Page 50 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

Mia looked at him warily. ‘What?’

He pushed his shades onto his head. ‘I know I mentioned marriage before—’

Mia stood up in one fluid motion, panic galvanising her movements. He was too close. Things were moving too fast for her to be able to assimilate how she felt. ‘No way. I’m not talking about this again.’

Daniel stood up too. ‘Just hear me out. You don’t have to say anything now.’

Mia folded her arms, but she didn’t walk away and she didn’t say anything else.

‘When I mentioned it before it was a reflex. I admit that. I saw it as a solution to a problem. But now...now I really mean it, Mia. I want us to marry and be a family. Because wearea family, whether you like to admit it or not. I don’t want Lexi growing up on the other side of the city, only to see her once a week or less. I want her to be with me every day.’

A ridiculous dart of envy made Mia say tartly, ‘And me? Do I fit into this neat equation?’

Daniel took a step towards Mia and snaked a hand around the back of her neck. His gaze roved over her face and she saw the lick of heat in his eyes. An answering heat bloomed in her belly.

‘Of course you do. I want you, Mia. You know that. I haven’t stopped wanting you, and the more I have of you, the more I want. We have amazing chemistry. We like each other. We respect each other. And we have Lexi.’

But I don’t love you.That was what he omitted to mention.

‘You never wanted this, remember?’ Mia couldn’t quite keep the bitterness out of her voice.

‘I know. But that was before Lexi existed. I don’t regret Lexi, Mia—not for a second. Neither of us had the family experience we wanted. She deserves more.’

Damn him. She’d told him too much.

They stared at each other for a long moment. And then, from a few feet away, came, ‘Papa!’

Mia saw the shock on Daniel’s face. He dropped his hand and looked at Lexi. ‘What did you say,mignonne?’

He went over and bent down. She said, very clearly, ‘Papa make castle.’

Papa. Mia put a hand to her mouth, emotion rising before she could stop it. Tears pricked her eyes. Daniel looked up at her and she couldn’t hide the emotion.

He said, ‘I’m just asking you to think about it, okay?’

Mia swallowed the lump in her throat. She owed him that much at least. She nodded.

That night Mia lay wide awake in bed, Lexi was on her back, legs and arms akimbo, in the cot nearby. She’d come to bed early, using Lexi as a pretext, afraid that Daniel would look at her and scramble her brain cells again—or, worse, touch her and make her agree to something she really wasn’t sure she was ready for.

Marriage.

She’d always thought she was against the idea after her upbringing, until her first boyfriend had exposed her weakness for the dream. She’d learnt a harsh lesson. And then, with Daniel, she might not have dreamt of marriage, but she’d certainly come close to letting her defences down, to trusting him.

And she’d been humiliated again with the news of his arranged marriage. Reminded of her unpalatability. The fact that Daniel had acknowledged that last night only made her feel more vulnerable now.

And yet Mia knew that hundreds of thousands of marriages started with a lot less and lasted for a long time. Chemistry, respect...a child. Those were all solid foundations on which to build a lasting partnership. She’d convinced herself she would be happy with such a union, built on respect and mutual trust.

But she knew she wanted more. She wanted Daniel to love her as she still loved him. It was pointless trying to keep denying how she felt. She’d fallen for him two years ago and she hadn’t stopped loving him, no matter what she might have told herself. Now she was fathoms deep, with no hope of escape. And the fact that he was growing to love Lexi and building such a good relationship with her only made her love him more.

Mia turned over and thumped the pillow, trying to plump it up. What it really came down to was this: was she selfless enough to sacrifice her own happiness for her daughter’s?

In her heart of hearts, she knew there was only one answer to that.

The following day was the last day of the ad campaign shoot. They were down at the edge of the sea this time. So far Daniel had kept his distance from Mia, which she’d been simultaneously grateful for and irritated by.

Odile had brought Lexi to visit the set today, and Daniel was behind the table of laptops, monitoring proceedings with Lexi in his arms.

Everyone hadoohedandaahedover Lexi—who had, of course, lapped up the attention.

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