Page 34 of Daring to Love You (Priestly Family #3)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

L ynix was pretty sure he fell more in love with Dorian on the way back to his penthouse after leaving the gala.

Not only didn’t she say anything about him claiming her as his future wife, but she also didn’t inundate him with questions that she deserved answers to.

He promised her that, if she could wait until they got to his place, he would explain everything.

Still holding on to her hand since leaving the gala, he opened the door to the penthouse and escorted her in.

If she thought it weird that he refused to release her, she hadn’t said.

He hadn’t even let her go while they rode back in the limousine.

Deep down, he feared that if he did she might disappear from his life.

A life that he couldn’t imagine without her in it.

He was so proud of how she’d handled the run-in with Marisela, but he hated he hadn’t given her a heads-up about the woman.

For a while, he assumed Marisela wouldn’t be attending the gala because his mother had told him that she was out of the country.

But then out of nowhere, she showed up, catching him off guard.

Like usual, being near her made him feel as if he was suffocating. Like someone had their large hands wrapped around his neck, squeezing the life out of him. Tonight was no different, except Dorian was there. She was his peace. His calm.

After she put Marisela in her place and then looked into his eyes, Lynix saw his future. He knew without a doubt that Dorian was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He just hadn’t planned on announcing it to her and Marisela in the way he’d done.

“Do you mind if I take off my shoes?” Dorian asked.

Lynix glanced down at her sandals that showed off pink toenails and wondered how she’d managed to survive in the heels for this long.

“Of course, sweetheart,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse. “Make yourself at home. Actually, I have something for you.”

He swept her into his arms, and she gasped, holding on to him while he carried her down the hall.

“Where are we going, and why are you carrying me?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder. That simple move showed just how much she trusted him.

“We’re going to my bedroom, and I’m carrying you so you don’t have to take another step in those killer heels. There’s a little something in the room I think you’ll be happy to see.”

When he reached the last door on the right, he strolled in and set her on the bed. Her gaze went immediately to the huge white box with a red bow sitting next to her. He hadn’t been sure she’d come home with him, but he had hoped.

“That’s for you. Open it.”

She took a cursory glance around the large bedroom.

She had seen it the first time she’d come over, and though she hadn’t said, it was probably too masculine for her taste.

If her apartment was any indication, she loved bright-colored walls, but his were a deep gray.

But if things between them turned out the way he wanted, she’d have full rein on redecorating the space.

Dorian removed the lid from the box and burst out laughing as she pulled out fluffy yellow Big Bird slippers. “These are hilarious,” she said.

“There’s more,” he nodded to the box for her to keep digging.

She pulled out several sets of lounging pajamas, a robe, and thick socks. He had included those in case she wasn’t a house shoes person. With some help from Cree and her friend, Jada, he had also purchased a few additional clothing items to leave at his penthouse… just in case.

Maybe he was being too presumptuous thinking she’d soon be spending more time at his place, but once again, he was hoping.

“Oh, Lynix. This is so thoughtful, and I see a theme.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I’ve picked up on the fact that yellow is your favorite color. I figured whenever you come over, you can make yourself at home. What better way to do that than with comfortable clothes?”

She strolled toward him smiling and hugged him. “You are too good to me.”

“Nah, sweetheart, you’ve got it all wrong.” He bent down and kissed her lips. “You’re too good for me, and I think tonight proved that.”

“Lynix…”

“I know you have questions, and you deserve answers, but let’s change clothes, get comfortable, and then we can talk.”

“Okay.”

Twenty minutes later, after a quick shower and changing into a T-shirt and basketball shorts, Lynix poured himself a drink. He rarely drank hard liquor, but the conversation they needed to have would require something stronger than beer.

He had just poured three fingers of whiskey when Dorian strolled into the kitchen. Her shower-fresh scent wafted through the air, and she was wearing one of the short pajama sets. On her feet were a pair of thick socks.

Her hair was in a loose ponytail at her nape, and her face was scrubbed free of makeup. She looked completely at home, and Lynix loved it.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?” he asked.

“I’m not hungry, but a glass of red wine would be great.”

“Okay, have a seat in the living room, and I’ll bring it to you.”

How was he going to tell her about Marisela? How was he going to tell her about the most humiliating and scariest night of his life? What would she think? Would she look at him differently? Would he even be able to get through the story?

He wasn’t sure, but because he didn’t want any secrets between them as they moved forward in their relationship, he needed to explain about Marisela.

“Here you go,” Lynix said, handing her the wine.

“Thank you.”

He settled next to her and sipped his drink. “Thank you for being patient with me,” he said. “Before I tell you about Marisela, I want to apologize for what happened tonight. For lack of a better way to describe who she is to me, she’s a complication from my past life.”

He took a big swig of his drink before setting the glass on the table.

A little liquid courage was just what he needed.

“I have to tell you about a past that I thought I had buried and moved on from, but each time I see Marisela, I’m taken back to a dark place in my mind.

” He told her how it feels like he can’t breathe whenever he sees her or is near her.

“This is extremely hard to talk about, Dee.”

Dorian reached for his hand. “Lynix, you have come through for me so much in the last few weeks. I never thought you, the man who used to drive me nuts with your arrogance and banter, would become so important to me.” She smiled, and he laughed.

“You can trust me,” she said, using his words that he’d said to her that day at the hotel.

“Whatever we discuss here will stay between us.”

Lynix nodded and brought the back of her hand to his lips. “I know and thank you. I’m glad you’re here.”

She took a sip from her wine glass and set it on the table next to his glass. Then she ran her palm over the stubble on his jaw and smiled. “There’s no other place I’d rather be than here with you.”

He needed to hear that. He’d known their feelings for each other had changed, and her words confirmed it. She might not have told him she loved him, but Lynix felt it in his heart. She was his.

He sat back, and pulled her against his side, her head resting on his chest. Maybe if he held on to her while sharing his truth, it’ll be easier to tell her everything.

“My dad’s friend, Mr. Baldwin, is Marisela’s father. Her mother died when she was a little girl, and he raised her alone.”

“Oh,” Dorian said. “That had to be hard for both of them. I wonder if that’s why Marisela is so mean.”

Lynix grunted but didn’t comment. He was sure her father did the best he could with her, but she was a horrible person. He thought by now she would’ve grown out of her mean-girl tendencies, but after her behavior tonight, it was safe to say she hadn’t.

“When I was younger, maybe fourteen or fifteen, my father and Mr. Baldwin made an agreement. They wanted me to marry Marisela after we graduated college.”

Dorian bolted up and shrugged out of his hold. “Wait. She was telling the truth? You were married… or what, engaged to that… that woman?”

“No,” Lynix said in a rush. “We are not engaged, married, or anything. There is nothing between her and I except bad memories,” he said emphatically.

Dorian shook her head. “Then I don’t understand.”

After pulling her back into his arms, Lynix told her about how he and Marisela had known each other forever. They might’ve lived in different households, but their families spent a ton of time together, including holidays and vacations.

“When our fathers insisted we marry, it hadn’t been a big deal. We were always together and had even attended the same private schools. Besides that, we were young and naive. At that age, we did whatever our parents said to do.”

“An arranged marriage, though?” Dorian said. “I thought stuff like that only happened in books or in movies or in other cultures.”

“It happens more often than you think. Some parents do it to ensure acceptable partners for their kids. Partners who have the same family values, cultural norms, or even societal standings.

“I don’t know for sure, but I suspect in our case, Mr. Baldwin was thinking of Marisela’s future for when he’s no longer around.

The man is worth an obscene amount of money, and Marisela is his only child.

Everything would probably go to her upon his death, and I have no doubt she’d blow it within a year.

“You’ve met her. She doesn’t use good judgment—in anything—and she’s a spoiled brat.

From what I used to know of her, she has no moral compass and attracts the wrong type of people, especially men.

Mr. Baldwin knows to be concerned about her.

He was probably trying to set her up in a reputable family where she’d be taken care of after he’s gone.

And my father has always wanted us to hook up with daughters from his circle of wealthy friends. ”

Dorian nodded. “That’s probably why he questioned my intentions with you.

He doesn’t want you with someone who doesn’t have money or the same social standings.

For the record, I don’t want your money, Lynix.

I hope you know me well enough to know that, no matter what happens between us, your money means nothing to me. ”

Anger stirred inside of him as he recalled the way his father had treated Dorian. “My father was being a bastard, but for the record, I know the type of person you are. You might not be after my money, but there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. As far as I’m concerned, what’s mine is yours.”

“Lynix,” she said in what he knew was her warning tone.

He didn’t want to hear her say anything about their relationship being fake. He knew better. Just because she hadn’t admitted to loving him, didn’t mean she didn’t. He could see it in the way she looked at him and the way she treated him. He could feel it whenever they were together.

Dorian’s eyes widened as if just thinking of something. “I was wondering why you introduced me to Marisela as your future wife. It was to get her to let go of the idea that she’d one day be Mrs. Lynix Mathews, right?”

“No, I said that to her because it’s true. Dorian, you’re the only woman I ever plan to marry, and before you freak out, I’m just letting my intentions be known.”

When she started to speak, he stopped her by lifting his hands and shaking his head. He didn’t want to hear her protests, assuming that was what she was about to do.

“Anyway, I broke things off with Marisela during our freshmen year of college.”

Lynix explained how he began to come into his own and started really thinking for himself. He was at the stage of deciding what he wanted to do with his life, and it didn’t include Marisela. He saw how mean she was to some people, and he told Dorian something his mother often said.

However people treat others, that’s how they’ll eventually treat you. Good or bad.

“She would also say when people show you who they are, believe them. That’s not to say folks can’t change for the better, but what I saw in Marisela, I didn’t like.

“Needless to say, our fathers didn’t take the news of our breakup well. My dad even threatened to disown me if I backed out of the agreement, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t marry her, and there was nothing he could say that would change my mind.”

“What did Marisela say when you broke up with her?”

Lynix sighed and laid his head back against the sofa. “At first, she was in denial, saying we were just going through a rough patch. When she realized I was serious, she was livid, calling me every degrading name you can imagine. Her behavior toward me validated my decision to move on from her.”

Still holding Dorian close, Lynix pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, trying to think of a way to tell her the rest. Apparently, he was taking too long to continue, because she sat forward.

When she did, he lifted his head to look at her.

The compassion in her beautiful eyes almost did him in.

She continued to amaze him—showing him what type of person she was—sweet, sensitive, loving.

Deciding to pursue her might end up being the best decision of his life.

“At the gala, when you made the comment about Marisela not being willing to accept no for an answer, you were dead on. I was shocked by your words.”

“Really? I only said that because I didn’t know what else to say. I could tell something was wrong because you looked as if you were going to explode or kill her. I couldn’t let her get away with making you feel like that. Besides, she looks like the type to expect to get whatever she wants.”

Lynix nodded. “You read her correctly. When I broke up with her, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She even went as far as drugging me… and then attempted to rape me.”