Compassion filled Dani’s features. “That’s so sweet.”
“On Christmas day, when I opened my gift from Santa, there it was. Donovan Michaels’ jersey. I was so excited. I wore that thing for an entire week, day and night, even though it was a little too large on me. I didn’t care. It was my favorite thing in the world.”
“Aw,” Dani said, her lips pulling up into a smile. “How did she manage to do that?”
“I still don’t quite know to this day. She won’t tell me, but I suspect she donated plasma or got a third job. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I fully realized what that gift had meant.”
Dani blinked, emotion showing on her features. “Your mother must be very special.”
He nodded. “She is.” He swallowed, a lump rising in his throat. “I wanted to wear it to school after winter break, but the school had rules about what you could wear, and I wasn’t allowed. I begged my mother to let me take it to school in my backpack. I wanted to show it to all the kids who made fun of me. I thought it would make them like me.”
She smoothed out the fabric on his shoulder. “These were the kids making fun of your stutter?”
“Yes.” He lowered his head. “They were pretty mean.”
She frowned. “Why are kids that way?”
He let the question hang in the air. He had no answers. “They didn’t react like I thought they would when they saw my jersey. Instead of getting excited, they said it was tainted since I had worn it. They said I had ruined it, and it was now worthless.”
Dani gasped. “They didn’t.”
“Yes, they did. And then they took my jersey and ripped it and tossed it in the mud.”
“Oh, Austin.” She placed her head on his chest and hugged him close. “That breaks my heart.”
“I was so upset, I couldn’t speak. I hid that jersey under my bed and wouldn’t tell my mother why I was crying. She found it the next day.” A wave of emotion choked him and he paused, unable to speak for a moment. “Watching her cry after she found out what happened was probably the worst thing I’ve had to endure in my life.”
Dani blinked back tears. She placed her hands on the sides of his face. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”
“I blamed everything that happened on my stutter. If only I didn’t have that problem, those kids wouldn’t have made my mother cry. I hated myself for it.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know that now. But back then, I didn’t. I was so ashamed. And, if I’m being honest, a part of me still carries that shame from so long ago.”
Dani wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and swaying to the music. The song had changed, but he barely noticed. She stared up at him. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
A wave of emotion closed his throat. It was just like her to know exactly what to say in a moment like this. Her sweet nature was to try to heal his wounded soul. He stared down at her lips, which looked soft and warm. Energy coursed through him, and he desperately wanted to show her his true feelings. He was falling for Danica Jordan.
Every fiber in his being longed to be with her. To touch her. He couldn’t stop himself. He reached up and caressed the side of her face with his fingers. “I’ve wanted to say the same thing to you.”
She blinked and her lips parted a fraction of an inch. It kind of drove him crazy. All he could think about was how those lips would taste.
“What?” she said.
“Do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now?” The words sprang forth from him, and he was powerless to stop them. After they were out, he froze, waiting to see her reaction. His heart hammered so loud, he was sure she could hear it.
Time stretched as Dani stared at him. He held his breath, unable to say anything else. All he could do was wait to see what Dani would say.
Chapter 22
Dani’s breath hitched and she stared up at Austin. Had he said what she thought? He wanted to kiss her? And why did that thought send a thrill through her? She should be suspect of him. She didn’t know what his motives were. He’d lied to her. Several times, even. She shouldn’t be entertaining the thought of possibly allowing him to kiss her.
And yet, she found herself wondering what it would be like. What his lips would feel like against hers. Why did she suddenly want to find out? His words echoed in her head. Dani, do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now?
“Then maybe you should,” she said under her breath. Dear heavens, what was wrong with her? Had she really just said that? What was she doing? Maybe the sway of the ship was getting to her, making her dizzy and not thinking clearly. That had to be it.
He leaned in closer, the smell of his cologne making her heart pound and her knees feel weak. “What did you say?” His breath tickled her cheek.
Oh no. He was going to make her say it again? She would rather die than admit she’d been so flirty. She looked up at him, ready to deny any such comment had come out of her mouth, when the urge to ignore all sensibility swept over her and she repeated it, louder. “Maybe you should.”
Austin must have heard that time, because he cupped her cheek, threaded his fingers behind her neck, and tilted her head up to capture her lips. The kiss seemed to happen in slow motion, his lips skimming over hers, waves of pleasure skittering over her skin as the sound of the music floated on the air around them. He was warm, and his lips were surprisingly soft, gently teasing over hers.
Dani knew she shouldn’t allow the kiss, but ignored that voice of warning because it felt so amazing to be in Austin’s embrace. She wanted him. Needed him. Maybe it was because her father had cut her off and left her in a foreign country with no money and no way to get home, and Austin was her only hope of survival. Or maybe it was the silent strength he had, or the way he moved with such agility, like a large cat. Whatever it was, she was fiercely attracted to Austin.
The kiss was like a slow dance between them, and Dani never wanted it to stop. If she were made of chocolate, she’d be a melted mess right now. Her heart raced and she couldn’t help but entwine her fingers into his hair.
As he deepened the kiss, a wave of emotion stirred in her. If Austin was what he appeared to be, a compassionate man who put others first, then she could easily fall madly in love with him. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met. He never spoke an unkind word. His generosity went above and beyond. And he seemed to care for her quite deeply.
There was only one problem.
She couldn’t trust that he was who he came across to be. The thought that she was kissing a man who only wanted something from her soured her stomach, and she broke away from him. No matter what she was feeling, she almost never made the right choice when it came to trusting people. Rafael was the perfect example. So were Steph and Victoria. Or the many other “friends” she’d had that had simply used her to get what they wanted.
The ship rocked and she staggered back from him, embarrassed she’d flirted and let things get as far as they had. She raised her hands to her face, positive she was as red as his Los Angeles Demons football jersey. Her face was on fire.
“Dani—”
“Wait!” She held up a hand to stop him from saying whatever it was he was going to say. She didn’t want to hear it. “That was a mistake.”
His eyebrows pulled together. “A mistake?”
She backed away from him, guilt rising in her throat. Was she doomed to make a mess of her life, no matter what? How could she do this to herself, over and over? “I’m sorry,” she blurted out and turned from him.
She needed to get away. Unfortunately, they were stuck on this stupid day cruise for the next ten hours. There was no getting away from Austin. Not right now. But she needed space so she walked across the deck and followed the flow of people until she came to the back of the ship. The wind picked up and she faced the breeze, enjoying the way it blew her hair up from her neck, which had gotten way too hot.
&n
bsp; Austin stepped beside her. He didn’t say anything, just stood there, staring out at the speck of land that was barely visible anymore. She waited until she knew for sure her voice wouldn’t betray her unsteady emotions.
“It’s my fault, so don’t feel bad.”
“I don’t feel bad.”
She glanced at him. His expression was carefully masked behind his cool, blue eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She envied him. She was sure all of her emotions were prominently displayed on her face. “Let’s just go back to how things were before.”
He slowly shook his head. “I don’t think I can do that.”
She shot him a frown as irritation swept through her. “What?”
He exhaled and ran a hand over his hair. “I will respect you. I won’t touch you. I will be the gentleman my mama raised. But I can’t go back to how I felt before.” He turned to her and his intense gaze sent a jolt through her. “I can’t deny my feelings any longer.”
His words rang in her ears, making her heart stop. If they hadn’t been the exact words Rafael had said to her, she might have been moved by them. She was certainly pinned to the spot by his exceptional blue eyes. But she’d heard that very thing before. And look how that turned out. She broke eye contact. “You’re going to have to, because I don’t feel the same.”
The lie sliced through her, but she steeled herself from it. She couldn’t admit she had feelings for Austin. Not when it was so obvious he was using her. She’d met him three days ago. And now here he was implying that he was falling in love with her. If that wasn’t ridiculous, she didn’t know what was. Rafael had done the same thing to her, but she’d been stupid and hadn’t seen him for the liar he was. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake.
Austin swallowed. “I know you don’t. But I’m not taking it back. You’re just going to have to accept that I—”
“Stop.” She didn’t want to hear the rest of that. No matter what he was going to say, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “Just…don’t,” she whispered. “Please.”
He nodded and looked out at the clouds. “I won’t say it.”
Even though she had pleaded with him not to continue, a small disappointment settled into her chest. Did that mean he was giving up? Because if he was sincere, he wouldn’t be giving up so easily.
Dani ran her hand along the smooth, wooden railing, her feelings in a jumble. Why did life have to be so difficult? Couldn’t she find someone who liked her for who she was? Not because she was a famous man’s daughter, or someone who could help get them attention or notoriety. Some days she just wished she could disappear into the world and become invisible.
Chapter 23
Austin pulled the chair out for Dani before he realized what he was doing. Some things were just too ingrained in him. Luckily, she didn’t get upset with him. She simply sat and he took a seat opposite from her.
They were seated on the top floor balcony so they could see the water feature that was lit below. The place was so nice, Austin felt a bit underdressed. He unfolded his napkin and smoothed it out over his lap. Live piano music played from below.
Austin once again chastised himself for that stupid confession after kissing Dani. What had he been thinking? How many flashing neon signs did Dani have to put in front of him to let him know she wasn’t interested?
But he had gotten confused with her telling him to go ahead and kiss her. What had that been about? She’d seemed to get into it, too. But as quickly as she’d warmed up to him, she’d flipped and turned cold. Had he done something wrong? Or was she simply afraid of getting hurt again?
He picked up his water and gulped down half the glass. Things had been very uncomfortable since he decided he was going to tell Dani exactly how he was feeling. If he could stuff those words back into his mouth, he would in a heartbeat. But there was no way to do that, so he just had to ignore it had happened. Which was about as effective as ignoring a gaping hole in your chest.
Dani pointed at her menu. “I’m torn between the shrimp scampi with crab legs and the spicy salmon cakes.”
Relieved to get his mind off his wallowing, Austin scanned the menu. “I can order one, and you can get the other, and then I’ll give you some of mine so you can try them both.”
Dani wrinkled her nose. “Are you sure? There’s not something else you want?”
“No, both of those sound good. I’ll order whichever one you don’t.”
“We could split them.” She hesitated. “That is, if you don’t mind sharing with me.”
He smiled. “I don’t mind. That sounds good. Then I can try them both as well.”
“Perfect.” She closed her menu and sat back in her chair. The conversation waned again, and the awkwardness seeped back into the space between them.
Austin fiddled with the corner of his napkin and tried not to look like he was avoiding eye contact. Why couldn’t he think of something to say? Polite conversation. That’s all he needed. But anything he thought of sounded stupid, and he didn’t want to talk just to fill the air with drivel.
Dani let out a breath. “So, how is your knee?”
He leaned forward, grateful for anything to talk about. “It’s feeling better. Every once in a while I still feel a twinge, but it’s not so bad. I’m sure after this week it will feel even better.”
“No surgery?”
He shook his head. “Thankfully, it wasn’t that bad of an injury. It just needs rest. That’s why I’m here.” She knew all that. He was now grasping at straws. “To rest the old knee,” he finished lamely. What was he, seventy?
“Will you be able to play when you get back to LA?”
The longing to be on the football field constricted his chest. He’d tried to push it out of his mind, but right now he would trade everything he owned to be out on the turf listening to the crowds cheering. “Not right away. But the doctor was hopeful I’d be back in the game by the end of September. I’ll have to take it easy, do some exercises, and such. But the prognosis is very good.”
“I’m glad.”
He wracked his brain to think of something else to say about his injury, or football, but nothing came to mind, so the conversation stalled again. It went on like this for the next hour, with spurts of irrelevant chatter and long pauses of awkward silence. Dani finally excused herself to use the restroom and Austin slumped in his chair.
This was not how he had hoped the day would go.
* * *
Dani weaved her way through the tables to the restroom. Why did she feel like she was on fire? Was it that hot in the restaurant? Or was she just having an anxiety attack?
She opened the bathroom door and walked to the first sink, sticking her hands under the faucet. Cold water sprinkled out. She slapped some water on her face and tried to calm down. This whole thing was her fault. She never should have kissed Austin. It messed with her head.
The bathroom door opened and a woman walked in. Dani stuck her head down by the sink and splashed more water on her cheeks. When she straightened up, she was startled to see Claire standing at the sink beside her.
“Oh, Claire. I didn’t notice it was you.” She quickly grabbed a paper towel to wipe the drops of water from her skin.
“Are you having fun?” Claire asked, her gaze sharp.
Dani didn’t know what to say to that. She wasn’t having fun, she was beating herself up for stupid mistakes, but that was personal. “Sure,” she said, hoping Claire would just leave.
Claire’s mouth pulled down into a frown. She put her hand on Dani’s arm. Her long, red fingernails looked stark against Dani’s pale skin. “Oh, sweetie. You should be careful. I wasn’t going to say anything, but you look like you really are starting to fall for Austin.”
She hadn’t been expecting that. “What? Why would you say that?” Had she seen the kiss?
“Listen, I know he’s handsome, but he’s not interested in you.” Claire sounded like she was speaking to a young child again. It annoyed Dani. Plus,
she was pretty sure Claire was completely wrong. Austin had practically come out and said he wanted to persue a relationship.
Dani pulled away. “How do you know?”
Pity filled Claire’s expression. “At the miniature golf place Austin told me that he was hoping to get more sponsorship contracts, especially now since he won’t be able to play for a while. He specifically mentioned Adidas.” Claire paused, as if that meant something to Dani. When Dani didn’t say anything, she continued. “Didn’t your father do some Adidas commercials a few years ago?”
A sick feeling entered Dani’s gut. Had this been it the whole time? Had Austin wanted to get an in with her father so he could do shoe commercials?
Claire folded her arms. “At least, that’s what he said before he ran off to find you.”
The room began to spin and Dani grabbed onto the sink. Had Austin followed her to Grand Cayman? No, that didn’t make sense. He was there already. Maybe they had met on accident, but it made complete sense why Austin would have lied to her and followed her around, if he thought he could get a sponsorship. The food in her stomach turned to stone. It sat cold in her gut.
“Oh, honey.” Claire clicked her tongue. “Don’t be too disappointed. He was like that back in high school as well. It’s not you. It’s him. He’s a really good actor.”
Dani couldn’t say anything because her throat was too tight. She simply nodded and left the restroom. Her ears rang as she walked back to the table. Austin stood to pull out her chair for her, but she shook her head. “I think I’m done here.”
“No dessert?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry anymore.”
“How odd. I never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth.” He gave her a wink.
Ugh. How could she have thought he was sincere? He was acting so cringy. It was too much for her and she turned from him. “I need some air.”
A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity Page 12