Dare to Love (Dare to Love 1)

She straightened and walked to his side of the desk, stepping into his personal space. “You dumped me on Alex and took off, never to be heard from again. Did you feel better after?” She shoved at his chest, hurt and so very betrayed. “Hmm? Did punishing me for defying you make you happy, Ian?” She shoved at him again.

He grabbed her wrist. “Nothing about how I handled this makes me happy. I was an arrogant ass. Is that what you want to hear? I thought if I laid down the law that you’d have to come to me first. Always. Then I’d have—”

“Control,” she said at the same time as him.

“Exactly,” he muttered.

“Well, I hope your precious control keeps you warm at night,” she snapped at him.

“It doesn’t.”

“Good.” Because she was lonely too.

He lifted a strand of her hair and twisted it between his fingers. She felt the pull straight through to her skin. It was the start of him getting to her—if she allowed him to.

She hadn’t decided yet. “I’m human, which means I’m going to make my own decisions. And I’m going make mistakes,” she told him.

A smirk edged the corners of his mouth.

“Unbelievable. You’re laughing?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m just realizing you’re smarter than I’ve ever been.”

She tipped her head to one side. “Say that again?”

“Hell no. It’s taken me too long to catch up,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.

“Meaning?” she asked, her tone weary even to her.

He cupped her chin in his hand, just begging her to turn into him and find comfort. And she was tired. So tired of riddles and talking in circles. Tired of being alone.

His thumb caressed her jaw, and she couldn’t help but stare into his eyes.

“Meaning, I love you,” he said in a strong voice.

Riley gasped. “You—”

“I love you.” His eyes were warm.

No longer that steely grey. She couldn’t name the color, just the temperature in their depths. And there was heat. Lots and lots of heat. Everything inside her melted, at both his expression and the words she’d longed to hear.

“You’re strong enough to overcome your past, and you’re strong enough to deal with me. From the minute you walked into that ballroom, you were it for me,” he said in a gruff, emotional tone she’d never heard from him before.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “How do I know you won’t find some reason to push me away again?”

His hand remained on her cheek. “You trust me. How do I know you won’t leave me for a better bet?”

“You trust me,” she said, a slow grin spreading across her face.

Then she did the one thing that guaranteed him she understood. She grasped his wrist and turned her head, easing her cheek into his palm, accepting him and opening herself to them.

“I love you too, Ian.”

The words reverberated in his brain until finally settling in his heart. She meant it. More important, he believed it.

He lifted her up and seated her on the desk, stepping between her legs. “I’m not sure how I got so lucky, but I won’t be screwing this up.”

She wound her arms around his neck. “How about you just screw me instead? How’s that for a play on words?”