He didn’t deserve her, no, but no way in hell would he ever willingly give her up. She had become vital to him. As necessary as breathing. He couldn’t imagine his life without her now. Never did he want to go back to the stark, barren existence he’d endured before Evangeline had stormed into his life and changed everything.
For several long minutes, he simply held her, unable to form any semblance of words. Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her and pressed a kiss to her lips before gathering her hands in his.
“I need to know if you no longer want to live in the apartment we lived in before. It’s perfectly understandable if you don’t. I don’t want to do anything that brings back bad memories. But if we choose to live in one of my other residences, I’ll need a week or so to properly secure it and get it up to the same standards as my current apartment. We can move each day so we don’t spend the same night in one place until all of the work is done and a new main residence is secured.”
“I’m okay with going back to your apartment,” she said after a brief moment.
He studied her demeanor, her expression and her eyes, looking for any sign of hesitation or fear. But he saw nothing.
“Are you sure?” he asked anyway.
She nodded. “There’s no sense in spending all that time and money to outfit another dwelling when the one you have is already suitable.”
“Then let’s go home,” he said gently, holding his hand out to her as he stood.
With only a slight hesitation, she slid her soft palm over his and allowed him to pull her up to stand beside him.
“You won’t regret this, Evangeline,” he said with utter gravity.
Her gaze searched his for a few seconds and then she offered his hand a gentle squeeze. She hesitated only a brief second as she seemed to overcome her internal struggle and then let out a deep breath. Hope seized his chest when her eyes softened. She licked her lips once and then uttered the sweetest words he’d ever heard.
“I believe you, Drake. I believe you.”
6
Evangeline’s nerves were a wreck by the time they arrived at Drake’s apartment. Though she had agreed to remain here instead of having Drake go to the time and expense of setting up another residence, it didn’t mean that the mere thought of walking back into a place that had hosted her utter humiliation didn’t have her on the verge of an anxiety attack.
To make matters worse, as soon as they entered the lobby Evangeline saw Edward and cringed at the sympathy and worry in his eyes as he hurried over. Oh God. She just wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
But Drake must have sensed her mortification and warned Edward off with a look, because Edward halted and then turned to busy himself with another task. By the time they made it onto the elevator, she was shaking and on the verge of hyperventilation.
She hugged her arms around her waist and lowered her head to stare at the floor. Her eyes were burning and she’d endured enough humiliation without dissolving into tears in front of Drake. Again.
To Drake’s credit, he didn’t prod her or call attention to her near meltdown. Instead they rode to the top floor in silence. But Drake did wrap one arm around her, solidly anchoring her against him so that his body heat seeped into her chilled flesh.
Was she an idiot? Was she a naïve fool for agreeing to this lunacy after what he’d done to her?
Her head still bowed, she shuffled off the elevator and into Drake’s apartment. To her surprise, Drake stopped her just inside and simply pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.
“Thank God you’re back,” he murmured. “Thank God I found you in time.”
She rested her forehead against his chest and stood there, absorbing his touch like an addict in withdrawal. He rubbed his hands up and down her back and then reluctantly pulled away, cupping her chin and tilting it upward so she met his gaze.
“Come into the living room and sit down while I fix you something to eat. You haven’t been taking care of yourself,” he chided. “You’ve lost weight.”
“I had it to spare,” she said dryly.
He scowled. “You were fucking perfect the way you were. Now come so I can take care of my angel. You’re going to eat and then get some rest, and I plan to ensure you do both.”
She frowned up at him. “Don’t you have work? You’re already late. I can manage on my own.”
He gave her a pinched look but didn’t respond. Instead he steered her in the direction of the living room and settled her onto the couch, tucking a blanket around her. He fussed for a few moments longer, ensuring her comfort, and then instructed her not to even think about getting up.