He looked her up and down. ‘You’ve been crying,’ he said softly.

‘No, I haven’t. I have hay fever.’

His brows rose. ‘At the end of summer?’

‘All year round.’ Her heart was kicking inside her chest like a racehorse trying to break out of its barrier but she’d be damned if she’d let him see her so vulnerable.

‘Would you like a cup of tea, Mr James?’

‘Dare doesn’t drink tea, Mother,’ she said stiffly.

‘I didn’t think you did either,’ he said gruffly.

Carly wasn’t about to explain that this was her and her mother’s special thing. ‘What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come near me again.’

His nostrils flared at her frosty tone. ‘I needed to make sure you got my messages.’

‘I got the one about the panties,’ Carly scoffed. ‘That was enough.’

‘I think I might leave you two to talk,’ her mother said softly.

Carly glanced up and saw her mother’s flushed face. ‘Thanks, Mum.’ She had been so intent on Dare she had forgotten her mother was even in the room. By the look on his face, Dare had too.

‘About that message.’ He tugged at the collar on his jacket. ‘I wasn’t exactly thinking straight when I left it.’

‘You don’t say.’

He ignored her sarcasm and raked a hand through his hair. ‘But I was referring to my other messages.’

‘I don’t care about your other messages. I want you to leave.’

Dare stared at her beautiful, defiant face. Was that it? Was that all she was going to say after he’d poured his heart out to her? After the things he’d told her?

Yes, it seemed so.

He sucked in a steadying breath. ‘There’s nothing you want to add?’

‘If I’d had something to add I would have called you, wouldn’t I?’

‘Of course.’ Dare zipped up his jacket, swallowed heavily. ‘I’m sorry I disturbed you.’

‘I’m sorry I ever met you.’

She said it under her breath but Dare rounded on her. ‘You know, when a man pours his heart out to you, you might want to think about being a little nicer about it.’

‘Pours his heart out?’ Carly gave a harsh laugh. ‘That’s rich,’ she said thickly. ‘You talk about women’s underwear and demand that I call you—as if I’m the one at fault—and you call that pouring your heart out?’

‘I never said you were at fault. If anyone is at fault I am.’

‘Well, finally we agree on something,’ she fumed. ‘Now you can go.’

That last word came out as a sob, and Carly dashed the back of her hand against her mouth to try and contain it. Dammit, she didn’t want to cry in front of him.

‘Carly, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.’

He took her face between his hands and kissed her. It was meant to be a goodbye kiss. Short and sweet. But her lips clung to his and he groaned her name and gathered her closer.

‘I want you to know that I meant everything I said,’ he told her gruffly. ‘And if you change your mind I’ll...’ He took a deep breath. ‘My feelings won’t ever change.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Carly looked up at him. ‘What feelings?’

Dare stared at her to the point where she became uncomfortable. Then his eyes narrowed. ‘Did you even listen to my other messages?’

Carly sniffed and wiped her nose. ‘One was enough.’ She lifted her chin. ‘I deleted the others. I didn’t want to—why are you laughing?’ She frowned. ‘This is hardly funny.’

She tried to pull away but Dare clasped her shoulders, preventing her.

‘Carly?’ Dare began softly. ‘Those messages you deleted.’ He cleared his throat. ‘They said that I love you.’

‘They said...’ She shrugged out of his hold and wrapped her arms around her waist. ‘They said what?’

‘That I love you.’

Carly shook her head. ‘You can’t love me—you don’t trust me.’

‘You’re right, I didn’t trust you, but I need to explain that.’

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