Need You Tonight, page 31
Daemon had been ropeable. He’d threatened to sue the inept detectives in charge of the case. It had taken both Lexi and Craig to calm him down. Since then, he’d been simmering. And pulling away.
She couldn’t stand it.
‘Are you okay?’ Daemon asked.
She blinked. ‘What?’
‘I’m so sorry about the media, but we just weren’t able to keep them away.’
‘That’s okay. It’s not your fault.’
‘Whose is it then?’ he mumbled.
Before she had a chance to answer, Billy entered, pushing Cat in a wheelchair. ‘Are you ready to go?’
‘The nurse said the media are swarming the front and back entrances,’ Cat said, eyes bright with a strange kind of excitement.
‘You’re not worried about facing them?’ Lexi brushed Cat’s hair behind her ear.
‘Why should I? I haven’t done anything wrong. I slayed a monster. I’m a bloody hero.’ The police weren’t laying charges after questioning them—it had been self-defence, pure and simple.
‘That’s my girl,’ Billy said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. ‘Let’s go show them just how strong Deningham women really are.’
‘Yes, please.’ Just as they reached the door she turned and winked at Lexi. ‘You coming?’
Wondering at the marvel that was her twin, she said, ‘I’ve just got to finish packing.’ Her gaze flickered to Daemon. ‘I’ll be there in a minute.’
Cat sent her a knowing smile. ‘We’ll wait at the nurse’s station.’ As Billy pushed her out the door, she looked up at him and said, ‘This is the only time you get to push me around, Billy Morse. Don’t you forget it.’
His handsome face lit up as he laughed. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’
Their laughter rang down the hallway. It should have warmed Lexi, but instead it left a kind of empty echo. Sighing, she turned back to put the last of her things in her bag. Daemon came to stand beside her as she zipped it up, his presence a warm stroke, even as his reserve cut at her.
‘I’ll take that,’ he said quietly.
She held onto the handle. She couldn’t continue not knowing if he was going to walk away. ‘We need to talk,’ she managed to say around the hurt.
He sighed, dug his hands into his pockets and looked away. ‘Shite.’ His breathing sped up. ‘You want me to go.’
‘What?’
‘You blame me for bringing Lyall to your door. And now the media are all hyped up and won’t leave you alone and that’s my fault too.’
‘What?’
Daemon turned away. ‘How could we have missed what Lyall was? How could we have been duped?’ His voice cracked. ‘Nigel and Jenny would still be alive, and you’d still have your horse. Melissa would be uninjured and enjoying her pregnancy, not stuck in a coma with Phil a wreck.’ His hands clenched at his sides, the strain in his shoulders painful to see. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This all happened because I was so desperate to work with you. My desperation allowed him to walk right into your home and we didn’t have a clue. How could you not blame me?’
Tears burned her eyes. ‘I don’t blame you. I thought you blamed me.’
‘What?’ He swung back to face her.
‘Lyall only worked for you to get to me. Nigel and Jenny would still be alive and Melissa would be fine if not for him coming after me.’
‘You don’t really think that’s true, do you?’
She shook her head. ‘In the past I would have taken on that guilt as if it were my own, but I know now where the blame belongs. So, no. I don’t think I’m responsible. However, I thought maybe you thought I was.’
‘Never.’ He grabbed her hands. ‘It’s not your fault.’
‘It’s not yours either.’ His brilliant blue eyes swam with emotion. She grasped his hand, sudden understanding washing over her. ‘Is that why you’ve been pulling away? Because you thought I blamed you?’
‘You have every right to hate me for being the reason he got access to you.’
‘I could never hate you.’ She stroked his face with trembling hands. ‘Never.’ She touched his lips. ‘You know, I was coming to find you when Lyall took me. I was so afraid I’d never get to tell you what I’d realised about myself. About us. When they’d patched me up and you came into my room, I thought I could tell you then, but you were so distant. I couldn’t bear it. I thought you’d changed your mind; I thought you’d given up on me.’ She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, dropping her hand. ‘It hurt so goddamned much.’ She sniffled, laughed. ‘I think we’ve both been a little blind.’
‘Lex,’ Daemon whispered. His fingers slid across her cheeks. ‘Lex, look at me.’ She opened her eyes, gazing right into the depths of his. He smiled that crooked smile she loved. ‘What were you coming to tell me before Lyall took you?’
Her lips trembled and the words sighed out of her. ‘I was coming to find you, to tell you I wasn’t scared anymore. I needed you to give me another chance. I needed … you. I need you tonight. I need you tomorrow. I need you always. You are my heart, Daemon. I love you. More than I ever—’
He kissed her, a kiss that spoke of hunger and need and passion and joy.
‘Daemon,’ she gasped when he let her mouth go to kiss her eyes, her cheeks, her forehead, cupping her face as if he was afraid to let her go.
‘Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?’
She shook her head, a laugh bubbling in her throat that quickly turned into a moan as he tipped her head back and sucked on the pulse point at the base of her neck. ‘Daemon.’
‘I love it when you say my name like that.’ He kissed and licked up her neck and then drew her earlobe into his mouth. ‘Say it again.’
‘Daemon. I love you.’
He kissed her lips, then her nose, his mouth curved into a smile against her jaw. ‘I was so afraid. When I heard that he had you it was …’ He shook his head. ‘I’ve never been so afraid in my entire life. I could have lost you. But even after we found you and Lyall was dead, the fear didn’t go away. The void of my life spread out in front of me because I was so afraid that I’d pushed too hard and driven you from me with my bullshit even before Lyall took you. I was afraid you would never forgive me for not being there when you needed me the most. I wanted to show you how much I love you, but I didn’t want to make it worse than it already was. But I did make it worse because I pulled away when you wanted me close. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. How can you ever forgive me?’
‘Shh.’ She touched his lips, silencing him. ‘There’s nothing to forgive. We’ve both been stupid. Fearful. But no more. Our love, it made me fight harder when I was in that clearing. Just the thought of you, of what we could have, gave me strength. And now you’re here.’ She took his hand and placed it over her heart. Then placed her hand over his chest, his heart beating strong and sure beneath her touch. ‘Just as I’ll always be here.’ She gazed deep into his beloved blue eyes. ‘I love you.’
Daemon pulled her to him, sliding her onto his lap, hugging her tightly. ‘I love you, Alexia Jasmine Deningham. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you. You complete my heart and soul in ways not even music does. I don’t know where I end and you begin. I can’t live without you now I know what it’s like to have you in my life. Don’t make me live in that void again.’
Lexi stroked her hand through his hair and down his precious face, marvelling, wondering that he could love her like he did. ‘Then marry me. Complete me.’
His smile trembled. ‘You’ll take me as I am?’
‘Yes.’
‘Even with all the madness and the media, the fame and the fans?’
‘Yes.’
‘You hate them.’
‘I love you. I’d put up with anything just to have you. Besides, as you said, I’m stronger than I think.’
‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘you are. Strong enough for the both of us, forever.’ He touched his lips to hers, a promise shared. As he deepened the kiss, Lexi let herself go, giving to him fully, promising as he promised her, to love him, trust him, share her thoughts, feelings, fears and desires, to be everything, to share everything.
Lifting his head, Daemon smiled. ‘Let’s go home, my love.’
‘Home,’ she whispered, sharing his smile. ‘I like the sound of that.’
Thanks for reading Need You Tonight. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you liked this book, here are my other titles, Climbing Fear, Blazing Fear and Dangerous Echoes.
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ISBN: 9781867281665
Title: NEED YOU TONIGHT
Copyright © 2023 LEISL LEIGHTON
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Leisl Leighton, Need You Tonight
