‘Would you like to freshen up after the flight?’ He grasped her arm and steered her along the corridor and into a private room. ‘This is our dressing room. I’d assumed I’d wear a suit but perhaps you’d prefer me in denim?’
‘Elias.’
He was on a rampage of sarcasm-edged activity—determined to prove that he could arrange this. Even when it was ridiculous. But he wasn’t going to stop until she told him to. Until she told himwhy. ‘I can’t let you do this.’
‘Letme do this?’ It was a coolly spoken challenge, but his hot gaze tilted her world on its axis all over again. Elias didn’t talk to anyone like this. He didn’t act like this. Ever. Swift yes, but not rash. Not impulsively.
She swallowed. ‘Try to help me.’
His focus narrowed. ‘You said you had to get married. Today.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘But the reasons are complicated and they’re really not your problem.’
‘Are they not?’ he queried silkily. ‘I thought this was all my fault. I thought I’m the ogre who ruined everything.’
‘You are,’ she ground out, trying to rein in her flaring temper all over again. She dragged in a calming breath but with him being so in her space it was hard to think. The combination of shattering disappointment and frustration and futility meant she was losing her already slim grip on herself. ‘But while I appreciate all your effort to try to fix things...’ She shook her head and mumbled. ‘I should have said all this hours ago.’
‘Why didn’t you?’
‘I gotsomad...’ She closed her eyes. She’d got sohurt. So frustrated—she’d wanted to make him feel something, to exposeanykind of emotion. She’d wanted to lash out and make him pay for stunning her with that hit of hope and of sheerwant. But like she could tell himthat? She’d not been able to tell him what she really thought for years but as for admitting such mortifying and unrequited emotion?
‘Did you want to see how far I’d go, Darcie?’ he asked softly as he stepped towards her.
She didn’t know how to answer that. He lightly put his hands on her waist. So lightly. But she stilled, completely.
‘Testing me is a little dangerous, isn’t it?’ he asked.
‘No. Because I don’t think you’re dangerous.’ Only he was. Dangerous for her heart. Right now it was skipping every third beat.
‘No?’
They’d never stood this close. Any time they’d inadvertently brushed too closely—getting into a lift or passing in a narrow corridor—one or other of them had always quickly moved off. But not today. Today his grip on her tightened and she didn’t step back like she should.
‘I’m sorry,’ she mumbled, dropping her gaze, desperate to hide the swarm of emotions his touch was unleashing. That mad desire to provoke him resurged. What was with her inner rebel coming to the fore?
‘No. You don’t get to say sorry and expect me to just forget about it.’ His voice was husky. ‘You don’t get to walk away without a real explanation. Not this time.’
She didn’t mistake the softness of his voice. ‘Elias...’
‘Why don’t you just tell me what the problem is?’ he suggested too coolly. ‘And maybe we can work it out together. We’re quite the capable team, you and I.’
Team?She actually quivered at being bracketed with him. Sostupid. Of course she owed him the entire explanation. He’d just flown her to Vegas on her ill-tempered whim and she had to pull herself together. ‘There’s someone else involved.’
His grip hardened. ‘Anotherman? A different one from that other guy?’
She shook her head. ‘Someone young and innocent. Someone who’s lost enough already.’
‘Meaning?’
She swallowed again because her throat was awfully tight. Just speaking about Lily upset Darcie. ‘Her name is Lily. She’s four years old and I’m going to foster her.’
‘A child?’ His eyes widened.
‘My best friend’s daughter.’ She sighed. ‘Zara died a few years ago and Lily’s been in the system ever since.’
‘She has no father around?’
‘Not from the start.’ Her words tumbled out. ‘Lily’s already been removed from one home. I can’t let her face a future of constant upheaval...’ It meant so much, touched nerves so raw she struggled to articulate it.