Nyght's Eve

by Laurie Roma

  Or maybe it was because of their flaws that fit together so perfectly.

  Dare owned her heart now, no matter how much she’d tried to deny it.

  And that terrified her.

  Francesca had told her that Evie had offended his doctorly sensibilities—whatever the hell that meant—when she had waited weeks to make the appointment. But Evie knew that wasn’t all it was. Honesty had always been a policy of Evie’s, and it didn’t sit well with her that she hadn’t been completely truthful when she had explained her reasoning to Dare.

  She looked over at him. The muscles in his strong jaw clenched and releases, and she knew he was still pissed at her. He was so handsome, but his face looked like it was carved from stone now as he stared at the road. The man had demanded the keys to her Range Rover when they had been ready to leave. It was presumptuous of him, the way he’d simply stuck out his hand and waited, but she didn’t mind him driving. It gave her time to think and try to settle her nerves—try being the key word.

  Turning in her seat so she was facing him more fully, she said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  “You should be.”

  She fought back the urge to roll her eyes at him. He wasn’t going to make this easy. Lovely. “Dare, I said I’m sorry, and I am. It’s not exactly an easy subject to bring up, especially to a man that already has one foot out the door.”

  Good God, what in the world had made her say that? This was so not going the way she had planned. She was stalling, and trying to start a fight, but she wasn’t going to back down now that she’d said it. It was true, after all.

  “That’s bullshit!” The words were spoken so harshly they made her flinch.

  “Is it? You spent every night with me, but you keep your bag packed and ready to go by the door. God forbid you leave something of yours in my house.”

  “Seriously? You’re seriously going to try to blame this on me?”

  “I’m not blaming you! I’m just saying that I didn’t know how to bring this subject up with you. Besides, I know it was stupid to wait—”

  “You’re damn right it was! You should have taken care of this weeks ago. Christ, Eve. It’s your fucking life we’re talking about!”

  “I know!” she shouted. Her eyes filled even though she tried to hold the tears back. She hated how her voice quivered when she whispered, “I know. It’s just...saying it to someone made it...real. What if I do have cancer? What if I...”

  Dare turned to look at her, then did a double take when he saw the tears streaming down her face. He cursed as he jerked the vehicle to the side of the road. He shoved the gearshift into park, then stabbed at the button to put the hazard lights on. Reaching out, he undid her seatbelt and jerked her into his arms. “We don’t know that. We won’t know anything until we have the test results, so there’s no use worrying about any of that yet.”

  “I’m scared, Daryk. I’m so fucking terrified that I just kept putting it off. Finding ways to justify delaying just because I didn’t want to deal with it. Didn’t want to think about it. I’m just...my aunt Colleen died of breast cancer—”

  “Christ! No wonder why you were so freaked out.” Dare kissed the top of her head as he stroked her hair. He held her against his chest as she tried to muffle a sob. God, her tears killed him. “Shh, baby, don’t cry. Everything is going to be okay. You’re dealing with it now.”

  “Because you made me. I would’ve done it eventually, but I’m glad you made me do it now. I know waiting would only make it worse.”

  He pulled her head up, cupping her face in his hands and kissed her gently as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. You’re not alone in this, Eve.”

  Evie’s heart filled with such love for him, her chest actually hurt. “Thank you for coming with me.”

  Dare pressed his lips against her forehead. He fastened her seatbelt once again, then put the car back into drive and pulled back onto the road. “Perhaps now would be a good time to tell you we’ll be staying in Houston for the night.”

  “Oh, but—”

  “Don’t argue with me on this. You are so hell bent on taking care of everyone else that you never take the time to focus on yourself. I had Francesca pack a bag for you. It’s in the trunk. You’re going to damn well rest and relax tonight if I have to tie you down to ensure it.”

  “That’s...sweet. A little extreme, but sweet.”

  He grunted and went back to staring out at the road. “You matter, Eve. My foot’s not out the door. The sooner you realize that, the better.”

  “All right.”

  Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.

  This time, she smiled as she looked out the window, and tried not to worry about what was to come.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dare listened to the sound of the shower in the bedroom as he paced the length of the living room in the hotel suite, and tried not to worry. He had gone with Evie to her appointment, helplessly waiting as she had gone in with the doctor. No matter how much time he’d spent at hospitals, this was different. Sure, he cared for his patients, but he was usually so damn busy he didn’t have time to think about anything except the person he was working on. But this was Eve...his Eve, and despite what he had told her in the car on the way to Houston, he was worried.

  Hell, he had been scared shitless.

  While he had been waiting, Dare thought good and hard about what Evie had said to him in the car. She hadn’t been completely wrong about him not leaving a trace of himself at her house. He hadn’t meant to do it. Christ, he hadn’t even realized he had done it until she mentioned it. It was his go-bag—ready for him to take with him on a moment’s notice.

  To her, it had been a sign that he was ready to leave her.

  But that was the complete opposite of what he wanted.

  He was damaged. There was no mistaking that. He was a surgeon that didn’t know if he could still function in an operating room. He was a soldier that didn’t know if he could kill, and he was a man who had no clue how to have a normal relationship. Overall, he wasn’t a good bet, but none of that really mattered. He wanted Evie. Somehow, he had even come to need her.

  Desperately.

  There was a connection between them that was undeniable. Being with her healed some part of him. Filled an empty place inside his soul that he didn’t even know he’d had. She had a goodness about her, that driving need to take care of others that reminded him of why he had wanted to become a doctor all those years ago.

  Her life had been touched by darkness. She had suffered loss, but she had used that to focus on dedicating her life to helping others, but she ran the risk of losing a part of herself if she wasn’t careful. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said she needed a keeper. Someone to make sure she took care of herself and took a break when her tank was empty.

  And he was the perfect man for the job.

  Dare had been furious when he’d heard that phone call. She had put her health at risk by putting off getting checked out. If he were honest with himself, the real reason he had been so damn angry was because she hadn’t told him that she could be sick. The thought of losing her was like a fucking knife straight through his heart. He couldn’t imagine it. Didn’t even want to consider that possibility, but he had to as he’d sat in that waiting room.

  Leave her? Hell fucking no, he wouldn’t leave her.

  He would stay by her side as long as she allowed him to, and even then he would fight like hell if she ever wanted to end things between them.

  When Evie was done with the doctor and had come out of the examination room, her smile had made his breath catch. The doctor had done a fine needle aspiration of the lump and the results had been promising. The fluid that had come out of the lump was clear, indicating it was a cyst with a very low chance of being cancerous. A pathologist would still run tests on the fluid to make sure the cells were benign, but the news had made his knees go weak with relief.

  Dare h
ad wanted to demand to see Evie’s chart, but he knew there was no way the doctor would have allowed that. They had left the hospital in much better spirits then they had entered, but Evie was still a little nervous. Dare understood she wouldn’t feel better until all the test results were back.

  Since the lump was located deeper into her tissue, the doctor had used a local anesthetic. By the time Dare drove them to the hotel they were staying at, she started to feel the soreness around the extraction site. As he checked them in, Evie ordered a bottle of wine to be sent up immediately. Dare had frowned at the request, since she hadn’t eaten anything yet. She’d been too nervous before they’d left her house.

  The wine was delivered moments after they had stepped inside their suite, and Evie opened it, pouring herself a big glass, almost emptying half the bottle.

  “Eve...”

  “I’m going to take a long, hot bath, and this is coming with me. Consider it the ultimate girl relaxation program. Care to join me?”

  Of course he wanted to join her, but he thought she should have a little time to relax by herself. If he got naked with her they would end up having sex, and he wanted her resting after the day she had. “Go ahead. I’ll order us up some food.”

  Evie had shrugged, then sequestered herself in the large bathroom. He’d placed the order for their food and had it set out in the small dining area when it arrived. She had been soaking for a half an hour when he heard the shower turn on. It had given him a lot of time to brood. Shit, he wanted to pamper her. To take care of her, but he didn’t know how.

  Maybe she should take a nap before they ate.

  Maybe he should get a fucking grip!

  His breath left his lungs in a rush as she stepped out of the bathroom wearing the thick, white hotel robe. Her skin was flushed from the heat of her shower, and her blonde hair hung in wet ropes down her back. She smiled at him and his pulse sped up.

  God, she was so fucking beautiful she made him ache.

  He noticed her glass was empty, and he met her halfway as she started into the living room. Evie tried to protest when he lifted her into his arms, but she settled down and wrapped her arms around his neck when he carried her over to the bed.

  “Is this the next phase of my relaxation program?” she asked as she kissed his neck.

  Christ, the woman undid him. A shiver raced down his spine and his cock surged to life, pressing tight against the confines of his jeans. She didn’t need to deal with his lust right now. What she needed was to be taken care of, and he would.

  Starting now.

  He sat her down on the bed, then pulled away from her, walking into the bathroom. When he came back, he saw she was frowning at him. He held the towel in his hand up and sat on the edge of the bed. “Turn around. We can’t have you running around with wet hair.”

  She grinned at him, then did as he asked. He gently rubbed the towel over her head until it was mostly dry. He loved the feel of the silky strands, and set aside the towel to run his fingers through her locks, combing it out with slow, careful movements.

  “I had a lot to think about while I was in the bath, and I realized something.”

  “Hmm,” he murmured as he went about his task.

  “I’ve been afraid of so many things, and none of them really mattered. Not really. Today made me open my eyes, so to speak. If I was sick—if I am sick, then I’ll handle it. I shouldn’t have waited to make the appointment.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” Dare snapped.

  Evie’s back was toward him so she felt safe rolling her eyes. “I know. Back to my point. There are things I can’t change, things that are beyond my control. But that shouldn’t stop me from living my life, or moving forward.” She turned around so she was looking him in the eye. “So, I wanted to tell you that I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  His eyes widened comically, then they narrowed until they were shards of dark-grey glaring at her. “You’re drunk.”

  “I might be a little buzzed, but I’m certainly not drunk,” she said primly.

  “I...you...”

  Offended to the core by the almost appalled look on his face, she frowned at him. “I’m not asking you for anything, so get that look off your face. I may love you, and I would like it if you loved me back, but I can live without you.”

  “Eve,” Dare blew out a breath. “I...care about you. More than I have any other woman. Hell, more than any other person in my life. I just don’t know if I’m capable of loving—”

  Evie gave no thought to her actions, simply reacting to his words. Using her foot, she shoved at him so he fell off the bed onto his ass.

  Hard.

  “What the fuck?”

  She tossed her hair out of her face so she could glare down at him over the edge of the bed. “That is the biggest bunch of bullshit I’ve ever heard! I’m not even going to count that colossally ridiculous statement as your stupid male mistake of the day, because that would just insult your entire gender.”

  “Jesus, Eve,” he growled. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “What is that tattoo on your arm if not proof of the love you have for your patients? Yes, Niki told me what it means. Don’t you glare at me. There is no such thing as tattoo artist, patient confidentiality. Be glad she didn’t tell me you fainted in her chair like this guy did last month. She laughed about that for weeks.”

  “That woman is a fucking menace.”

  “She is, but I love her anyways.” She slid off the bed, losing her balance at the last second so she fell on top of him, making him grunt. “Ooops, sorry.”

  Dare tried to shift her off of his lap before she felt his erection, but she swung her leg over him so she was straddling him while his back was pressed up against the bed. In her tumble, her robe had parted, tempting him with the sight of the creamy, pale skin of her breasts.

  “Eve,” he groaned when she moved against him. He pulled her robe closed, then gripped her shoulders, holding her still. “Stop fucking with me.”

  Evie stopped moving as stared at him, her ardor cooling under his watchful gaze and forceful tone. She leaned in to press her lips against his lightly. “I’m not. I love you, Daryk. If you don’t feel the same, that’s one thing. But don’t try to tell me you don’t know how to love. You show how capable you are in everything you do. You love the patients you lost by honoring their memory. You love the animals in the shelter that you’ve cared for. You even love Shane. I can see it in the way you interact with him.”

  She put her finger over his mouth to stop his protest. “When I say I love you, I mean it. It’s a gift, Dare. This isn’t a trap. Life is too short for me not to tell you how I feel. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but you’re it for me. I didn’t think I could love someone the way I love you. It’s like I’ve been waiting for you. I don’t mean to pressure you. I think you may come to love me someday, but I need to know you believe in love. That one day—when you feel it— you can say the words back to me. I deserve to hear the man I love say those words back to me.”

  When she shifted to get off of him, his hold on her tightened so much so that it was almost painful. “Are you done?”

  His voice was a harsh, so filled with barely restrained emotion it made it sound like a growl. Startled, she glanced back up at him and froze. His dark-grey eyes were burning with some inner light, with an intensity that stole her breath. It was like looking into his soul, and seeing herself reflected there.

  “You’ve had your say, now it’s my turn. I’ve got some bad things inside me. Things you don’t know about. Things that I’ve done. But all of that doesn’t matter, because what I feel for you makes walking away fucking impossible.”

  She reached up to stroke his cheek with her hand, and wasn’t deterred when he reached up and grabbed her hand, holding it in place. “Dare—”

  “No, damn it. Listen. Love hasn’t existed in my world. Not even when I was a kid. My family has never loved me. It was all about duty and expectatio
ns, and when I didn’t meet those expectations, they cut me off.”

  “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

  “I’m not telling you this for pity. I’m trying to make you understand. It’s not a matter of whether or not I love you. Love is just a fucking word. If that’s how you want me to describe how I feel for you, then fine. If loving you means that I can keep you, then I do. I love you. But it’s more than that, Eve. You fucking own me in a way no one else ever has. I need you in my life. I need you to feel...human again. You’re it for me, too. What I was trying to say is that I don’t know if I’m capable of loving you the way you deserve because of who I am and what I’ve done. You say you love me, that you can love the man that I am, and I’m a big enough bastard to hold you to your word, because I’m not letting you go.”

  Evie’s heart simply melted in her chest as happiness burst through her like rays of sunlight. “I see it. I can see the love in your eyes when you look at me. Love me the way I deserve? Dare, you show me you love me just how I need every time you touch me.”

  “Don’t let me fuck this up,” he demanded gruffly as he gripped her head in his hands. His mouth took hers in a kiss so powerful, her entire body went up in flames. She kissed him back, reveling in the feeling of his tongue stroking against hers. She wanted to sink into him, become one with him so there was no telling where she stopped and he began.

  “This is love,” she whispered between pressing kisses over his face. “This is us loving each other.”

  Dare buried his hands in her hair, holding her still so he could recapture her mouth. He let out a groan as she shifted on his lap, rubbing her pussy against the bulge trapped in his jeans. He was hard as stone. Wrapping his arms around her tight, he pulled her closer. Unable to stand the turbulent emotions coursing through him, he wanted to bury himself in her and forget about everything else. But all thoughts of that came to a halt when Evie let out a yelp when her breasts smashed up against his chest.