Page 43 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

‘It’s in the past,’ he said.

‘But it’s not, is it? Because it’s still affecting you. You don’t swim as a result.’

‘I don’t need to swim.’

‘You might... What if—God forbid—something happened to Lexi? If I wasn’t around...’

Daniel’s blood ran cold at the thought of history repeating itself. ‘I would never put Lexi in danger. I’m going to arrange to get a protective fence around the pool.’

‘You can put up all the fences you want, but accidents will still happen, Daniel. It was a tragic accident.’

Much later that night Daniel was in his study, staring into a glass of golden liquid. Golden liquid that couldn’t burn away the seam of pain that had been exposed earlier. He still couldn’t believe he’d told Mia about his sister and his mother. Even though he could see that she had a right to know.

Nevertheless, he resented the ease with which she seemed able to burrow under his skin before he knew it was happening.

He’d only come to his senses the first time around when he’d seen the hurt in Mia’s eyes at the speculation in the paper about his possible engagement to Sophie Valois. It had been like a bucket of cold water in his face, clearing the sensual haze in his mind.

But now that sensual haze was back.

Daniel cursed softly and tossed back the rest of his drink. If it was just about him and Mia, and the desire that had clearly not fizzled out, then Daniel would have no qualms about seducing her again and slaking his lust until whatever it was that bound him to her was well and truly burnt out. Then he could ignore those huge green eyes tempting him to spill his guts and get on with his life.

But it wasn’t just about him and Mia. It was about Lexi too. And, like it or not, she called to every protective instinct he had.

He’d failed Delphine. But when he’d told Mia that today, instead of looking at him with horror, or judgement, she’d looked at him with pity. Compassion.

‘It was a tragic accident.’

She didn’t understand. She thought she could absolve him. But he knew nothing could. Except maybe a commitment to protect his daughter. And he would do whatever it took to—

Daniel’s circling brooding thoughts came to a standstill when he heard a noise. He looked up and his pulse tripled, blood pumping in an instantaneous reaction to the sight before him.

Mia was standing in the open doorway, dressed in a T-shirt and, as far as he could see, nothing else. Her legs were endless and bare. Her hair was tangled and wild, tumbling around her shoulders. He could see the thrust of her breasts against the material of her shirt. Full and round. He’d spent the last couple of days in agony, looking at those perfect breasts, barely contained by the thinnest of swimsuits, each sexier than the last.

She looked as shocked as he felt. Eyes wide. Those same eyes that had looked at him earlier with such—

He blinked.

He told himself he was conjuring her up, like some form of mental torture. But, no, she was still there. Not a figment of his imagination. And now he saw that she was holding a water bottle in one hand and the baby monitor in the other.

He sat up. ‘Mia?’

Mia swallowed. She shouldn’t have come to explore why the light was spilling out of Daniel’s office.

Unable to sleep, she’d gone to the kitchen to get some water and had seen the light.

Only to find Daniel staring into the bottom of a glass as if it held all the answers, long legs stretched out before him, in jeans and a T-shirt. Bare feet.

She hadn’t been able to sleep because she’d been thinking of what he’d told her about his sister earlier...

Tension crackled in the air. ‘I... I couldn’t sleep... I didn’t mean to disturb...’

Great—now she couldn’t string a sentence together.

She started to turn around. ‘Sorry, I’ll—’

‘Wait.’

She stopped, still facing away. But she could see Daniel reflected in the glass, behind her. He was standing. He’d put the glass down. She could see how his gaze dropped and moved over her legs, and suddenly it was hard to breathe.

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