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Fingers still tingling froain some sanity before he threw her over his shoulder caveman style and carried her back up to his bed “Sounds like it’s already wearing off”
She dragged her fingers through her long hair and sed hard “Look, I understand the why of what you did, I do, but it still hurts I was so scared and alone in the beginning That passed and I got ht was a deserved scholarship, a rent-controlled aparth even when I had a fever and a nose that wouldn’t stop running I stopped being scared, but I was never not alone”
“I’ he had not to rush over to her and tell her she’d never be alone again, that she’d always have hiht now “We did the best we could”
“You did And so did I” A decisive nod—the future queen was back “Are you responsible for the job at Dylan’s?”
“We otten your résumé moved to the top of the pile, but you earned it on your own”
“And if the threat fro from a distance?”
“Yes” He was beginning to hate that fucking word
She considered hi look, her earlier open vulnerability stored away somewhere he couldn’t touch He wasn’t surprised; she’d had years of practice of hiding her true self So which one was the true Elle? The woed his everystylist who teased and flirted, or the future queen as icy as she was fiery? Then, in one of those flash-of-realization moments that seem shouted down from heaven, Dom realized he didn’t care, because he wanted them all He wanted her for more than a Roman Holiday escape, and he couldn’t have her His mission and her duty took precedence over his heart
“I’o shower” She turned and started for the door
“Elle” The five feet between theood?”
She stilled but didn’t turn to look back “I don’t know”
And then she was gone
He wanted to chase after her, kiss her until she couldn’t remember her name, let alone all he’d revealed, but she needed space and tiest the conversation So Dom forced himself to sit back down on the bar stool at the island and drink the last of his coffee while he watched the clock’s second hand tick forward
Chapter Eleven
After discovering even a thirty-minute super-hot shoouldn’t drain the chalet’s hot water tank or get rid of the disappoint to her heart, Elle squeezed the heavy wet out of her hair and stepped out of the shower Stea heavy in the air