper, kissing his sweaty chest.
“It was,” he agrees, with a tremor in his voice.
I don’t have to ask what he’s thinking to cause his tone to shake like that. I don’t have to question where the note of darkness comes from.
He knows what I know, and neither of us has to say it.
It’s either live this life in secret – which is impossible – or tell Dad, tell the truth, and risk it all falling down.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Damien
My gut has never been more of a pit, tension swallowing any good or positive emotions.
It’s been one day since Danielle, and I first made love, and we’ve done it three times since then, each one hotter and more addiction-provoking than the last.
I’m swiftly becoming addicted to her body, that’s the truth.
The feel of her as she shifts beneath me or bounces against me. Or – this morning – bounced up and down on top of me, her hands buried in my chest, her expression somehow sassy and unsure at the same time.
A combination unique to my woman.
Now, I’m driving toward Danielle’s house…Max’s house.
Danielle has told Max and Lacey that we have something to tell them.
My phone buzzes from the passenger seat. As I come to a stop at a red light, I quickly glance down at it, keeping my hands on the wheel.
We’re ready. XXXX
I try to tell myself this is going to have a happy ending as I keep driving.
But the closer I get, the more convincing this dark feeling inside of me becomes. It’s like all the friendship Max and I have shared is going to crash directly into my and Danielle’s relationship.
And, of course, it is. I knew this day had to come.
But it feels so much more difficult now it’s here.
Parking outside the house, I remember the last time I was here when I had no clue Danielle felt the same.
I knew she wanted me, but not in the same way I wanted her.
Now our future is laid out before us, inviting, shiny…unless this goes as badly as I feel.
I knock on the front door. Danielle must’ve been waiting for me because she opens it a moment later.
She stands there in a hoodie and jeans, her hair tied up in a messy bun.
It takes a herculean effort not to step forward for a kiss hello.
And then more, sliding my hands over her ass, over the outside of her hoodie, teasing her in that way she both loves and hates… hates because she gets so goddamn excited when we’re kissing and touching each other, she just wants it all, wants it now.
I can’t believe she was ever nervous about this, about us.
“Hey,” she says, stepping aside. “Come in.”
She leads me through the house, out into the yard.
Lacey and Max sit on one side of the glass table.
Guilt jabs at me when I see the look on Max’s face, curious but not argumentative, not thinking we’re here to tear his world apart for a second.
What have I done?
The question slams into me, but it comes far too late.
If I didn’t want to have this conversation, I never should’ve pursued my bone-deep need for Danielle. But even that’s a false scenario because I would never be able to resist her. It was difficult enough not texting her for two days.
Trying to stay physically away from her would be impossible.
“All right,” Max says, standing up. “What’s all this about? The restaurant?”
“I….”
It’s difficult for me to form words as I stare at my friend, at the kid who saved me from bullies and supported me my whole life. Or most of it. The same way I did him.
Some support, fucking his daughter.
Shit.
“We need to speak to you…about us,” I say, waving a hand at Danielle.
Lacey stands at Max’s side, her eyes narrowed and flitting between us. She gets the point far sooner than Max and doesn’t look pissed or shocked. She looks more curious.
When it hits Max, his expression drops. He looks from Danielle to me and back again.
Finally, he returns his gaze to me. “Right. Okay then.”
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Danielle mutters, her voice threatening to tear with a sob.
Max says nothing as he sits down. Lacey does the same, and then so do Danielle and me.
We’re arranged opposite each other, me looking at Max, Danielle looking at Lacey.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you both,” I say. “From start to finish. I won’t go into details in certain places, but you’re going to get the whole story.”
From beside me, Danielle sucks in a breath. I can sense how desperately she’d rather be somewhere else, the same way I would.
But the time for running from our problems has passed.
This is all we can do now, march forward and hope things work out.