His muscles tightened under my touch. “My father. I don’t want to be like him. I already feel like him in some moments when I look at you and my body rages to have you. It feels depraved. Like I’m possessed. And I wonder, was that what it was like for my father? Was that how it began? But then I know, it was about power with him. It was about getting away with it. It wasn’t about how mad he was about the girls. Not like the way you drive me so mad with wanting.”

“How mad?” I asked.

“Out of my mind,” he admitted. “I was torn between being addicted to seeing you every day, knowing I would not, could not, touch you and sending you away so you didn’t torture me anymore. But then, of course, it would hurt Dauphine.”

“Yet, you let me resign and walk away.”

“I’m sorry. You became too much. And after the club,” his finger traced the shell of my ear, “J’ai paniqué.”

Giddiness fizzed in my belly. “I’m assuming that means you panicked. Why?”

“My daughter is everything to me.”

I nodded, understanding. “I know.”

“And I have not allowed myself to get distracted. Or to be apart from her.”

“And now?” I asked as I licked my lips. “What changed?”

“I don’t know.” His gaze caught on my mouth and his finger moved from my ear to my cheek and over my bottom lip. “I’m still trying to figure it out. After you left, I was telling myself it was for the best. But I felt … I felt like I had made a terrible mistake.”

“I bet Dauphine made you feel bad,” I teased.

He chuckled. “Everyone did. Even Chef could hardly look at me. And Evan? Mon dieu. He’s lucky we have a long history.”

I smiled. It was nice to know I had allies beyond Andrea, that people were rooting for us. I wondered what they’d say if they knew he’d already put an expiration date on us of two days.

“I thought I’d been given a second chance when you returned today, but my own mother was going to keep you away from me,” he said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “And then I knew my need for you was too strong to resist. I wasn’t sure you would agree after the way I’d behaved. Or if everyone would see through me and know what I wanted and laugh. But I took a chance. And now you are here. I can barely believe it.”

“Me neither,” I whispered. “I’m glad I’m here. I want to be here,” I affirmed in case there was any doubt. “I’m glad I had an asshole boss back home, or I wouldn’t have been here. I wouldn’t have met you. Or Dauphine.”