Beyond(14)

His voice lowers and his eyes darken. “Come with me, to my bedroom, and I will take care of that.”

I wave my arm. “No thanks. That option is no longer on the table.”

“The hell it isn’t,” he growls, gripping my elbow and pulling me closer to him. “I’ll have you, and when I do you’re going to love every second of it. I’ll make it up to you. With my tongue, my fingers…”

I hate that he’s turning me on with his words. “We’ll see.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I wanted to be with you. Inside you. So f*ckin’ badly. But I don’t always get what I want.”

“What does that even mean?” I ask, exasperated.

“It means that I have a lot of responsibilities and sometimes I’m needed elsewhere, even though I don’t want to be there. Last night was one of those times. I couldn’t make it to where I really wanted to be.”

I look into his eyes. He looks sincere enough, but how much do I really know this man? I decide honesty is the best option, considering we’re going to be married and all.

“Because you were busy with your ex-girlfriend? If it’s okay for us to be sleeping with other people before this wedding, please let me know.”

I sound like a jealous girlfriend, and I know it. I only hope he doesn’t call me out on it.

His fingers tighten. “She’s not my ex and f*ck no you aren’t sleeping with anyone except me. Don’t push me Olivia.”

I flash back to the conversation we had about Gina. Dane had said he slept with her, and I’d assumed that she was his ex because of it. Maybe they were just f*ck buddies?

“What was so important that it overruled sleeping with me?” I ask, turning around and facing him. I stare him right in the eye, my spine straight.

“Gina has… issues, okay? She had a problem last night and wanted me to stay and talk with her.”

“What kind of problem?” I ask highhandedly. “Seen to many penises in one day?”

His eyes narrow. “What did you just say?”

“Oh please I know she works in the brothel,” I say, placing my hands on my hips.

“And how the hell do you know that?” he asks, his jaw clenching.

Well at least he wasn’t denying it.

“I saw her opening the door one day,” I say, shrugging. “Each to their own, I guess.”

He groans. “The issue she had last night didn’t have anything to do with sex Olivia. She has nightmares and goes into shock. Someone has to calm her down and pull her out of it.”

“And is that someone always you?” I ask quietly.

He grimaces, but nods. “She trusts me. I couldn’t just leave her like that, rocking herself in a corner. What kind of person would that make me?”

He was right of course. Turns out Dane wasn’t only good-looking and a skilled fighter, he was also a good man. I couldn’t complain just because those attributes weren’t benefiting me right now. I was being selfish. Again.

I sigh heavily. “Okay.”

“Okay?” he asks, tone laced with suspicion.

I nod once. “Okay?”

His lips tighten and his hazel eyes narrow on me. “What’s the catch?”

I try and hide my grin. “There’s no catch Dane. If you say you aren’t sleeping with your sexy brothel working ex-girlfriend then I believe you. Innocent until proven guilty, right?”

“Olivia—”

“Until next time Dane,” I say, cutting him off and continuing down the hallway. I hear him mutter a curse behind me, amusement filling me.

Maybe having Dane for a husband isn’t going to be so bad after all.





Chapter Eight





I don’t see Dane again until the next evening when he shows up at my room.

“Can I come in?” he asks, shifting on his feet as I open the door an inch. I can smell him from here, and it makes me want to bury my face in his chest and breathe in.

“Sure,” I say, opening the door fully and allowing him entry. “What can I do for you?”

I didn’t mean for that to come out as sultry as it did.

He closes the door behind him then turns to face me. I watch as his gaze scans my room. I slowly push my bra that I’d thrown on the floor under my bed with the tip of my foot. He sees it, and raises an eyebrow at me.

I shrug. “Wasn’t exactly expecting company.”

“Soon we’re going to be living together,” he says? as if he only just realized that fact.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

He looks away and sinks his teeth into his full lower lip. “Never said I didn’t want to.”

He was acting a little off, and I wasn’t sure why. “Is everything okay Dane?”

Eyes back on me, he steps forward. He makes my spacious room look small—he has such a commanding presence. Today he’s wearing all black, a tight t-shirt that shows off his sculptured muscles and cargo pants.

Warm, calloused fingers grip my chin and lift. “Something happened today that I didn’t like.”

“Wh-what?” I ask, getting lost in his gaze.

He wets his lips. “I missed you.”