Web of Deception - By Nina Blake Page 0,50
curled to a confident smile. “I haven’t had breakfast yet. I brought croissants.”
A smile like that was dangerous. He smiled with his whole face, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. He smiled as though he meant it but he’d already said exactly what he meant and it hadn’t been what she’d wanted to hear.
“I’ve only just come out of the shower,” Kate said. “I’m not ready for guests. And I don’t want your croissants.”
“I only want to talk to you, and I’m not going away until I have. I don’t fancy shouting through the door so all the neighbours can hear but you know I’ll do it if I have to.”
She didn’t care about her neighbours. They were the least of her worries.
The problem was her feelings. They just wouldn’t go away.
But the two of them did have to clear the air, so she stepped aside. “Come in. I’ve got something to say too. I know Irwin Webb wasn’t all your fault. That you tried to make amends and paid back most of the money to the investors. And I’m sorry I misjudged you.”
He walked through the door and stopped inside. “It isn’t all your fault. I should have understood why you were upset, except my pride got in the way. I should have known all along that I could convince you of the truth. Because I’m not a bad man.”
No, he wasn’t. But he wasn’t the right man for her.
He wasn’t a friend and he wasn’t a lover any more.
He was an ache deep inside her.
“Take a seat,” she said.
“Perhaps you can make some coffee?”
She shook her head. “Let’s get this over with.”
In the living room, he dropped the bag of croissants on the coffee table and placed his hands on her upper arms. His fingers were warm even through the fabric of her shirt, his touch as firm and reassuring as ever. Her eyes dropped to the floor but she felt his gaze upon her, felt him looking right through her.
Damn it, he knew. She could feel it. He knew she loved him so why was he here to toy with her?
Kate hadn’t planned on the tears. She was trying to be strong but the tears fell regardless. Lifting her hands to her cheeks, she wiped them away. His hands were on her waist as he pulled her closer.
She pushed him away. Sat at one end of the sofa. “What is it that you want?”
Daniel sat down beside her. “I want you.”
Dear God, she couldn’t go though this again. He wanted her on his terms, living with him while it suited him.
No promises. No commitment. No future.
He’d always been so honest about what he wanted from her. Made no bones about it.
But honesty wasn’t enough. She couldn’t take what he had to offer.
He didn’t love her.
Kate looked him in the eye. “You’ve probably said that to lots of women and it’s worked for you in the past. That doesn’t mean it’s all right now. It isn’t going to work. You’ve told me you always get what you want but that’s over. No more.”
“It doesn’t have to be over.”
“How can you be so heartless? How can you think it’s okay to treat me like this? I’ve fallen in love with you and you know it. You might think that’s funny but I don’t. It’s cruel, Daniel, and there’s no need for it.”
He clasped her hands in his. “You’ve what?”
“I’ve fallen in love with you,” she shouted. “It’s a mistake and it’s done.”
He held her hands more securely. “That’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard. I didn’t come here to make fun of you. I came here to ask you to marry me.”
Suddenly, he dropped to one knee on the floor in front of her. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. Kate, will you marry me?”
Where had this come from?
She wasn’t expecting this.
“I…I can’t,” she whispered.
“You can’t or you’re too scared? I know you, Kate, and for the last few days you’ve probably thought everything through, weighed up the pros and cons, and made a safe decision based on the facts. That’s the wrong way to go about this. This isn’t a philosophical argument or a mathematical equation. Facts are only the half of it. What about your feelings, your emotions? Don’t they count for anything?”
She shook her head and spoke softly. “My feelings are what got me into trouble in the first place.”
“For God’s sake, you can’t always be so pragmatic, so sensible. It’s dragging you