Getting up, I walk to the phone and place our order before heading back to the couch. On purpose, I sit down close to her, my leg pressing against hers.
Danny freezes but doesn’t say anything.
After a couple of minutes of just staring at the document, I ask, “Are we going to talk about what happened?”
I hear her take a deep breath. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry it happened.”
Clenching my jaw, I drop the document on the coffee table and rest my forearms on my thighs. Closing my eyes, I rein in the burst of anger. “Do you regret us having sex?”
I feel her eyes snap to me. “Ahh…”
Turning my gaze to hers, our eyes lock. “Do you regret it, Danny?”
“You’re twenty-five,” she begins to ramble. “I’m thirty-two.”
“I’m well aware of the age gap, and I don’t give a shit about it,” I grumble.
She shakes her head. “People will talk. The last thing I want is everyone thinking I’m some cougar who took advantage of a younger guy.”
“Seriously?” I hiss. “The age gap isn’t that much, and I don’t care what other people think.”
“Ryker,” she murmurs, a pleading tone to her voice.
“Do you regret having sex with me?” I ask again.
Her eyes move to the table, and a minute later, she shakes her head. “But it doesn’t matter.”
“How can you say that?” I ask, my voice dropping low with frustration.
“We work together,” she throws a pathetic-ass excuse my way.
“So?”
“Our families will freak out,” she keeps going. “Especially Tristan.”
“I don’t think our families will care,” I disagree. “And I’ll handle Tristan.”
“You’re so much younger than me,” she returns to the topic of the fucking age gap.
Turning so my body’s facing hers, I take hold of her arm. “Look at me.”
It takes a couple of seconds before Danny’s gaze meets mine.
“We made love. It was fucking amazing. I don’t regret a single moment.” She begins to shake her head, and needing to get through to her makes me go in for the kill. “I love you, and I’m pretty sure you said those same words to me while I was buried deep inside of you.”
Danny covers her face with her hands, letting out a groan. “We were drunk,” she exclaims.
Letting out a frustrated groan, I say, “I’m not drunk right now. Did you not hear what I just said, or are you choosing to ignore it?”
Danny’s lips part, but before she can say something, the doorbell rings. I let out a sigh as I get up to open the door. A server pushes a cart into the suite, and after I’ve signed for it, he leaves. Picking up the two plates, I carry them to the dining table.
Aggravated out of my mind, I place my hands on the glass surface of the table and close my eyes.
I hear Danny move, and then she says, “I’m going for a walk. I think we both need some space to think.”
I dart toward her and grab hold of her arm before she can even open the door. “You’re not going out there alone. It’s not safe.” I drag her back to the dining room. “And you need to eat.”
Danny lets out a huff, but she doesn’t argue and takes a seat.
I have zero appetite, but I sit down and begin to cut into the steak while grumbling, “Eat, Daniele.”
She shoots me a glare. “That’s the second time today you’ve called me by my full name.”
“Because you fucking listen then,” I mutter as I get up to grab two bottles of water from the fridge.
I set one down in front of her, and uncapping mine, I take a sip. I stare at the food, which looks amazing, but I can’t bring myself to take a bite. Neither can Danny, by the looks of it.
Letting out a sigh, I look at her. “I love you, Danny.”
This time she can’t ignore the words. She closes her eyes and takes a quivering breath, which has me reaching over and wrapping my fingers around the back of her neck.
“I. Love. You,” I say again. “So fucking much it’s driving me insane.”
Chapter 8
DANNY
Hearing the words, again and again, makes tears blur my vision.
I get up and put some distance between Ryker and me.
I love him and knowing he feels the same makes it impossible to force the words over my lips. I can’t deny the one thing I want most in the world.
Ryker West. My happily ever after.
When I shake my head, he closes the distance between us. Taking hold of my shoulders, he leans down to catch my eyes. “Tell me you don’t love me, and I’ll back off.”
I shake my head again as my chin begins to quiver. I can’t say those words to him. Never.
Ryker presses his forehead to mine, a pleading tone making his voice hoarse as he whispers, “Please, Danny. Please give us a chance.”