Dare Me (Take Me 2)

He didn’t know. He had absolutely no answers where Nikki was concerned.

Thus, Damen attempted to focus on his work. His very crucial work.

He stared at his laptop and also referred to the spreadsheets he’d fanned out on the coffee table.

He had endless amounts of data to filter through as it was generated in hard copy from the main computer in the IT division and via their encrypted program that had all sorts of broken communications scrolling down his screen at the moment.

There was plenty to piece together, so much to decipher. All so incredibly critical, the absolute last thing on his mind should be Dr. Nikki Kane.

But as her soft, wispy breaths wafted his way on the otherwise quiet night air, he found it damn-near impossible not to feel the torment of losing her, not to suffer the sheer torture of all the pain he’d inflicted on her since they’d met, which had boomeranged back to all-but self-destruct within him.

He’d done his job. From start to finish.

In addition, he’d worked his ass off to protect her.

But he’d also hurt her. He’d taken so much from her.

And come morning…

She would leave, taking something of his with her.

Damen’s heart.

The next morning, Nikki was up at five and in the shower moments later. She had the double doors to the bathroom closed and was certain that, given the vastness of Damen’s master suite—and the en suite—he couldn’t hear her bustling about behind those clos

ed doors. Her expensive blow dryer was even whisper-quiet.

She applied a little makeup, dressed and then checked her phone to ensure her flight to Switzerland was on-time.

All good there.

It was the rest of her existence that was in turmoil.

The thought of leaving this bathroom, traipsing as inconspicuously through the suite and out into the hallway as possible, without waking Damen, was the most mind-bending one she’d had in a long time.

For one thing… She didn’t really want to leave him. She was in love with him.

But… Given all they’d been through and where Nikki had ended up at the culmination of their insane adventure, what choice did she have?

Everything in her world had been turned upside-down and Nikki desperately needed to flip it back over, set it upright.

The facts were, she’d inadvertently found herself in a dangerous and personally detrimental position and now it was time to extricate her entire being from this situation, these delicate circumstances.

That thought sort of lent itself to point number two when it came to finding it difficult to sneak out.

Damen didn’t deserve her sneaking out on him. He deserved her forthrightness.

Granted, she mentally contended, she’d forewarned him the previous evening of her intentions.

It was just…he’d never been anything but upfront with her—so bailing on him at the crack of dawn felt wrong.

You. Are. Not. Wrong.

Hell, she could even reasonably claim she was the victim here. If she were the type to cling to the victim mentality.

Because she wasn’t, she bucked up.

She was in control of her destiny, no matter how badly derailed it’d gotten. She now needed to put it back on track.