****
NIK ONLY ALLOWED HIMSELFto take a look at Daria when he heard her reply.
Yes.
He refused to name the emotion that crowded his heart at hearing her say that one word, refused to acknowledge the reason he had only been able to stop holding his breath now.
His gaze moving towards her, he ignored the way Daria visibly stiffened when their eyes met, ignored the way her face paled and her throat worked convulsively.
One second to see her—-
Her hair had grown longer, and her gray eyes appeared larger with the way the angles of her face were more defined now. Her body was thinner, too, making her curves even more prominent, her breasts – well, it was impossible not to stare at them now.
One damn second.
That was all it took to realize that he had not succeeded in getting rid of her presence in his heart.
Nodding curtly at Daria, he turned his attention back to Miranda, and she immediately acted on cue, making excuses for both of them.
He waited for Daria’s footsteps to recede and the door to swing shut behind her before speaking. “Do you still think this is a good idea?” He sure as hell didn’t. One damn second, and he already wanted to haul Daria into his arms, rediscover the taste of her kiss, and remember the feel of her body.
Miranda nodded. “I’m doing this for you, darling.” She gazed at him searchingly. “Have you changed your mind about love?”
His jaw clenched. “You know my answer to that.”
“And yet you keep thinking of her. I’m neither blind nor stupid, Nik. She’s still in your mind.” She pressed a hand on his chest, right above his heart. “Maybe she’s still in here—-”
He flung her arm away as soon as she spoke the words. “Don’t be ridiculous.” His voice was ominously soft, a warning in itself for Miranda to tread carefully because she was now skating on very thin ice.
“Then do this,” she pressed. “Prove it to yourself that you won’t let love – something that we both know isn’t real – destroy our chance of a peaceful future.”
Tiptoeing, she placed her lips on his. “Use this chance, Nik,” she whispered against his mouth. “Seduce her, fuck her, hurt her as much as you want to – and then get rid of her once you’re back to your old self and the obsession’s worn off.”