snapped up, and my eyes locked with his soul.
I couldn’t look away. Every emotion I’d had in the last nine years flowed between us—the pain, the longing, the desire, the lost love, each one crashing upon us in waves.
My fingers dug into Katie’s shoulder as I wil ed myself not to lose it in the middle of the restaurant. I couldn’t tel if I wanted to crash over the table and devour him or if I wanted to scream and pound his chest, releasing al the anger and hurt that he’d caused me in the last nine years.
I don’t know how long we stared at each other before Nicholas tugged on my elbow, anger burning on his face.
Katie looked at me with concern, and I pried my fingers from her shoulder, leaving Shane looking between Daniel and me in confusion.
Nicholas took over the situation, extending his hand across the table to Daniel, who had risen as we had approached. “You must be Daniel. It’s nice to final y meet you. I’m Nicholas Borel i.” Daniel barely acknowledged him, his eyes never leaving me for more than a second as he halfheartedly took Nicholas’s hand.
Nicholas frowned, shrouded in annoyance at Daniel’s obvious dismissal of him. Stil , he continued. “This is Shane Preston and his wife, Katie.” Nicholas gestured to them, and Daniel tore his eyes from me. “Nice to meet you both,” Daniel said and nodded, unease evident in his every move.
“And this is my beautiful wife, Melanie.” Nicholas presented me like the trophy I was.
Daniel’s eyes came back to mine, sadness
pouring from them as he reached across to take my visibly trembling hand. A whimper escaped through my lips as my fingertips grazed his before he took my hand. Too long—it had been too long since I’d touched him. A flash of energy burned up my arm, my wounded heart pounding with its first true beats in nine years. Relief at the contact washed over my whole body, making my head spin and desire throb in my stomach as his warmth sped through my veins.
I couldn’t let go and neither could he, it seemed.
“Hel o, Melanie.” The words were soft but laden with need, each tumbling from his lips like a song. My cheeks burned red, the heat rising up my body and settling on my face.
I could only nod and swal ow.
A slight “ahem” from beside him caused him to reluctantly drop my hand. My arm felt heavy with the loss. I glanced to the left at the ridiculously beautiful woman sitting in the chair beside him, bile rising in my throat at the sight of her. She wasn’t even the same girl who’d taken my place.
Confusion clouded my head. My knees started to shake, and I grabbed the back of the chair to steady myself, trying to remain coherent. I’d never passed out before, but I was sure I was only seconds away.
I tried to focus as Daniel introduced Vanessa to everyone around the table. She leaned forward, taking each person’s hand before settling back into her seat.
My hands shook and my legs wobbled as
Nicholas pul ed my chair out for me. For once, I was thankful for the false chivalry as I stumbled into my chair.
Nicholas took the chair to my right directly beside Daniel, and Katie sat to my left.
Katie kept glancing my way, but I tried to avoid her eyes. I gave in when she clenched my thigh with her hand, demanding my attention.
I snapped my head in her direction as she mouthed, “What’s going on?” I shook my head. I’d tel her later.
I kept my head down while the waiter came and took our drink orders, but the pul wouldn’t al ow it for long.
My eyes traveled up until they rested on Daniel’s face.
God, I missed him.
So many emotions raged inside me. I didn’t know how I was going to make it through dinner. Either I needed to run to Daniel or run from him, but I could do neither, so I sat and stared at the one person my heart cried out for every day.
I tried to pay attention to what was going on around me as Nicholas and Shane began to present their proposal to Daniel.
“So Daniel, I’m sure
I couldn’t look away. Every emotion I’d had in the last nine years flowed between us—the pain, the longing, the desire, the lost love, each one crashing upon us in waves.
My fingers dug into Katie’s shoulder as I wil ed myself not to lose it in the middle of the restaurant. I couldn’t tel if I wanted to crash over the table and devour him or if I wanted to scream and pound his chest, releasing al the anger and hurt that he’d caused me in the last nine years.
I don’t know how long we stared at each other before Nicholas tugged on my elbow, anger burning on his face.
Katie looked at me with concern, and I pried my fingers from her shoulder, leaving Shane looking between Daniel and me in confusion.
Nicholas took over the situation, extending his hand across the table to Daniel, who had risen as we had approached. “You must be Daniel. It’s nice to final y meet you. I’m Nicholas Borel i.” Daniel barely acknowledged him, his eyes never leaving me for more than a second as he halfheartedly took Nicholas’s hand.
Nicholas frowned, shrouded in annoyance at Daniel’s obvious dismissal of him. Stil , he continued. “This is Shane Preston and his wife, Katie.” Nicholas gestured to them, and Daniel tore his eyes from me. “Nice to meet you both,” Daniel said and nodded, unease evident in his every move.
“And this is my beautiful wife, Melanie.” Nicholas presented me like the trophy I was.
Daniel’s eyes came back to mine, sadness
pouring from them as he reached across to take my visibly trembling hand. A whimper escaped through my lips as my fingertips grazed his before he took my hand. Too long—it had been too long since I’d touched him. A flash of energy burned up my arm, my wounded heart pounding with its first true beats in nine years. Relief at the contact washed over my whole body, making my head spin and desire throb in my stomach as his warmth sped through my veins.
I couldn’t let go and neither could he, it seemed.
“Hel o, Melanie.” The words were soft but laden with need, each tumbling from his lips like a song. My cheeks burned red, the heat rising up my body and settling on my face.
I could only nod and swal ow.
A slight “ahem” from beside him caused him to reluctantly drop my hand. My arm felt heavy with the loss. I glanced to the left at the ridiculously beautiful woman sitting in the chair beside him, bile rising in my throat at the sight of her. She wasn’t even the same girl who’d taken my place.
Confusion clouded my head. My knees started to shake, and I grabbed the back of the chair to steady myself, trying to remain coherent. I’d never passed out before, but I was sure I was only seconds away.
I tried to focus as Daniel introduced Vanessa to everyone around the table. She leaned forward, taking each person’s hand before settling back into her seat.
My hands shook and my legs wobbled as
Nicholas pul ed my chair out for me. For once, I was thankful for the false chivalry as I stumbled into my chair.
Nicholas took the chair to my right directly beside Daniel, and Katie sat to my left.
Katie kept glancing my way, but I tried to avoid her eyes. I gave in when she clenched my thigh with her hand, demanding my attention.
I snapped my head in her direction as she mouthed, “What’s going on?” I shook my head. I’d tel her later.
I kept my head down while the waiter came and took our drink orders, but the pul wouldn’t al ow it for long.
My eyes traveled up until they rested on Daniel’s face.
God, I missed him.
So many emotions raged inside me. I didn’t know how I was going to make it through dinner. Either I needed to run to Daniel or run from him, but I could do neither, so I sat and stared at the one person my heart cried out for every day.
I tried to pay attention to what was going on around me as Nicholas and Shane began to present their proposal to Daniel.
“So Daniel, I’m sure
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